Chat In a Hat: Hastings
Photo & Interview courtesy of: Carolyn Lederach
The rules are simple...there's a hat, the hat is filled with many questions ranging from the personal to the offbeat. We pass the hat, and artists get a chance to answer the question they choose from said hat. Fun is had by all.
If you’ve been on the search for a new songwriter with some super addictive bops, look no further than Hastings. I’ve had “Heart’s Not In It” on repeat since my first listen last year. We sat down with Matt in Philadelphia on the last show of his first tour, opening for The Band Camino. It’s hard not to instantly enjoy his live set, which consisted of his recently released self-titled EP, Hastings. We can’t wait to see where the bright future of Hastings goes from here.
Without further ado, here's our Chat in the Hat with Hastings:
Favorite album?
Vice Verses by Switchfoot or Continuum by John Mayer.
Outside of music, do you have any hobbies?
I like to play basketball. I play basketball like twice a week. It's not competitive at all. I played in high school and quickly fell out of love with it because everybody got taller than me.
If you could create one holiday, what would it be?
You know how you always had those pajama days in school? I feel like that would be cool.
If you could be an animal for the day, what would you be?
Leopard! I would feel like I would want to run super fast or something. I've always loved those.
Do you have any tour souvenirs?
Not so many souvenirs, but I've got some tattoos. I got one in Chicago. It's a crying eye. And then this is our tour tattoo. So, everybody got that one, which is cool. Some of them got the red around them, like the sun, but I didn't really want any color.
So if the apocalypse is tomorrow, what's the last thing you would do?
Skydive. I've never done that. And I've always been afraid of heights. I feel like I just want to knock that fear out.
What is your zombie apocalypse plan?
That's a great follow-up question. I've had so many conversations about this and I would probably have like six or seven of my friends. We would just post up. I feel like during the zombie apocalypse, you just want people you trust.
Favorite, scary movie.
Midsommar
Your guilty pleasure song.
Probably something from Wiz Khalifa.
If you could eat anything right now, what would it be?
Full breakfast meal. I love breakfast. Like biscuits, gravy, bacon, the whole deal. That's my favorite type of food for sure.
Chat In a Hat: Julia Wolf
The rules are simple...there's a hat, this hat is filled with many questions ranging from the personal to the offbeat. We pass the hat, and artists get a chance to answer the question they choose from said hat. Fun is had by all.
Julia Wolf is currently set out on her first tour opening for the wonderful Fletcher. Not to mention, all the shows are sold out, not a bad start! We got to catch her at her Philly show and do a little catch-up since our Quarantine Profile with Julia back during lockdown times. Since then she’s been busy releasing more new music including her debut album Girls in Purgatory and her latest single “RIP to the Club”. So many exciting things to come, and can’t wait to see where she goes next!
Without further ado, here's our Chat in the Hat with Julia Wolf:
What's the stupidest thing you did in your teens to look cool?
It wasn’t high school, but every day in elementary school, I wore a tie because I was obsessed with Avril Lavigne and, you know, had to represent.
Would you rather change the past or be able to see into the future?
Absolutely see to the future! I wanna know everything. I have no issues with past experiences.
If you could invite two people to a dinner party, who would they be?
Definitely Jack Harlow. Cause he's my favorite of all time. And the second one, I’d have to say Robert, Pattinson, because Twilight forever.
If you could have any superpower, what would you want?
I think I'd want to be invisible.
The apocalypse is tomorrow. What's the last thing you would do?
I would do a whole trip back to my hometown and just do all the cute little things that we used to do on Long Island. We can bring Malfoy, our dog.
The last thing that you've done, that you deserve a Highfive for
Soundcheck!
What is your favorite album?
Jack Harlow That’s What They All Say
If you could eat anything right now, what would it be?
Gnocchi
Chat In a Hat: Christian French
The rules are simple...there's a hat, this hat is filled with many questions ranging from the personal to the offbeat. We pass the hat, and artists get a chance to answer the question they choose from said hat. Fun is had by all.
Christian French recently finished up a US tour after having to previously cancel his 2020 tour as COVID lockdown took its hold. He’s released a couple of bops in the meantime such as “Avalanche” and most recently “Oh Well”. We got to catch up with Christian at his Philly show. Read on for our interview, live photo gallery, and the latest music video for “Oh Well”.
Without further ado, here's our Chat in the Hat with Christian French:
Who is your biggest influence?
I think musically John Mayer definitely is my guy. I've been listening to him since I was three years old and my mom's just always had his CDs playing. I've always followed his albums and then a couple of years ago really started to get into his interviews and I was seeing who he was for the first time and I just really respect how well-spoken he is. So he's someone I really look up to a lot both as a person and a musician.
What was the first record you ever bought?
I got really obsessed with Queen when I was little and my sister asked me what I wanted for Christmas and it was that and an iPod touch that I wanted really bad and she's like you have to pick one. I picked the Queen’s Greatest Hits album, so I didn’t buy it, but it was the first cd that I owned. So I was definitely obsessed with Queen and then the Usher’s Confessions album was my next one that I just absolutely loved.
If you can invite two people to a dinner party who would they be?
I mean I hate to repeat John Mayer but I would love to see him there. And then Rick Ruben who is a crazy crazy talented producer that also I think is really well-spoken and really tapped into like kind of the spiritual side of things that I feel like a lot of people mess. So I would learn a lot from those two in even just 20 minutes.
What would your Wild West outlaw gang name be?
Zombie Runaway Gang. We decided last tour cause of COVID we wouldn't go home and just keep playing to zombies since there was an outbreak.
what's the last movie you cried to?
I absolutely bawled at Marley and Me and I recently watched it again and I cried again. The animal ones always get you the hardest.
What is my guilty pleasure song?
“Love Song” by Sara Bareilles. I don't know if a hit counts as a guilty pleasure song, but I love that song.
What is your favorite song on your record / EP?
I got this song called “oh well” coming absolutely loved. I wrote it just in the middle of the pandemic when I was going through a super shitty time and instead of writing this super snippy sad song I tried to have fun with it and that’s what we came up with and I love it. Then a song that’s out I'm really proud of is “Head First”, and I'm really really proud of “Avalanche”.
Would you rather have the superpowers of fly or to become invisible?
I've always wanted to fly and every once in a while you get those dreams where you do fly for a second and it's a blast.
If you could be an animal for the day what would you be?
I mean if it's forever I would be a dog cause they just get to vibe and love you and that’s about it. I don't know I would want to be deep in the jungle but also not be an animal that would get eaten.
Outside of music do you have any hobbies?
I love cooking I'm like the house Chef for my roommates and I love being in nature so we go camping every couple of weeks. I played ice hockey my entire life and I haven't recently because of COVID. I’m in a men’s league playing with some 40/50-year-olds. Then I like to read as well.
What is your favorite song and or album right now?
I am currently in love with the War on Drugs. A Deeper Understanding is just one of the best albums I've listened to in a long time, but I just found it a few months ago. My favorite songs off that are “Pain” and “Thinking of a Place”.
Favorite scary movie:
Insidious.
What is your zombie apocalypse plan?
We're stuck in the Sprinter van. Set up all the gear in the trailer then drive and play at the same time and shoot lasers at the zombies from the guitars. We will fix the zombie apocalypse
QUARANTINE PROFILE: CLOVER
We’ve launched a profile series to highlight how artists are spending their time during the quarantine. Several times a week we’ll highlight a new artist across the globe and see how they’re keeping busy during COVID-19 lockdowns.
A magical fav of ours over the last couple of months is CLOVER! She’s spent her quarantine on a journey from New York to California (or wherever the road takes her). More cool factors include all her eco-dyed merch and clothes, which you can check out more about on her Instagram. She recently released her latest single ”Sunman” (which you can check out the incredible video for below). CLOVER will be doing a Virtual Concert 5/27 @8pm EST (feat. New + Unreleased Songs) - Link to join: https://zoom.us/j/6476304524 **Suggested Donation $10** (venmo: @clovermusic)
CLOVER Online: Instagram | Website | Patreon | Spotify | YouTube
Where have you been spending your quarantine?
My quarantine story is not the norm, as I’ve had many quarantine locations. When the pandemic hit I was living in Brooklyn with my partner, Dani. Both of our jobs went remote so we decided to go live in a tent in Upstate NY on our friend’s property, using the house during the day for work and then heading back into the forest at night. Once it started getting too cold to camp, we took advantage of remote working and started a cross-country road trip. We took our time and busked along the way, bringing live music back to the people in the safest way possible. I am now quarantining in Ojai, CA, and experiencing my first warm winter ever!
How have you been staying busy during quarantine? (or not keeping busy is totally fine too)
I have started a lot of new creative projects including painting journals to sell while busking and botanically dyeing clothes with onion skins and avocado pits and skins. I’ve always felt conflicted about merch because a lot of it is not made sustainably. Painting journals and thrifting/dyeing/screen-printing my own shirts has allowed me to make merch that I feel is sustainable and valuable. The journals can be used for someone’s creative practices and the t-shirts are made without any waste - each one unique and made with so much love and care!
What’s something new you’ve cooked/baked?
Some quarantine food-related experiments have been sushi, oat milk, and microwaved chocolate lava cake.
Go to quarantine snack: Hummus, pita bread, olives, baba, labne - boom
This is a picture of the most beautiful outdoor bball court I've ever had the pleasure of playing on. This is where I spend some of my time after work in Ojai, CA. Most people are surprised when they hear this, but basketball has always been a huge part of my life and continues to be no matter where I travel.
Song (or album) you’ve had on repeat: “Hypotheticals” by Lake Street Dive. It’s on repeat on my Spotify and in my head.
What is keeping you happy?
Sunshine, my partner Dani, my many craft hobbies, baths.
What’s something you miss the most right now?
Hugging people when I meet them. I feel anxiety around meeting new people because of COVID. I feel like I can’t fully be myself or interact with them the way that I would naturally and that’s really complicated. I definitely miss the people that I know and love and haven’t seen in a while, but I also really miss interacting with strangers - especially while traveling. I’m living in a new place and I want to get to know the locals, but there are so many added layers of caution that it’s exhausting.
What do you hope we take away from this?
I hope we have all received clarity on who and what is important to us. The pandemic has provided us with the space and time to re-evaluate the way we live our lives, what we do with our time, and who we spend it with. I hope that we all come out of this with healthy new habits, new self-love practices, creative joys, and hope.
Anything new we should know about that you’re working on?
I have a new song and music video coming out in April that I am SO excited about! I wrote the song “Sunman” for my partner Dani’s birthday. He was born on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, and also has a super sunny personality. We made the music video while I was quarantining in Upstate NY in the fall. I was lucky enough to be quarantining with a group of artists whose creativity knows no bounds so we were able to make a stunning video in the mystical woods of Hudson. I was quarantining with enough people that I was even able to have some backup dancers - you definitely don’t want to miss this one!
QUARANTINE PROFILE: Fast River
We’ve launched a profile series to highlight how artists are spending their time during the quarantine. Several times a week we’ll highlight a new artist across the globe and see how they’re keeping busy during COVID-19 lockdowns.
The band members are: Corey Durkin, Canyon Sharits, Dylan Cochrane, Andrew DeNicola, Daniel Caravella and Douglas Dejong.
Where have you been spending your quarantine?
Canyon: In our 900 sq ft apt!
Dylan: My fiancé and I bought our first house last April, and we have barely left since. But mostly spending my time in my temporary in-house studio, and Home Depot.
Andrew: Mostly at home, practicing/composing music, keeping in communication with my friends and family, and working part-time. Also exercising like hiking, jogging, biking, and Qi gong.
How have you been staying busy during quarantine? (or not keeping busy is totally fine too)
Canyon: I have two jobs in addition to being a musician and momma. So, aside from last March when lockdown first started, it’s been busier than ever before.
Dylan: I have a 1.5 year old son Odin who keeps me pretty busy but other than that working on music and small house projects. I built some really crappy shelves a few months ago :)
Doug: I've been practicing as much as possible and picking up a few new instruments. I've always "played" drums but now with quarantine, I figure my neighbors are more hesitant to knock on my door so I've finally been playing every day.
Dan: Playing an excessive amount of golf.
Anything new you’ve learned? / Something new you’ve done:
Doug: I started a hockey podcast - "Tougie's Take" - and spent a lot of time learning to mix and edit spoken word. There were a lot of subtleties to producing a podcast that I wasn't expecting, but roughly 100 youtube tutorials and 20 articles later, I'm pretty happy with the results I'm getting.
Dan: Learning how layer 1 through layer 3 networking works and how to consistently hit a cut or a draw on the golf course. Andrew: How to make different types of espresso drinks, recording my own music, and getting a personal trainer to learn new workout exercises.
Corey: I learned the difference between a leaf blower and a chainsaw.
Go-to quarantine snack:
Dylan: Double Stuff Oreos and milk all day every day.
Doug: String Cheese. I'm up to a 2-stick-a-day habit that I might need to kick when I finally go outside again.
Dan: Black forest ham/American cheese rollup with some dijon for dipping
Andrew: Knokkerbread crispbread crackers with hummus
Corey: Sourdough toast with butter wherein the toast is really just a vehicle for the butter.
Canyon: I went through a SERIOUS trail mix obsession in the beginning... like... serious. I was buying tons of different mixes (when I could find them from the bare-shelved store) and got to the point where I was combining different varieties (think dill pickle & cherry/chocolate). It got weird.
If you could only watch one film or TV show for the rest of time what would it be?
Canyon: Dateline!
Dylan: That 70’s Show
Doug: The Simpsons
Corey: West Wing
Andrew: The rest of Stanley Kubrick’s movies.
Dan: Lord of the Rings
What’s the best advice you’ve received during this time?
Dylan: Never leave your guitar pedals on the ground when you have a child. You will never find that "one" sound ever again.
Canyon: Do the opposite of what your brain tells you that it wants to do. If I’m ever scared/intimidated/overwhelmed by the idea of doing something... I force myself to do it so that my “fear brain” doesn’t win. I’d rather LIVE life than sit it out but man, it’s a CHOICE!
Doug: If you learn from your mistakes, they were investments.
Dan: When golfing, for every 10mph of wind in your face assume a 10% loss of club distance…for every 10mph of wind at your back, assume 5% increase in that clubs distance. Invaluable advice.
Andrew: To take your time with what you're doing, sharpen the tools that you already possess, and keep reaching out to people even if it feels difficult.
Corey: Dan told me to focus on details like 'picking a chord progression and tuning your guitars.' He wasn't wrong.
What’s something you miss the most right now?
Canyon: hugging people!
Dylan: Going to concerts and baseball games! I would give a lot to pay 12$ for a hotdog at a ballpark right about now.
Doug: It sounds like such a small thing, but I really miss those ridiculously oversized club sandwiches that pubs serve. Why are their sandwiches so much larger than other places? I don't know but I sure would love to eat one. Right now, even.
Corey: Watching my friends play shows.
Dan: I miss my friends the most, not seeing them all for months at a time is very new (in the grand scheme of things) and has certainly left a massive gap in my life.
Andrew: Performing live shows.
PLAYLIST: What We're Listening To
We figured it’s about time we showcase some of the unique musical tastes we all have. For our March playlist, we’re highlighting some of our favorite tracks we have on repeat right now.
With 100 founding members, and over 1000 Photo Ladies part of our community, we all have a huge variety of musical tastes, and we plan to showcase them each month through our upcoming playlists. Full playlist below, along with some Photo Lady blurbs behind the choices.
“A female Korean dream pop artist who is also playing in SXSW. She has a unique sound and voice, and psychedelic vibe. ”
“Recently discovered Makoto Kubota & The Sunset Gang's fantastic 19 album "Dixie Fever" and I can't seem to get enough. If you like The Band, you'll like this album.” - @bgallagherphotos | Submission: Makoto Kubota & The Sunset Gang - “ワイルド・アバウト・マイ・ラヴィン”
”I love Hex Girls' new single Electric Eel so much! It's a great fast-paced track in the glam punk vein! The music video is an absolute riot, too.” - Alyssa Leicht @alyssaleicht | Submission: Hex Girls “Electric Eel”
“Jah Phoenix, a queer Latinx trans singer-songwriter, released their debut single ‘Tarot’! With a voice both mysterious and sultry at the same time, you’ll find yourself having this song in constant repeat ”
“L’Imperatrice are a French group with pop and disco influences. Their music is both sensual and lively. Their latest track Peur des Filles (Fear of Girls in English) is the first taste of their upcoming album ‘Tako Tsubo.’ This song is sexy and fun. It is the perfect song to relax and enjoy in any setting. ”
“Kylie Minogue's fifteenth studio album, Disco, was released back in November 2020. Releasing a song like "Where Does the DJ Go?" feels criminal as it seems like a perfect song to play in a packed dance club. But for now, we'll just have to dance to it on our own at home. - Edwina Hay | @arenotphotos | Submission: Kylie Minogue - “Where Does the DJ Go?”
“th1rt3en is the new project from legendary rapper Pharoahe Monch joined by musical visionaries Jack White drummer Daru Jones + renowned guitarist, Marcus Machado. Most will think that this is another venture into "horrorcore" rap, but Monch uses his knack of lyrical wordplay to narrate the story of consumerism, political corruption, police brutality, and murder --dark subjects for the current times but a must needed conversation.” - Victoria Ford | @sneakshotphotography | Submission: th1rt3en - “Goats Head”
“Phil Moore never disappoints me... ”
“Kings of Leon came out with a new album and this song has been on repeat. The KOL brothers have a special place in my heart because they were one of the first rock bands I discovered when I was a teen. Enjoy! ”
QUARANTINE PROFILE: Eliza & The Delusionals
We’ve launched a profile series to highlight how artists are spending their time during the quarantine. Several times a week we’ll highlight a new artist across the globe and see how they’re keeping busy during COVID-19 lockdowns.
We had a quarantine chat with Eliza Klatt, lead singer & guitarist for Eliza & The Delusionals. Quarantine may be a different life in Australia as compared to us here in the US, but there are still some setbacks. However, making music isn’t one of them. Eliza & The Delusionals have been busy releasing some new tunes in the meantime before they can hit the road again.
Eliza & The Delusionals Online: Website | Spotify | Facebook | Twitter | instagram
It’s not exactly quarantine in my home, but when we were recording "Sentimental" we did it in an Airbnb rather than a studio right before the whole country went into full lockdown. So here’s a photo from that!
Where have you been spending your quarantine?
Since we've been back from the US, I've been staying at home in Pottsville. We've built a home studio for recording and writing this year, so I've been spending most of my time there this year.
How have you been staying busy during quarantine? (or not keeping busy is totally fine too)
For being at home all year, it's been super busy. We've spent pretty much all of this year writing and demoing and things like that, which is something we wouldn't have had a lot of time to do if all of our touring plans went ahead as planned.
What quarantine trend have you fallen prey to?
I've definitely fallen victim to spending way longer than I should on TikTok... Not so much the dancing side of it, but I think it filled a Vine shaped hole in my heart and kept me entertained for the few hours before bed.
What’s something new you’ve cooked/baked?
It's not really new but myself and Kurt (our guitarist) always make this really yum vegan mac and cheese. It's the ultimate comfort food, and it's been especially comforting this year.
Go to quarantine snack:
Anything with hummus.
Song (or album) you’ve had on repeat:
For me, it has to be Fake It Flowers by Beabadoobee or Hayley Williams' Petals for Armour. I did make a playlist of some of my faves from 2020 if you want to check it out as well!
What’s a song that is your go-to comfort jam?
I think one of my favourite songs of 2020 was Why We Ever from Hayley Willams' new album. She did a stripped back version of it from her house peak-quarantine and it was probably one of my favourite stripped back versions of a song. It's super comforting and a really incredible song.
Something keeping Eliza sane right now: Besides writing songs all year in our home studio, I think that living near a beach that’s always empty has been a really nice escape from things when they’ve been too hectic this yea
If you could only watch one film or TV show for the rest of time what would it be?
1000% Friends. I've watched it soooo many times through now.
What is keeping you happy?
Writing music has kept me very happy this year, along with creating our first proper home studio. I will also say Animal Crossing has also kept me happy through 2020.
What’s the best advice you’ve received during this time?
Probably to make time to take care of yourself. It's been one of the hardest years for myself and the guys. I think a big key lesson I've learnt is that it's so important to have time to yourself doing things that are mindless and relaxing, it makes a massive difference on your mental health and your outlook towards work, and you shouldn't feel bad for taking time off.
What’s something you miss the most right now?
Touring in America. We were on such a high and had such a massive year planned playing with some of our favourite artists and dream festivals, so it was really difficult to have that taken away from us so suddenly. I think I can speak for everyone about how much we miss being over there and playing shows every night.
Are there any livestream concerts/events you’ve really been inspired by or enjoying right now?
We were all huge fans of Beabadoobee's album livestream. It sounded and looked amazing and really raised the bar for live streaming in 2020!
What do you hope we take away from this?
I guess that even though 2020 was a really f*cked year, there are still some positives you can take out of it.
What’s a puzzle you’ve completed during quarantine?
I think I'd have to be the only one in the world that didn't have a puzzle phase during quarantine... Maybe it's because I didn't take myself to Kmart to get one haha.
Anything new we should know about that you’re working on?
We just put out our new single "Sentimental" and we've spent all year writing and eventually recording some new music. So you can definitely keep an eye out for us in 2021.
PLAYLIST: Love From Both Sides
We can look at February from two different lenses, celebrating or hating Valentine’s Day. There’s plenty of music to encompass both of these feelings as well, which is why we decided to do a DOUBLE playlist this month. If you’d rather gush over love songs or feel comfort in being alone we’ve got the playlist for you!
With 100 founding members, and over 1000 Photo Ladies part of our community, we all have a huge variety of musical tastes, and we plan to showcase them each month through our upcoming playlists. Full playlist below, along with some Photo Lady blurbs behind the choices.
“The brilliant thing about this is song is when one hears it for the first time, you believe you’re listening to a love song but during the second verse, you realize this is something much more sinister.”
“Whether you remember the 80s, or you just remember Adam Sandler's hilarious rendition of this song in "The Wedding Singer", you can't not think of this song when you think of love and all of its complexities.” - Judie Vegh - @OyVegh | Submission: J. Geils Band - “Love Stinks”
”Valentine's Day is often centered around love towards another person, very rarely do we spend Valentines Day for ourselves, falling in love with ourselves. In "Real Love", Jax Anderson pens a beautiful song about self love and acceptance and the art of falling in love with yourself.” - Jess Williams - @jesswilliamsphoto | Submission: Jax Anderson - “Real Love”
“This song is so nostalgic to me for whatever reason- the lyrics are obviously so specific to the subject of the song but that’s what makes it seem so familiar and relatable. I love the idea of these two people hanging out and dancing in a basement together “after the party” not caring if anybody else is watching.”
“Love songs always tend to be slow, but Maggie Rogers gives this one a bit more pep in the step without being to cheesy. It’s perfect for that long car ride with a special someone.”
“This song is equal parts funky and sexy, channeling Monáe's longtime mentor Prince. This is no surprise since Prince helped work on some songs from the 2018 album, "Dirty Computer" and wrote part of "Make Me Feel". Back in 2018, I made my boyfriend a mix CD and included this song on it. 3 years later, we're still together, and he still makes me feel good! - Judie Vegh - @oyvegh | Submission: Janelle Monáe - “Make Me Feel”
“A pretty perfect love song, in my humble opinion. Simple and hypnotic.”
“I’ve always been a fan of serpentwithfeet’s music, but it’s refreshing to hear a song about the love between friends during February, one of the most heavy handed romantic love months around...”