File Next To: Odonis Odonis, A Place to Bury Strangers, Skinny Puppy
Playing: Red Bull Sound Select / WL15 Pre-Party, Thursday February 12 @ The Garrison
It’s raining rusty sledgehammers and industrial waste. A world inhabited by sentient dump trucks and bulldozers. Dark clouds amassing with green lighting flashes. HSY wrenches out two tons of garage-rock power with industrial edge. Wavelength’s Adam Bradley hunkered down in the bunker with HSY’s Curmudgeon Jude and asked a few questions.
HSY as I remember it started out as your one-man noise project, you wearing a dress and blasting sludge at The Garage [DIY venue RIP]. How did the band grow into its fully realized form?
I feel like the progression was natural, it couldn’t stay in that format forever. I think the first step in the right direction was adding Link on bass, his skills are unmatched, and he really brought everything up. So from there it was kinda easy to figure out the formula. Anna and Kat joined up and from there on out it was smooth sailing.
What’s the cover photo of your self titled EP from? It’s awesome.
That photo was taken from an old witchcraft textbook I used to have, but after years of moving around and couch surfing it disappeared.
You recorded that record in a church in the middle of nowhere, sounds like. Where was that and what was that experience like?
The church was a great experience, we worked with our friend and awesome producer Ian Gomes, and I think having someone like Ian around was really good for the whole process. The church itself was literally in the middle of nowhere, so I couldn’t tell you exactly where it was.
HSY are a bunch of nice folks. Would you say your music is a good outlet for anything in particular?
We’re nice enough. An outlet… I really don’t know, music itself is an outlet for anyone playing or listening to it, and everyone is different. I would hope that HSY’s music is an outlet for anyone that needs it. The band is an outlet for everyone in it, I feel like it helps all of us get shit off our chests. It helps me to not totally give up on humanity.
What are some things you really hate?
Some things that I’ve really come to hate in the last little while would probably have to be the TTC, waking up early, the island of sin, cops (not the hit TV show, actual police officers), Bruce Springsteen, and the gluten-free trend.