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
