Lzzy Hale of Halestorm is just the kind of female badass that rock 'n' roll has been yearning for. She and her band mates already considerably heated up hard rock with their self-titled debut in 2009. Now, while the world anticipates their next full-length, the band has dropped an incendiary EP of covers entitled, ReAnimate: The Covers. They reinterpret classics from Skid Row, Guns N' Roses, Heart, Temple of the Dog, The Beatles, and even Lady Gaga, infusing a whole hell of a lot of attitude in the process.
However, the most intriguing aspect of the covers EP is that it's actually inspired Halestorm in their own writing. Lzzy exclaims, "There's nothing like performing these songs because we automatically think, 'How do we get an original song to make us feel like that?' It pushed us because I didn't have any idea that I could pull off a song like 'Slave to the Grind.' Or take a song like "Out Ta Get Me," it made me think we really need a song that plays a million miles a minute so I can go to my highest note that I didn't even know I could hit! It's definitely been inspiring us."
Axl Rose and Sebastien Bach would be proud of Lzzy as she's definitely picked up the torch from them, while adding a certain sexiness. In terms of new material, She reveals that it'll undoubtedly preserve everything that fans have come to love about the band with a few new surprises. Also, given how much time, they spent on the road, it will be stage-ready.
She goes on, "We were talking to producer Howard Benson about how to bridge the gap between what is radio-ready and what is road-ready. We're trying to reach somewhere in the middle. He had a great idea of how to capture Arejay's personality on tape because his drums are a big part of our sound and you can always hear it live. We've been doing all of our basic tracks on two-inch tape, and it's a combination of analog and digital."
That recording style mirrors the band's very ethos of blending old school attitude with a fresh delivery. As far as the sound of Halestorm's future goes, Lzzy adds, "The aggressive stuff is more aggressive, and the melodic stuff is more melodic. You can really hear the band. We're also writing from a different perspective. We've been on the road and get to hear all kinds of stories."
Imagine the story that would result if Lzzy and Lady Gaga actually collaborated? She laughs, "Between me and all of my innuendoes and her whacked out sense of humor, I think it'd be awesome!"
You hear that Gaga? It's time for you and Lzzy to cut a record.
—Rick Florino
05.23.11
Would you dig a collaboration between Lzzy and Lady Gaga?