Interviews: Hillhaven

On this new occasion, we had the opportunity to interview the Metalcore band Hillhaven from the USA. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Temple & Tomb dives deep into themes of mental health struggles and isolation. Can you walk us through what inspired the rawness in this track, and how recording in isolation affected its intensity?

I’m sure it’ll come as no surprise that this song came straight out of the very subject matter it covers. I’ve had a lifelong struggle with self-esteem and, at times, it has taken the form of full-blown self-hatred. Unfortunately, life on the road isn’t always a conducive environment to coping with these things. You spend so much time surrounded by people that you just want a minute alone, but once you finally get it, the walls can close in fast. What felt different this time was that I knew I was engaging in a cathartic process and that these feelings would eventually lead to a feeling of pride in what I’d created - so I leaned into it. I spent days in hotels laying down the music and one full day in the back lounge of a bus tracking the vocals. I think the most authentic performances come when the performer genuinely feels what they’re saying and I’ve made a big effort to try and capture that as I’ve recorded each of these songs.

2. Chris, you've described Temple & Tomb as cathartic. Do you have any rituals or practices to channel these emotions when writing or performing songs with such heavy themes?

Honestl,y the writing itself IS the ritual. I think realizing I’d finally created a legitimate outlet for things was the biggest help. This project is a first for me, when it comes to writing lyrics, so I had never felt fully able to express myself so directly before. No metaphors, no ambiguity, I can just say it. The “required” state can shift though, which is to say that I either need to be IN that feeling and channel it directly into the song OR I need to have recovered from it and be assessing and narrating it from a healthy place.

3. Hillhaven’s music covers anxiety, depression, and self-worth. How do you hope listeners will connect with and interpret these messages in their own lives?

I’d say the biggest hope, as cliche as it may sound, is that listeners who struggle with this stuff can just affirm that they aren’t alone in it. Obviously, some of this shit gets kinda dark and that does make me nervous sometimes. I would certainly hope no one would hear me say “Do I just wanna k*** myself” and think THAT is the solution. It isn’t. The solution (or at least the path to one) is finding what helps you cope in a healthy way. This is me coping and, if it can help anyone else do the same, then I will have done at least one good thing in my life.

4. The lineup has impressive roots, with ties to Ice Nine Kills, From Ashes To New, and Galactic Empire. How has each of your musical backgrounds shaped Hillhaven's sound?

One thing I think we’d all agree is a positive in this, is that I don’t think Hillhaven sounds like any of the other bands its members are affiliated with. I’ve written a few songs with the FATN guys, which is always a great time, but it’s obviously a much different vibe musically. One area I think we all share in our respective origin stories is early-mid 2000s pop-punk. I don’t think anyone would call this a pop-punk band, BUT the focus on finding that “infectious” quality in a song or hook is definitely something that genre really etched into our individual musical makeup. There’s gotta be an earworm.

5. GAPS has gained traction on SiriusXM Octane Radio. How has the positive reception of that track and others like Damned to Dream and LIAR influenced the band's direction and momentum?

The support we’ve gotten from the team (and listeners) at Octane has been amazing. I can’t stress enough how grateful we are to have gotten such a positive response from them, especially as a brand-new band. Both “Gaps” and “Sycophants” were very well received. I think the first body of work any new band puts out is a lot like throwing darts at the wall. You’re just kind of trying everything. I do think we’ve got a halfway-decent grip on the band’s “sound”, but the vibes definitely vary between songs and it’s honestly impossible to tell if there will be one that decides a particular direction moving forward. That being said, we are very aware of which songs have performed better than others (although there have been some “algorithmic” struggles with some of them, due to some distribution issues) and have certainly taken note accordingly.

6.You’re making your live debut at August Burns Red’s “Christmas Burns Red” festival! How are you preparing for this, and what can fans expect from your live performance?

Preparation for this is gonna be a time crunch, for sure. I’m on tour as we speak, as is Ricky. Maty and Jimmy are getting home from Australia three days before the show. That being said, one of the great things about a lineup like this is that nobody is a stranger to a time crunch. Everyone is used to learning/practicing songs on their own time and being ready to roll at the drop of a hat. We’re very lucky to have the FATN audio team working with us for this show, as well, which is going to be huge. We may exhaust ourselves in the process, but it’s gonna be a banger. Make no mistake about that.

7. Hillhaven’s music is deeply personal yet reaches a broad audience. How do you balance expressing personal struggles with creating something universally relatable?

See that’s the thing - personal struggles are universally relatable. We may not all have the same experiences, but very few of us are strangers to any of the feelings conveyed in Hillhaven’s music. In our experience, the music that makes the greatest impact is usually that which feels most authentic. You can have a plan and a vision for your band, but it’s gotta line up somewhere inside. Listeners can sniff out when someone is writing shit they don’t mean or don’t connect with. I think, as long as you’re maintaining some element of personal truth, it’ll keep you on the right track.

8. You’ve described Temple & Tomb as a song that gets louder when we’re alone with our thoughts. What role does solitude play in your songwriting and creative process?

Nearly everything for this project was written alone. Not without trusted feedback, of course, but it’s just the nature of starting a band with people in other bands. Everyone is busy all the time, often on opposite ends of the earth. Getting us all in a room together to work on something we didn’t even know would truly materialize was gonna be a tall order. Instead of pushing things off and hoping for the stars to align, we made sure to keep contact while I pressed on. Ultimately I think the relative physical solitude this all came together in has helped shape this into something deeply personal and very real.

9. How do you see Hillhaven’s music evolving as you continue to explore these intense emotional landscapes?

Funnily enough, I’ve already started working on some new material that’s shaping up quite nicely. Sonically, I think the key will always be finding that balance between heavy and accessible. While it’s inevitable that every song will not wind up a lead single, I do my best to treat each one as if it will be. That means, for lack of better words, keeping it real. I think the vibe of the music does a lot to help dictate the type of lyrical ground that gets covered and it’s usually not too tough to find an emotion or life experience that matches whatever’s taking shape.

10. What’s next for Hillhaven? Can we expect more singles, an album, or any other surprises in the coming months?

At the time of this interview, we’ve not yet announced it, BUT there will be one more single coming this year. We’ve got a few more tracks in the tank that we can roll out next year, circumstances depend. It’s unclear, at the moment, what the album plans will be. We certainly have the intention of releasing a full-length at some point, but whether it will feature any of what’s been released thus far hasn’t been decided. Right now our focus is on finishing the year strong, looking for the right opportunities in 2025 ,and continuing to improve on the music we make.