Having released two successful DIY full-length albums Our Hollow, Our Home deliver melodic metalcore with massive roars. Their third DIY album ‘Burn in the Flood‘ releases this Friday through their own record label //Hollow Music – and we were fortunate to interview lead vocalist Connor Hallisey from the band. Check out our discussion below, and read the review of the record here.
DB: Firstly, how are you guys coping in the current state the country is in with Corona Virus, rules are starting to be lifted now however did you find yourself more creative during this period?
CH: Surprisingly yes! We actually had more time on our hands to write this album than we’ve ever had before on a project. We weren’t working our day jobs and we were already working on the album before COVID-19 lockdowns hit, so we actually ended up being more connected during the creative process for the album than we ever had been before!
DB: That’s great, Lockdown has been great for a lot of artists actually, so that’s good. What was the writing process for ‘Burn in the Flood’ and was it different to ‘In Moment // In Memory’ & ‘Hartsick’?
CH: Our writing process usually starts with Tobias coming up with a riff or a section that we will then build a track around, and then he and I will work on the vocals for the song as a whole together, going back and forth until we are 100% happy with them. To be fair, we don’t really have a fixed writing process, we tend to mix it up wherever possible and from project to project!
DB: It’s great to mix things up though where possible, cool! What is your favourite set you’ve played and why?
CH: I think my favourite set to date was either of our Slam Dunk 2019 appearances. To play on such a prestigious stage in our own country and have the respect from our peers and admiration from our fans on home soil was really something special. Two shows I will not be forgetting anytime soon!
DB: Ah, miss Slam Dunk Festival, I was there! Great set! What is a day in the life like for Our Hollow, Our Home, what have you guys been up to in lockdown, have you picked up any new hobbies?
CH: To be honest, probably not crazy different from most people’s daily lives haha. We all work other jobs, we all have girlfriends, we all play video games… so we usually just go about our business but with the occasional practice and writing session thrown in for good measure haha! I can’t speak for the rest of the band but I got super into my anime over lockdown, and I’ve not put Monster Hunter Rise down since it came out [on] Nintendo switch a couple months back!
DB: Haha, nice, sounds fun! Are you looking forward to touring in September, and what have you missed most about it?
CH: Of course! I think the thing we’ve missed the most is just interacting with our fans face to face and getting to talk with them after the shows at merch. We really do appreciate any and all of our supporters, and losing that platform to interact with them really hit us way harder than we thought it would. We cannot wait to get back out there and hang with our #TeamOHOH family!
DB: I’ll be there, can’t wait! What is your favourite venue you have played, and why?
CH: Probably Backstage in Munich, DE. it’s such an insane layout for a venue and has so many separate rooms/stages, it literally feels like a maze but in the best way possible! The catering is always on point, the staff are always super helpful, and the crowd is always insane! Couldn’t ask for more from a venue.
DB: Haha, will definitely have to go there once restrictions allow! Any embarrassing moments you’ve had whilst on stage?
CH: Far too many to recollect at this point in time I’m afraid… I think we’ve all fallen over on stage at least 10 times, maybe apart from Nick (drums) haha. I’ve definitely introduced our own songs wrong too, like a lot… so there’s that as well haha.
DB: Haha, it happens to the best of us! What is your favourite song at the moment and was ‘Burn in the Flood’ influenced in anyway by that?
CH: We draw our influences from such a wide range of music and genres that it’s hard to pinpoint the exact inspiration behind certain tracks or the album as a whole, but rest assured that our eclectic music tastes have definitely all found themselves represented on the new record. I’m really digging the new single from Resolve (FR) right now called ‘Seasick Sailor’.
DB: Cool, funnily enough I literally came across this song the other day! OK, so if you guys were stranded on a desert island, what are the top 3 things you would take with you, and why?
CH: Nick would definitely go full survival with like a knife, rope and maybe like a motivational book, TD would probably bring some Warhammer & Fanta, Josh would probably bring a guitar and some salsa, Bobby would bring a pen, paper and probably something survival based like Nick, and I think I’d bring some manga, Hay fever tablets and some utensils to start a fire?! I dunno, I think either way if we ended up on a desert island we’d all be goners by week 3 except for Nick hahaha.
DB: Haha, happy days, i’m with you on the hay fever tablets for sure! Lastly, do you see Holloween going ahead this year, or will you wait until next year now?
CH: We can’t really comment on that at this stage, but we will endeavour to keep our fans and supporters updated with our plans for the event over the coming months.
Thank you so much for your time and answering the questions, we really appreciate it! Burn in the Flood is available May 28th via //Hollow Music, and you can find pre-orders for the new album here!