Looking for a new trio to bring the most incredible music into your life? Look no further than Long Beach-based group, half•alive. If you’re a fan of genuine good pop music, then you’re going to want to jump on board with being a fan of these guys! After one listen to their newest track ‘Summerland,’ we knew it was not going to leave our on repeat rotation for a while! On top of just putting out this killer track half•alive are about to hit the road with TØP, and by themselves with some west coast US dates, which we couldn’t be more stoked for!
[apple_music_ad artist=”half.alive” song=”Summerland”]We were lucky enough to get to chat with them ahead of the tours! We hope you enjoy this interview with half•alive!
‘Summerland’ recently dropped, what has seeing the fan reaction been like? Is there always a sigh of relief when a song is able to exist in a space where it now belongs to the listener?
We’ve reached something with ‘Summerland’ that we’ve been chasing for a while. The reactions we’ve heard so far have been wide-ranging, but all of them have been overwhelmingly strong. Even as we’ve been writing countless other songs, ‘Summerland’ has continued to stay with us. The song has this magic that is hard to pinpoint, but it’s noticeably powerful, & it feels like it will only continue to pull us towards the eternal summer that every human heart seeks.
One of the things we’ve come to love the most about you guys’ music is the lyricism. If you had to choose, what is the collective favorite lyric from the new track ‘Summerland?’
“something ‘bout May makes it all feel better…it’s like the hoodie you find & you wear forever” This lyric feels like it communicates the feeling perfectly.
‘Still Feel’ is a song that really catapulted you guys into a whole new playing field, why do you think that particular song caught on as it did?
‘still feel’ seemed to arrive in the middle of a perfect storm. At the time, we were listening to loads of funk music, & that clearly found its way into our writing, but the funky verses gave way to a driving half-time chorus, which gave the song a nice blend of old & new school. We also released that song before we had any sort of support team around us. We now have a label and management and lawyers, etc… all systems of structure that foster sustainable growth for us & we wouldn’t be able to do without. But back then, without that structure, we captured a reckless, naive, unfiltered energy without overthinking things.
So, Josh, we know that half•alive was born from a songwriting program where you hoped to write 50 songs which led to you working with Brett, is there a song that was born out of that process that you’re still really proud of?
‘The Fall’ is a song from day one that has continued to excite me every time we play it. It feels like it was a song that was more mature than I was at the time we wrote it.
You guys are from Long Beach! How do you think the city has impacted your sound or way of creating?
Long Beach has this unmanicured, yet deeply cultivated beauty that has certainly influenced the way we operate. Our music often shares the same idea: “it’s not perfect, but it’s real”.
When you look back to the 3 EP and compare that music to what you guys are making now, what is the biggest creative difference?
The 3 EP was simply a foundation for the universe that we wanted to build within the band. 3 songs in 3 very different genres that we explored more within the ‘Now, Not Yet’. That universe has only expanded since then, into places that we are still exploring with each new song. The genres continue to bleed into each other, & as the writing & production deepen, the heart remains the same.
You’re joining TØP on tour, which is so exciting and honestly a dream lineup! If you had to craft your lineup, who would be on the roster?
The current dream roster would probably have some very theatrical performers on it. Like maybe LA Qoolside opening for Christine & The Queens, opening for Tyler, The Creator, who then opens for the broadway production of West Side Story (with Tyler and Chris as cast members of course). Something like that would be an easy ticket buy for me.
Aside from the Twenty One Pilots tour you guys are also headed on a solo west coast tour, what can we expect to see at those west coast shows?
Anyone who’s been to a half•alive show knows we leave it all on the stage. This tour is no different, they will be the biggest shows we’ve ever played, so you know we’ll give ’em everything we got.
You’ve described ‘Summerland’ as the “summer song of all summer songs” why do you think the track fits that bill?
We’ve always wanted to write a summer song, but the depth of the story told in ‘Summerland’ made it feel like the summer song of all summer songs. It’s night swims & dancing & late nights with friends & the beach & suntans, but it’s so much more as well. Summer is the beginning & the end of the story, the golden hour of romance, where all of life is at peace with God & each other & in ourselves, where freedom is savored & where we want to remain forever. So at a glance, it’s just a summer song, but under the surface, it’s that & so much more.
What can we expect coming up? Will we be getting even more new music before the tour kicks off?
If new h•a songs are a field before the harvest, a h•a tour is the rainfall. We’ll leave it at that…
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