Current and former members of band’s such as Ice Nine Kills, From Ashes To New, and Galactic Empire have formed up-and-coming band entitled Hillhaven. The band’s vocalist Chris Kelly took the time to talk with Metal Express Radio about the formation of the band, their main influences, their upcoming live debut, and more. Check out the chat below!
Metal Express Radio: How did the formation of your band come about?
Kelly: I had written a song called “Gaps” which, at the time, was intended to be used by another band. When it looked like things might change, I sent the song to Maty [Madiro, drums] to get his thoughts and he immediately asked if I was planning on doing anything with that song. It was at that point that we started talking about forming something together and it just kind of snowballed from there.
MER: What are some of your band’s main influences?
Kelly: Beartooth, Architects, Rise Against, Bad Omens, basically every band that’s killing it right now.
MER: Members of your band have ties to other band’s such as Ice Nine Kills and From Ashes To New just to name a few, do you feel fans of those band’s will also be into Hillhaven?
Kelly: So far the reception has been overwhelmingly positive across the board. I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone that fans of the other bands our members are affiliated with would find their way to us. Haven’t gotten any complaints yet, so we’re grateful for that!
MER: You’ve released six different singles since April of this year, do you feel these songs give fans a good idea on what to expect from your full album?
Kelly: While we don’t have any immediate plans for an album, I’d say the existing repertoire would definitely be a solid introduction. The band’s sound is evolving, even with the material that’s being written now, so there will still be new things to look forward to. That being said, the emphasis on balancing heaviness and accessibility will always be a primary focus.
MER: You’ll be making your live debut playing with August Burns Red at their Christmas show, what are your expectations on your band’s first live performance?
Kelly: We’ve all got tours ending very close to that show date, so preparation is gonna be a bit of a time crunch, but the one good thing about a lineup like this is that nobody is a stranger to short deadlines. Everyone’s a pro. It’s gonna be a good time.
MER: What do you see as plans for you and your band in 2025?
Kelly: All plans for the foreseeable future are likely to be centered around writing new material and booking the right shows.
MER: Who do you hope to tour with and why?
Kelly: I mean that’s a pretty big list, but at the end of the day the thing that matters most to us is knowing we’re a good fit for a tour. Being in front of the right audience is everything.
MER: What have been some of your favorite releases of 2024?
Kelly: Speaking strictly within our space – Linkin Park’s new singles have all been bangers, Falling In Reverse put out a perfect record, Bad Omens’ OST release of Concrete Jungle had some amazing singles on it, Nothing More’s CARNAL is a masterpiece and the new Wage War record is immaculate from front to back. Suffice to say it’s been a good year for hard rock and metalcore.
MER: What are your hopes for your band’s future?
Kelly: Simply for Hillhaven to reach whatever level of potential it’s capable of reaching. The music industry is a fickle one. Things change all the time and it can be impossible to predict. Right now all I’m focused on is the work that’s in front of me. Everything else will fall into place accordingly.
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