Bad Bad Hats Interview
by Efren Martinez
A few days ago I had the pleasure of interviewing the bands lead singer Kerry Alexander from Bad Bad Hats. This Indie rock band from Minneapolis just released their upcoming sophomore album, Lightning Round, out August 3 on Afternoon Records. Bad Bad Hats debut album, Psychic Reader, came out in 2015 (you may be familiar with “Midway” & “Shame”) – They’ve since toured extensively with The Front Bottoms, Margaret Glaspy and even a handful of dates with Third Eye Blind to name a few…
MV Lightning Round came out on August 3, Out of all the tracks on the LP which 1 or 2 might be your favorite to perform?
BBH We played about 1/2 the LP on our June tour, so we’re still getting into the grove of the rest but my favorite one to play is “nothing gets me high.” It’s got good energy, it’s slinky and fun to sing.
On our last LP “Joseph” really stands out as a fun one to play too. The crowd seems to love it so we generally start in out in front of the set with it.
MV What sparked the sensation to write the song “Write it on your heart” & or was it a calibration of the entire band or a life experience from any one band member?
BBH That song actually has been in the works for many years, that one and “Talk with your hands” are probably the oldest songs from inspirations on the new LP. The song “Write it on your heart ” actually came from a philosopher and poet, Ralf Waldo Emerson. “Write it on your heart” has always stuck with me through the years, in fact I once had it on a card that read this and I kept on my wall in college.
MV Speaking for the band as a whole, do you find Festivals more enjoyable verse headlining your own Shows?
BBH I think most of us are more at ease at those smaller club shows, but there is something exciting about Festival stages/outdoor stages. The challenges from outdoor stages would be from natures elements were the suns in our eye or we’re battling the wind but all together, festivals are very fun to do but smaller venues give us a more intimate feeling with our fans.
MV Who were some of the bands influences in music as you all were growing up.?
BBH So growing up I think I was really into all the boy bands in the late 90’s at early 2000’s. Backstreet Boys and NSYNC were pretty big for me, in fact they were my first concerts. I was also into Britney Spears and Spice Girls but I think for me as a turning point was Michelle Branch’s “Spirit World” when it came out. The music was really poppy but what turned me on was that there was a woman on the cover with a guitar and it was then when everything kind of clicked for me. Like, this is something I could do because I couldn’t really see myself in someone like Britney Speers, but more so someone like Michelle Branch.
MV On August 30th Bad Bad Hats will be playing Cafe du Nord in San Francisco. What kind of experience can someone who’s never seen you in concert expect?
BBH So I’d say that our general vibe is upbeat and joy is the main thing we want to get across. Most of our songs are pretty upbeat and Rock’n. We do have a few mellower songs, but all together it’s pretty easy to listen to. So I guess if you’re someone who doesn’t really like abrasive music you would feel right at home with Bad Bad Hats. So bring your mom, kids and family for some light hearted, funny at times, rock’n music. “Good energy, good vibes,.. fun for the whole family”
MV Is there anything you can share with our readers about something that isn’t widely known about the band?
BBH It’s kind of tricky,.. When the band first started out we used to perform in the back of our friend, Ian business, who runs Afternoon Records now but then he opened up a Comic Book Store and a proprietor of Magic the gathering. So back then I also worked at the comic book store and learned to play “magic the gathering” for the purpose of working there. It’s actually come up a little bit in one of our music videos where you can see me playing “magic the gathering”. Since then I really haven’t played Magic the Gathering much these days.
On August 30th Bab Bad Hats will be playing Cafe du Nord in San Francisco
Tickets Here! www.girlieaction.com/badbadhats/
CONTACT INFO
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badbadhats.com
@badbadhats
@badbadhats
MORE INFO
Band Members
Kerry Alexander
Connor Davison
Chris Hoge
Hometown
Minneapolis, MN
Record Label
Ian Anderson // Afternoon Records
ian@afternoonrecords.com
Licensing: Ian Anderson // The Math Team
ian@themathteam.com
About
New album “Lightning Round” out August 3rd via Afternoon Records!
Current Location
Minneapolis, MN
Press contact
Sarah Avrin // sarah@girlieaction.com
Booking agent
Brian Swanson // bswanson@paradigmagency.com
www.facebook.com/badbadhats/<www.facebook.com:badbadhats:>
Listen to lead single “Write It On Your Heart” here
Listen to “Talk With Your Hands” here
