Having already established themselves with a string of fresh and enticing releases over the last few years, Denver-based outfit hellocentral recently returned to deliver their anthemic new single 'Never Better'.
Bringing back more of that bold and euphoric alt-rock sound they are known for, 'Never Better' makes for a wonderfully bright and soaring return. Filled with killer hooks and uplifting production, these guys just never seem to stop pumping out the bangers.
So with the new single available now, we sat down with the band's Cody Smith to find out more about his background and influences over the years.
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What was the first instrument you learned to play?
I started learning Violin in 1st grade and played for about 5 years before I switched to guitar.
What was the first album you remember owning?
This brings me back to the days of record stores...when I was probably in Kindergarten and my parents let me buy some cassettes at the record store, I bought Memorial Beach by a-ha and Pieces of You by Jewel. I had never heard a-ha, I just thought the name and cover was cool. And I think Jewel had just gotten big with her single “Hands” so that’s why I got the Jewel album.
Did you ever form a band when you were younger and if so, what did they sound like?
Oh yeah - I formed my first band in 6th grade and called it “Shockproof” I thought that was the coolest name. I got a composition journal and started writing lyrics. For a while it didn’t go much beyond writing with an acoustic and making terrible logos to put on our MySpace page. We eventually changed our name to ‘Easy Target’ after the blink-182 song (Original, I know) and began actually playing as a band...we did everything from covers of classics like Seven Nation Army and Killing in The Name, and also wrote our own stuff. I’d say it was a mix of emo, pop punk, and hard rock.
Rob (our drummer) and I actually played together in high school as well, we were called Internal Light System. We were still playing punk/pop/emo but it was a lot spacier and more experimental which was cool.
What is a song you wish you had written yourself?
There are a lot...but Hurt by Nine Inch Nails comes to mind. That song is incredibly powerful to me. My other answer would be the Jeopardy theme song so I could just live off royalties for the rest of my life.
What has been the most thrilling moment about creating your own music?
Probably when you are playing live (or even practicing) and you’re just really feeling it..there are moments where you lose all physical inhibitions and just rock out. There is so much condensed energy being let loose during those moments in live performances, it’s really quite cathartic.
And what about the most frustrating part?
Getting your performances and recordings to sound just right. It’s hard to have a vision in your head and get that perfectly translated into the real world. It takes a lot of critical thinking to express ideas effectively to people so that it matches the vision in your head. Especially when you only have limited time frames, as is often the case with indie bands like us who balance music along with our day jobs.
Which artist would you most love to share a stage with?
I’m pretty sure we all started playing instruments because of blink-182, so it would be an honor to open for them one day.
Where do you see yourself in five years time?
Still making music, but with better gear.
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hellocentral's new single 'Never Better' is out now. Check it out in the player below.
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