5 Questions With Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale + Joe Hottinger: ShipRocked 2016, Touring, Baking Soda

On this year’s ShipRocked, one of the favorite bands on the boat both musically and socially was Halestorm. Fans raved about their musical performances and how damn nice they were. We caught up with vocalist Lzzy Hale and guitarist Joe Hottinger, who both soaked up the experience that was ShipRocked 2016. They chatted about some new bands they got to see as well as what the rest of the year has in store for their own band. Hale also speaks passionately about her need for baking soda while on the road. Check out our interview with Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger of Halestorm below:

Halestorm fit so well on an experience like ShipRocked. How has it been for you?

Lzzy Hale: It’s just been so much fun.

Joe Hottinger: Everyone’s super nice and on the same page.

LH: Everyone’s nice to each other and it feels like this cool camaraderie. We like doing that, anyway. Part of our M.O. is we like having a relationship with fans, we’re not reclusive people anyway. Everyone was like, “You’re just going to be bombarded” and I don’t care and after a while everyone’s just like, “We’ll see you around.”

If you could be in one band on the boat besides Halestorm, who would it be?

JH: I’d get a haircut and join Biters. I need some pins and I have to go get my other leather jacket and then I’m good. We saw them last night and then we saw half of the last song of the Glorious Sons.

LH: Yeah and they were cool and it was only a half of a song and then they were like “Thank you goodnight!” and we were like, “S--- we missed it!” I would try to sneak into that band, the Glorious Sons. I want to be like them when I grow up.

'Into the Wild Life' -- what does that album title mean to each of you personally?

LH: For me, personally we’ve just been having a great time. We’ve been a band for many years, a four-piece for 12 years and so many things have happened that we never thought would happen, so many dreams have come true, so many milestones have been achieved where we’re like, “Can you believe that we’re doing this?” So we kind of went a little nuts last year and so it’s been like, we’re having too much fun maybe we should turn the fun down now for a little bit so we can survive? No.

JH: Rock 'n' roll is bad for you but it’s a lot fun. It’s just the circus you know, we knew what we were getting into.

LH: We tallied up last year how many days we were actually on the road and it was 267. [Laughs] It was great, it’s gotten flipped where this wild life or whatever you call it is our normalcy.

JH: It’s also kind of like vacatio,n too, then you go home and you’re like, “I’m not working.” F---, everything’s vacation. Bummer, this is hard.

LH: Oh yeah, it’s a real bummer. [Laughs]

What does the rest of 2016 have in store for you?

JH: We’re touring! We head to Europe after the cruise, then back in June. We’d like to get to South America…

LH: And we’re going to Dubai for the first time, that’ll be fun and South Africa for the first time. I forgot to tell the Seether guys that, “Where do you live, we’re coming over!”

What is one non-electronic item you must have on tour with you and why?

LH: Baking soda, this is a weird one but it’s so multi-functional. You can put it in your shoes or other people’s shoes…

JH: My feet are fine, they’re well-manicured.

LH: Usually it’s for some people in the crew. You can use it as a makeshift deodorant if you don’t have any. If you have to you can wash your hair in it, I don’t recommend it. What else, you can clean with it…

JH: Put out a fire.

LH: Baby wipes are a good one, too. That’s just a big staple -- let’s make sure nobody smells. [Laughs]

Our thanks to Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger of Halestorm for the interview! Halestorm are headed out on a headlining tour with veteran rocker Lita Ford serving as direct support. Go here for tour dates!

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