Das Interview mit Hypophora auf dem Euroblast Festival (English Version)

It’s Sunday. Last day of the Euroblast Festival. It has been a good run so far and I am about to meet Hypophora. I arrive just on time, Toni, the photographer, is already waiting. See them standing in the hallway of the Euroblast Press Area. They just finished another interview. Luke, the PR-Guy from Incendia-Music is so kind as to lend us his office for the interview.

Hypophora is Katie McConnell – Vocals Karum Cooper – Guitar & Yelling Lewis Pilcher – Bass Aaron Cook – Drums

Time For Metal / Wolfgang F:

Hi! Thanks for having us. You were on tour with Toska last year, how is it to be back in Germany?

Hypophora / Katie:

Sweet! It’s actually really really nice! We have managed to explore more this time! Usually when we are on tour, it is night after night, get to the venue, have a couple of hours, then play the gig and then move on. This time we have come for a bit of a mini holiday. (laughs) We have been here a couple of days and actually spend time here.

Time For Metal / Wolfgang F:

You played UK Techfest this year and now Euroblast. How has this been for you?

Hypophora / Karum:

Techfest was really fun and hopefully Euroblast will be fun! Euroblast has been really enjoyable so far. We will stick around a little bit.

Time For Metal / Wolfgang F:

Before you released your album you released a few single tracks instead of an EP, what was your plan?

Hypophora / Karum:

We released our album last year, and before that we only did two singles. I don’t know, we have been surrounded by more music which influenced us.

Hypophora / Lewis: We wanted to gig around a lot and build excitement that way, so that when we release something big everyone will be like “yeaaa”.

Hypophora / Katie:

(laughs) That is a pretty accurate representation of everyone

Hypophora / Lewis:

It does get tricky because there will be people that say they wanted to have stuff to hear by now. And if you look on spotify and such it looks a bit bare. But i think it works quite well.

Hypophora / Katie:

I like to release an album and then singles. Personally. I’d wait to release an album. You have more content.

Time For Metal / Wolfgang F:

So if you had to do it again, you would wait for an album to release?

Hypophora / Katie:

Yeah.. Maybe? (laughs)

Hypophora / Lewis:

There is something more oldschool in releasing a ‘debut album’. Going from there you can be more flexible. You could do another album after that, or an EP or just singles. Other than that it’s just something quite nice for ourselves: ‘Here is our debut album’ instead of ‘here is our third single’ although we still did singles leading up to the album.

Hypophora / Karum:

Yeah, we did three singles before the album

Time For Metal / Wolfgang F:

Your singles already sounded good but the album is another step up, did you change anything making it?

Hypophora / Lewis:

Yes! We changed some things. We had better gear than when recording the original ones and a better studio and a more high level producer. Also the singles we released were quite old compared to the songs on the album. There are some old songs on the album, but there are newer songs as well. The music has developed a bit.

Hypophora / Katie:

Also songwriting itself is a major part of it, disregarding production and the rest of it, we have just grown as musicians, i like to think.

Time For Metal / Wolfgang F:

Are you working on your next album?

Hypophora / Katie:

We have got two singles in the pipeline which we are going to release later this year. We will then be writing for the new album. With no date in mind (laughs)

Time For Metal / Wolfgang F:

How much of the songs is done when you go into the studio? Do you like to experiment in there?

Hypophora / Karum:

We are like 80-90% done. Just to save money. The longer you are in the studio, the more it costs.

Hypophora / Lewis:

But I also think it is partly because of being aware that if you change something last minute, you have to let it sit for a while. If you play a song for five months you know ‘ok I dont like this bit anymore’ but when you are in the studio and on a day change this and that, you may think ‘hm I wish I didn’t do that’ three weeks later.

Hypophora / Katie:

I think it’s nice to leave room for tweaks, but not entire songs, or even entire sections. Although, for the new single we wrote the outro last minute and it’s one of the proudest things I’ve done.

Hypophora / Lewis:

It can definitely work. Sometimes these last minute changes are really good.

Hypophora / Karum:

I think the vocal line can change quite easily, but the instrumentals stay rather the same. Like playing around with FX on the vocals, which we always do in the studio. Also on guitar and bass, try crazy stuff.

Time For Metal / Wolfgang F:

Can I ask you someting stupid about brexit?

(the band laughs)

Hypophora / Lewis:

It is annoying because we cannot say how hard it will be for us. It WILL be hard but we can’t even really prepare!

Hypophora / Karum:

Touring will be the biggest issue. What many people don’t realise is stuff like vinyl printing. A lot of vinyl printing factories are in Europe, so it is going to cost more. Lots of stuff is going to change.

Hypophora / Katie:

We assume it is going to be harder for bands in the UK, but it is difficult to tell until it happens. We will see if people are willing to make the effort to make it work, or if they are gonna give up. Who knows?

 

Time For Metal / Wolfgang F:

Now a more fun topic: If you could transfer the skill on your instrument to another instrument, what would it be?

Hypophora / Aaron:

Saxophone!

Hypophora / Lewis:

I think it would be keys for me. With them you can play synths and play a lot of different stuff!

Hypophora / Karum:

I think for me it would be keyboard, or piano as well.

Hypophora / Katie:

I would prefer some sort of string instrument, like cello. That would be really nice. I already play piano and I think these two go really well together.

Time For Metal / Wolfgang F:

I looked into the bands you stated as your influence and did not recognise many of them. Is it more of a local scene that you are influenced by?

Hypophora / Karum:

I cannot remember what we actually put down there. (laughs)

Hypophora / Katie:

We get influenced by many bands of many different genres

Hypophora / Lewis:

I think we can very easily take just as much influence from a local band than we could take from a massive international one. We could have bands we are friends with and they could have a huge influence on us. There are a lot of huge bands, but a lot of very cool smaller bands that you don’t think about all the time.

Time For Metal / Wolfgang F:

If you could put together a festival without restrictions in money or musicians being dead, what would it look like?

Hypophora / Lewis:

That is a lot of pressure on the spot (laughs).

Hypophora / Karum:

I would probably go for a classic headline.. You know..

Hypophora / Lewis:

Beach Boys! (everybody laughs) Duran Duran! Madonna!

Hypophora / Karum:

Jimi Hendrix! But it’s hard.. I would go Red Hot Chili Peppers. But they are not fun anymore. They are good, they are tight, but they are not so much fun.

Hypophora / Lewis:

I think it would be great to have like a really messed up line up, like Daft Punk and Meshuggah!

Hypophora / Katie:

O I think a lot of people would love that!

Time For Metal / Wolfgang F:

I would like to thank you for your time! Have fun on stage later!

Hypophora / Katie:

Thanks! I think it will be great!