Interviews: The Haunting
In this new occassion we have had the opportunity to interview the Post Hardcore/Electronic band The Haunting, from USA. Check out this band and give them a like on their FACEBOOK PAGE.
John: The name was something I had thought of while writing our debut album. It was fitting to the music and just clicked for us. When I would show friends and family the early writing, without telling them the working name, I was told that the music and melodies were “haunting”, from there it was the undeniable choice for me.
2. Why did you want to play this genre?
John: For me, I’ve always loved post-hardcore, but I’ve also had a love for hip-hop and pop music. The energy of post-hardcore has always been captivating to me as a listener and performer, so that’s what made me want to find a way to combine them all. Take the energy and passion of post-hardcore, the vibe of hip-hop and trap, and the infectious melodies of pop to make something new.
Craig: something about post hardcore and metal jumped out at me as a kid, and since then I can’t say that I’ve ever fallen out of love with it. From Metallica to Linkin Park to underoath and bring me the horizon, I’ve always loved the “heavy” sound. Nowadays it’s this combined with trap/R&B which creates a very interesting drive playlist. People are generally confused.
Tom: I think in a weird way the genre chose us. Colin and I had just joined the band and we were all trying to rewrite to “Survivors Guilt”, the band’s previous release. I wrote a joke verse for our song “No One” thinking the guys would hate it... they loved it! From there we decided to add more hip hop and trap elements cause it’s what WE wanted. It was the first time we all wrote for us instead of “fitting in” to a scene or genre.
Colin: We’re all musicians who listen to a wide variety of music. We all have our particular preferences, but we all get down to the same tracks. Being that all four of us have come from post-hardcore bands and have grown as people and musicians since; we decided to try a different take. You won’t find anything else like The Haunting out there!
3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?
John: I personally knew each member. Tom, Colin, and I played in a touring band together about two years prior to their joining of The Haunting. Craig and I met about 7 years ago and have been close friends since. The moment The Haunting started, he was the first person I asked to be a part.
Craig: Yeah me and John met ages ago and have been brothers ever since. I had actually given music up to focus on a career but John brought me back in and it’s been amazing since then. I met Tom and Colin through John and we became very close very fast. I can say that this is one of the first bands I’ve had that everyone actually likes each other.
Tom: I knew John and Colin from a previous band we were in a couple years ago, but I was introduced to the bearded beast known as Craig last year lol.
Colin: I met John and Tom a couple years back playing for a touring band! Since then Tom and I have been fervently writing and recording. Honing our skills in that aspect of the game. Then Mr. John needed some new faces in The Haunting and now we’re here!
4. Each band member favourite band?
John: This is always tough for me. My all-time favorite is Thursday, without question. But currently I’ve been loving Northern Ghost, Architects, and British rapper Abra Cadabra.
Craig: There is no honest way of answering this question since my tastes and genre appreciate move around so often, but right now I’ve been jamming XXXTENTACION’s newest album “?”, The Weeknd’s newest ep (#keepthisweekndalive) and The Plot in You nonstop.
Tom: Hands down would have to be The Used. Up until them I only listened to what was on the radio. Then one day I was flipping through channels and heard their song “Buried Myself Alive” and was like “WHAT IS THISSS”! They introduced me to the alternative and post-hardcore scenes and bands like Taking Back Sunday, My Chemical Romance, Yellowcard, and Paramore. They really opened my eyes and I can still listen to their first album start to finish without skipping a song.
Colin: In recent years, my personal listening habits have shifted from bands to mainstream artists. Indefinitely my favorite is Ed Sheeran, but I am also enamored with City & Colour, James Bay, Frank Ocean. I The Mighty is doing some really cool things though. Their most recent album “Where the Mind Wants to Go/Where You let It Go” is red hot fire.
5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?
John: For me it’s genuinely been my mood, for the past year. I personally was tired of writing emotional songs, and wanted to turn the corner. I love writing and playing music and I thought it was time for me to convey that energy in my writing. The last few months of releases have been showing a different side of the band, and every show we’ve played have been an indescribable amount of fun to take part in. Playing a show with a high amount of positive energy has reignited my passion for playing again, and shown me that I don’t have to be depressed to write music that I enjoy playing.
Tom: It’s honestly different with every song... which I love. Sometime I’ll be feeling something and just need to get it off my chest. Other times someone will say something and it’ll inspire me. That’s how I wrote “YNG GDS”. John made the artwork first and asked if I could write a song around it. 5 minutes later we had the chorus. Sometimes I’m just drunk on the train on my way home and a hook will come to me.
Colin: There’s something about placing together pieces of a track. Building towards a climax. Telling a story through sound. Conveying emotions before words are even put towards the music. That inspires me. Simply the impact music has on all of us.
6. Where was your last gig?
John: We just played at The Kingsland (Brooklyn, NY) with our friends in 7 Minutes in Heaven and Six Stories Told on April 18th. Our next show is May 12th at The Delancey (Manhattan) and we can’t wait to turn up!
Colin: That last Kingsland show was insane John!
7. Where would you like to act?
John: My personal goals are to get to Europe and Japan within the next 2 years. Our friends in Set To Stun just got back from Europe and had the most incredible experience. After hearing how crazy the crowds get out there, it’s become a priority for me.
Craig: John said it best. EUROPE AND ASIA LEGGO.
Tom: I would LOVE to play the UK! I’ve never been on a plane and wouldn’t mind making that my first trip haha. I’d also love to play California again. Such good vibes and people.
Colin: All about Europe andAsia! Playing in Japan would be a dream come true, but I would settle for California any day.
8. Whom would you like to feature with?
John: I’d do just about anything to get Post Malone on a track with us. He’s my number one, the dude has all the talent and is a huge advocate for our scene.
Craig: The Weeknd all day. Or John Legend. I have a theory that John Legend would sound amazing against any type of music and I would love to put that to the test.
Tom: I think Rihanna would SLAY on one of our songs. Add some Barbados flavor into the mix.
Colin: Let’s get Miguel on a track! We’ve got the vibes for some R&B magic.
9. Whom not?
John: I can’t imagine anyone specific that I wouldn’t want a feature with. The only way I wouldn’t want someone to feature is if the fit just doesn’t work. I’m always willing to try something new and seemingly crazy, until it doesn’t.
Tom: I’m down to try anything once! Some of the best songs have come from 2 completely different artist collaborating.
Colin: Always down to consider any collaboration.
10. Any of you has ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that?
John: I weirdly have not. Whenever I’m about to go on, whether it’s been shows 5 people or over 1,000, I’ve always just been too excited to play and feel the energy. For me, I suppose the trick is that I don’t write music for anyone but myself. I want fans to love our music and relate, but if they don’t I can’t change that. As an artist, you have to be honest and write your music for yourself first. If you do that, you’ll always enjoy what you do, regardless of what happens around you.
Craig: Practice, practice, practice. Keep running your set. Make it second nature so that when something goes wrong (and it will, often) that you don’t sink the ship too. Practice running around, practice in the dark, practice while you have someone you know scream obscenities in your face. If you’re prepared you won’t be nervous. Also, believe in yourself. You’re great.
Tom: I used to be TERRIFIED! I remember in high school when I had chorus I’d push the chairs next to me away so no one could hear me. Now I’m so used to it and feel excited more than anything else. Still can’t sing in front of my family though.
Colin: I personally have not suffered from stage fright, but I will say nervousness is a typical feeling and if you think about it it’s the same feeling as being super excited for something. Use that. Be excited. Get on that stage and kill it. Then do it again and again and eventually it’ll be second nature.
11. What bands have inspired you the most?
John: For me, bands like Thursday, Architects, and Kanye West immediately come to mind. The way those bands write/wrote in their time, they were always a step ahead of the rest. They’ve always inspired me as a writer and performer.
Craig: I always followed guitar players to improve my chops; so Dimebag was one of my biggest. right now, I’m following Tosin Abasi.
Tom: A lot of artists have inspired me. The Used, Taking Back Sunday, Janis Joplin, Paramore, Bayside, My Chemical Romance, Nirvana, Hellogoodbye, Beyoncé, Aerosmith, Maroon 5, P!nk, The Killers, Thirty Seconds To Mars, Panic At The Disco, Lady Gaga, Queen…there’s too many to list.
Colin: Going to steal from Tom here a little. The Used, Paramore, City & Colour, Sam Smith, James Bay, Being As An Ocean, The Doors, Elton John, The Eagles, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Yellowcard, Underoath, Ed Sheeran, Lights, Lucy Rose, Passenger, J Cole, Usher, Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, John Legend, James Arthur, Drake, Borns, Bon Iver, Lukas Graham, Maroon 5, Blessthefall, Memphis May Fire. I’ll stop there but I could go on for days.
12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?
John: I’ve had fans ask me for some weird stuff, but the strangest for me is when I had a fan ask for the shirt I was wearing immediately after a set. Not only was it covered in sweat, but at the time I was wearing a size small and this fan was at least a large, so I had no idea what they wanted to do with it, haha.
Tom: Oh man, story time. Years ago, a band I was in played New Jersey in the winter. A girl ran away from home, got a ride to the show, and her sister messaged me on Facebook asking if I had heard from her. I didn’t know any of this at the time so I told her “I’m sorry, I haven’t”. Fast forward to my playing on stage and all of a sudden guess whose front row... yup! The girl. After our set, she starts to tell me everything and that her ride left her and she’s now stranded. We obviously weren’t gonna leave her... but I did made her call her family first. I actually still keep in contact with them. So yeah, a ride home was definitely a weird one lol.
Craig: This may sound insane, but a fan asked me to come with her and make a mold of my dick.
Colin: I’ve never had a fan ask me for anything crazy or weird, but the most meaningful thing to me was having been asked for my autograph on a poster of my band. Having played in solely local bands on Long Island for the fun of it since I was 15 ; to then being out on the road and having people genuinely ask me for me to sign something with pure excitement. That was a humbling treat for me.
13. What do you think of your fans?
John: Our fans are, without question, the best. I know every artist says this, but to me it’s the truth. Whenever we play we have hip-hop interludes between songs, and we keep a party vibe going from start to finish. Our fans never let up. They feed us energy as much as we give them, and it’s a nonstop rager. I couldn’t be more appreciative of them.
Tom: I honestly don’t think of them as fans. If someone’s giving me their time by listening to our music, learning our lyrics, or coming to our show…that’s my best friend! I mean it though, I feel like the word “fan” makes me sound like I’m above someone and I’m not. I’m just a guy trying to have a good time, make people forget about their problems, and maybe let our their inner freak, haha.
Craig: they’re the best. Honestly. They want to hang, they want to party, they want to support the crazy direction we’re going in. And I’ll never forget them.
Colin: Our fans are awesome! They love to get down and party with us at shows and that’s all we could ever ask for.
14. What do you think of our site?
John: I think it’s great! A website dedicated to our scene that not only generates content with interviews and reviews, but also creates compilation albums? Sign me up!
Tom: I think there needs to be more sites like this! It not only brings listeners together, but artists together too.
Colin: Love the site! It’s sleek and serves a very valuable purpose to artists and bands looking to connect with new listeners while also sharing the personal side of themselves.
15. Something to add?
John: I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to talk to us, today. And I especially wanted to make sure to tell everyone to check our music pages, as we’re releasing a new single in the first Friday of every month in 2018. You read that right. Every. Single. Month.
YNG GDS: Out Now:
Youtube: https://youtu.be/4xY5eNTwTjY
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/
TheHauntingNY.com
Facebook.com/TheHauntingNY
Instagram & Twitter: @TheHauntingNY
Youtube: https://youtu.be/4xY5eNTwTjY
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/
TheHauntingNY.com
Facebook.com/TheHauntingNY
Instagram & Twitter: @TheHauntingNY
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