Lzzy Hale recalls her teachers being mad when she, her brother and her drummer started Halestorm back in 1997.ย
In a new interview for Heavy magazine, Hale discussed the reactions from adults when she started the band at age 13.ย
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“All of our teachers would have interventions. We started a rock band, and they would try to tell us, like, ‘Hey, that’s actually a stupid idea. You shouldn’t be putting all your eggs in one basket and you shouldn’t be obsessed with a band. You should be looking at going to college,โโ she said.ย
“I went to a high school where you’re pretty much told the same thing. If you signed up to do music or drama, you’re always told by the teachers, ‘Hey, it’s good that you want to do this class, but it’s not a future,โโ she continued. โWe had quite a bit of defiance at that point because I don’t know, all of a sudden, everything came second.”
The story came after she reflected on the bandโs crazy set at this yearโs Download Festival.
Read more: Halestorm on rappers: โeveryone wants to be a rock starโ
โApparently in the history of Download, we had the most attendance for our second-stage headlining spot and also I guess I was the first girl to headline that stage,โ Hale said. โItโs pretty special to walk out on a stage like that.โย
That moment was โemotionalโ for the band and helped them prove those teachers wrong.ย
โHey this proves that yes we were crazy but we were not stupid and this was not a stupid idea,โ Hale said her brother said about their success.ย
You can listen to the full interview down below.ย
Halestorm are currently on tour and will be for awhile. You can check out the full list of their upcoming dates below.ย
Dates:
With Alice Cooper
07/31 โ Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory^
08/01 โ Houston, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman^
08/04 โ Knoxville, TN @ Thompson-Voling Arena, University of Tennessee
08/04 โ Nashville, TN @ The Opry House^
08/07 โ Canandaigua, NY @ Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center: CMAC^
08/08 โ Bethel, NY @ Bethel Woods Center for the Arts^
08/10 โ Portland, ME @ Maine Savings Pavilion at Rock Row^
08/11 โ Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion^
08/13 โ Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live^
08/15 โ Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center^
08/16 โ Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavilion^
^ Alice Cooper, Motionless In White
Read more: Lzzy Hale explains how Alice Cooper CD inspired โowning [her] weirdnessโ
Fall Tour with Godsmack
09/20 โ Green Bay, WI @ Resch Center
09/21 โ Madison, WI @ Alliant Energy Center
09/22 โ Moline, IL @ TaxSlayer Center
09/24 โย Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford Premiere Center
09/25 โย Wichita, KS @ In-Trust Arena
09/27 โ Cape Girardeau, MO @ Show Me Center
09/28 โย Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life Festival*
09/29 โย Alpharetta, GA @ Alpharetta Amphitheater
10/01 โ West Palm Beach, FL @ Coral Sky Amphitheatre at the South Florida Fairgrounds
10/02 โ Estero, FL @ Hertz Arena
10/04 โ Pensacola, FL @ Pensacola Civic Center
10/05 โย Southaven, MS @ Landers Center
10/06 โย Rogers, AR @ Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion
10/08 โย Loveland, CO @ Budweiser Arena
10/09 โ Salt Lake City, UT @ Usana Pavilion
10/11 โ Sacramento, CA @ Discover Park*
10/12 โ Bakersfield, CA @ Rabobank Arena
10/13 โ Ontario, CA @ Citizenโs Bank Arena
10/15 โ San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
10/16 โย Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Pavilion
10/18 โ Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
More Halestorm news
Back in December, Bring Me The Horizon frontman Oli Sykes commented on the current state of rock music, stating that rappers were โalmost the new rock โnโ roll.โ Now, Halestorm vocalist Lzzy Hale and guitarist Joe Hottinger are chiming in with their thoughts on being a โrock star.โ
โRappers are almost the new rock โnโ roll or punk or whatever,โ Sykes previously said. โRockโs gone soft, itโs gone miserable and boring, thereโs not really much exciting about it.โ
In an interview with Kaaos TV, Hale and Hottinger were asked their thoughts on Sykesโ comments.
โI donโt know,โ Hale says. โI think personally, whether youโre a rap star, a pop star or a country star, everybody wants to be a rock star. It doesnโt mean you are. Butโฆโ
Read more: Lzzy Hale gives young Halestorm fan her guitar onstage in empowering moment
Hottinger chimes in, โIt depends on your definition of a rock star, too. They definitely make more money. Rock is a little underground right now, which I love it. Weโre down here simmering, and thereโs some really cool music happening, and [there are] fans all over the world that stick with you forever, [whereas] these pop things happen and itโs vapid. A band goes up and it comes down real fast โcause people just move on to the next thing.
Itโs the only way weโve ever known,โ he continued. โWe werenโt operating in a time like the โ80s and โ90s when rock was at the top of the charts and [was] the biggest thing happening. Now itโsโฆ it has been โ whatever. All the money is over there, and thatโs fine. They can have it. We have a really cool thing going on here in rock and roll, and I like it.โ
The Halestorm vocalist goes on to share how she believes people go to rock shows for the experience, rather than just to have something to do on a Saturday night.
Read more: Lzzy Hale says Halestorm is โall Iโve ever wanted to do in lifeโ
โTheyโre not there to show off their cute outfits and take selfies; theyโre there because itโs a part of their life,โ she said. โAnd some of these kids primally need to be there to make themselves feel like they belong somewhere. And I think that thatโs powerful. So weโre very proud of that.โ
She adds, โLike I said, everybody wants to wear the leather jacket and be a rock star, but, really, the truth is that unless youโre underground with us, youโre probably not. [Laughs.]โ
You can watch the full interview below.
What do you think of the throwback story about Halestorm? Sound off in the comments down below!