After spending the last few months building and cultivating their sound, Minneapolis-based outfit Hyooman have now unveiled their eagerly-awaited debut single 'Half Brain'.
Taking their cues from smooth and dreamy acts such as Alvvays and Beach House, 'Half Brain' makes for a wonderfully warm and woozy introduction to their sound. Jam-packed with breezy textures, lofty production, and a soaring chorus to boot, get ready for this lot to be all over the place in the months to come.
So with the new single available now, we joined them in a quick sit-down to find out more about their origins and what has inspired them most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you learned to play?
Leng: Classical guitar in 3rd grade but I wasn’t interested at the time. I picked up electric guitar at 16 and stuck with that.
McCoy: A nylon string guitar that was way too big for me.
Elise: Was and is still the piano! I learned to play reading fake books for the Beatles and pop hits of the 20th century from like the Lawrence Welk show.
Tamara: Recorder, french horn then guitar
Dillon: Bass and guitar together, but I owned a bass first around the age of 16.
What was the first album you remember owning?
Leng: Enema of the State by Blink 182. We couldn’t stream music at the time so I listened to that album front-to-back on my boombox, almost daily.
McCoy: I got two tapes and three CD's handed down to me all at the same time around 4th/5th grade: Green Day - Dookie, Deep Blue Something - Home, Mortal Kombat OST, Dog's Eye View - Happy Nowhere, Donna Lewis - Now in a Minute
Elise: Britney Spears or Backstreet Boys.
Tamara: Probably Backstreet Boys
Dillon: The first full length album that I got was Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. I got the single cassette for "1979" about a year earlier. However, I guess I pretty much owned my mom’s cassette of Colour by Numbers by Culture Club from a very early age.
Did you ever form a band when you were younger and if so, what did they sound like?
Leng: I formed a band in high school after my girlfriend broke up with me. I have fond memories but I cringe when I think about the music. There were lots of breakup songs.
McCoy: In high school I was in a band called Murphy Clive. We were a sort of indie influenced jam band. Like kids wearing hemp necklaces playing ten minute strokes covers.
Elise: I think I tried to wrangle some friends into a band, but my music playing was pretty solitary! I spent a lot of time writing and playing music that was very roots/blues, lots of too-slow covers of Goodnight Irene and so on.
Tamara: I formed my first band in my early 20's that was a proggy alternative band with shoegaze and post rock elements.
Dillon: I played in a punk band and a punk/reggae band in high school, then a similar lineup kind of morphed into a jam band after high school.
What is a song you wish you had written yourself?
Leng: “Place To Be" by Nick Drake
McCoy: Piero Piccioni – “Camille 2000 (titles)”
Elise: Lately.... “Till’ I Gain Control Again” by Rodney Crowell. I love the Willie Nelson version.
Tamara: Honestly, anything from Adrianne Lenker of Big Thief. She is a brilliant guitarist and poetic lyricist.
Dillon: So many! If I were to whittle it down; “Straight to Hell” by the Clash, “This Must Be the Place” by Talking Heads or “More Than This” by Roxy Music
What has been the most thrilling moment about creating your own music?
Leng: The most thrilling moment is playing the songs with the band for the first time. It literally comes alive. I have visions for the songs but I’m not necessarily married to the parts I’ve written. It’s fun seeing the songs take shape and morph into our sound as a band.
And what about the most frustrating part?
Leng: The most frustrating part is finding the “magic” that drives you to finish a song. It’s got to be something that makes you obsess over it. Otherwise you end up writing a song that doesn’t excite you and at that point, why bother.
Which artist would you most love to share a stage with?
Leng: People usually aim for A-list artists but I am excited about a lot of newish artist/bands like: Snarls, Waveform*, Kate Davis, Momma, Just Mustard. There are so many more that I’d like to share a stage with.
McCoy: Don Van Vliet
Elise: Fleetwood Mac maybe? I love Christine McVie and wow that would just be interesting.
Tamara: Ah, so many, but We Were Promised Jetpacks was one of my favorite live shows I've seen and it'd be hella rad to share a stage with them!
Dillon: FUGAZI or The Cure
Where do you see yourself in five years time?
Leng: Hopefully we’re all still having fun playing together and we’d be working on another album. At that point I’d like to have a couple albums out – something we can look back and be proud of.
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Hyooman's debut single 'Half Brain' is available to stream now. Check it out below.
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