T3M: I know that Candlebox's Kevin Martin does a guest vocal performance on the new album; are there any other performance or writing collaborations on this recording?

HF: No, not really. What I didn't write myself, I co-wrote with my band members, and that's really it. I just kind of kept everything private. By the time I was putting all this stuff together, I had had already written like thirty songs. When I got together with a band, we wrote another ten songs together. Even with the songs I wrote myself other band members collaborated in a sense. They would put their little changes and twists in, and it ended up adding more character to the music. Externally, no, I didn't use anybody else.

T3M: What do you feel was the most challenging song to write and record for the new album?

HF: I guess the most challenging song to write and record was probably "The End Begins". Because that's one of those songs that wasn't complete when we went into the studio. We completed and almost wrote in the studio. In that aspect, it not being completed and ready, it was more difficult and required more work. At the end of the day I feel like the songs fills in the spot that it needed to fill as accomplishment of the entire record. I'm really happy with it.

T3M: What song are you the most proud of how it turned out?

HF: There's definitely more than one. I have to say that I'm really proud of the whole record. Extremely proud of it. Of course, there are favorites of mine. "Regret" is one of my favorite songs and "Something Better", and "Wishing". There are some songs that are more emotionally attached to me, just because of where I was at the time when I wrote them.

T3M: Are you planning to shoot a video for "Down & Out"?

HF: Yes, we are planning to shoot a video. We're in the process of reading all the treatments, so that'll be exciting to do that. I don't think that these days rock bands are really dependant on videos, but I think it's a cool thing for the fans, and it's also a really cool thing for the band to have something like that... it's almost a video historical thing that you'll always be able to have. So it'll be cool when we're able to do that.

T3M: Any touring plans in the works?

HF: We will be touring, and something will be posted within a few weeks. The first week of March we're starting to rehearse for the tour. I imagine that by the end of March we will be touring, and we'll be out for a while. I've always been a big tour-dog, and I know my drummer, Kevin, he's always been a big tour-dog. I think all of us just really love to tour. Once you get an opportunity, it can open up a lot of other avenues for us for touring. As soon as we can get started we're not going to want to stop. It's going to be really fun.

T3M: Have you had any live performances yet with the new line-up?

HF: Not in front of people. We've rehearsed many times and played together. We did do this one thing in L.A., but it was just acoustic, violin, and me. It ended up turning out great. All the musicians in my band are all veterans. I don't mean that they're all old; I just mean that they've been playing in bands for a long time. They know what to do with themselves. During a live show, they have the ability to pull their weight. It's not even a minor concern to me.

T3M: Good chemistry?

HF: Fantastic chemistry as a band, in the studio, as friends... really good. I think that all of us have already gone through our own individual story of what I went through. Whether it's Kevin with Fuel, and whoever with whatever, I think that we've learned enough from those previous experiences to not fuel the fire for similar things to happen in the future. I think we're watching where we step a little bit more. We're just all a little more seasoned and grown to know what it really requires to keep a project rolling smoothly.

T3M: It great to see that you've kept it going.

HF: Yeah.

T3M: Many bands have crumbled under the pressure from that type of situation.

HF: You really have to love it to do this, because it makes no human sense... common sense... any type of sense to actually want to put yourself through all this shit over and over again. The only guaranteed reward you get is listening to the music you created. Other than that, nothing is guaranteed. You can work your ass off, you can create a great record, but ultimately you just have to keep your eye on prize.

T3M: Any last words?

HF: Tell everybody that they can pre-order the CD a lot cheaper right now from our MySpace.

T3M: We're looking forward to seeing you guys on the road.

HF: Thank you very much.

 
« Continued from Page 1

| 02.22.2008 | Interview by J. Pierson |