Getting to Know… The Lilac Hour | Interview 🎤

In the 290^th Q&A in our Getting to Know… series, we get the inside scoop from London-based alt-rock band, The Lilac Hour.

“We are influenced by many different types of music.” Love to hear that statement, 🎙 The Lilac Hour!   The Lilac Hour is comprised of lead singer and guitarist, 🎙 Jake McCollum, 🎙 Matt Volpato on drums, and 🎙 Jamie Katz on bass. In response to our first burning question, the London-based alt-rock band adds, “We draw on rock elements like heavy guitars and riffs but also the kind of melodies you’d more often find in pop music.” Like our many other Getting to Know Q&As, we get the inside scoop on the band’s genesis, goals, musical influences, and of course, current, and future musical endeavors. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into 🎤 Getting to Know… The Lilac Hour: Interview No. 290!

For those who may not be familiar with The Lilac Hour, what would you say makes you distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks off?

🎤 We are influenced by many different types of music. We love heavy rock bands like Nothing But Thieves and Muse, but are also into softer, more melody-driven artists like Sam Fender. We draw on rock elements like heavy guitars and riffs but also the kind of melodies you’d more often find in pop music. Have a look at our Spotify radio to see what we mean:

Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did The Lilac Hour form and what were some of the goals or visions you had early on?

🎤 The Lilac Hour is a London-based alt-rock band, consisting of lead singer and guitarist, Jake McCollum, Matt Volpato on drums, and Jamie Katz on bass. Jake and Jamie met at uni and played in cover bands together before deciding to start writing original music during lockdown. The Lilac Hour is the reincarnation of their previous band, Emergency. Having welcomed drummer Matt into the band and taken huge strides in our production and songwriting, we decided a change was required.

When we first started out, just writing, and recording our own music seemed a huge challenge in itself. As we’ve developed, our goals have too.

Let’s talk more about goals.  Have your goals or your perspectives changed since first starting out? What do your aspirations or goals look like now?

🎤 We want to share our music with as large an audience as we possibly can. Music is all about performing at the end of the day, and our main goal is to play bigger and better venues.

Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Whom would you consider some of your biggest musical influences and how are they influential?

🎤 I (Jake) grew up in a house with ABBA and Fleetwood Mac playing half the time and Stiff Little Fingers the other, so various bands have had an impact on our sound. Check out our Spotify radio. In terms of what got me into rock music, the record that changed my life was American Idiot by Green Day. Sounds a bit basic but I remember seeing that music video when I was 8 years old thinking these guys with the black eyeliner and red tie are literally the coolest people on the planet. They’ve had a pretty serious decline since then, but I still listen to that track most days.

Ah, the fun stuff.  What’s your craziest tour story or the wackiest thing that’s happened during a performance?  Feel free to be creative.

🎤 This wasn’t necessarily during a performance, but a few years ago Jake fell over playing football a few days before a gig and broke his arm. We couldn’t get another guitarist in time, so we had to strap him up, load him up on painkillers and send him out there as it was our biggest gig to date. It was a struggle but ultimately the set went down really well…although Jake’s arm took an extra couple of months to heal afterward.

 Up until this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?

🎤 🎵 “Your Crazy Mother” is a favourite amongst the die-hard Emergency fans. It’s catchy but most importantly has an interesting backstory which really winds up Jake’s girlfriend, so naturally, everyone loves it. Give it a listen here:

Closing out, what is The Lilac Hour currently working on, promoting that you can share with us or want us to know about? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure. 

🎤 This year, we will release our debut EP. The first single, 🎵 “Call Me”, is out Friday 22nd July. It’s a sort of soft rock ballad with a strong tune, but the guitar solo in the middle is the highlight. Pre-save using the link! https://linktr.ee/thelilachour

We already have one other track recorded and ready to go and will be heading into the studio very soon to complete the others. This EP marks a significant departure from our previous works in terms of style and quality and we’re really looking forward to its release.

Getting to Know… The Lilac Hour: Interview No. 290 [📷: Alfred Derks from Pixabay, Brent Faulkner, Darkmoon_Art from Pixabay, The Lilac Hour, The Musical Hype]