Hurricane Fall Talk New Single “Don’t Miss Me”
Newcastle-based country rock band Hurricane Fall (AKA Jesse Vee, Pepper Deroy, Jimmy Hick and Lachlan ‘Dusty’ Coffer) has been steadily making their presence known in the Australian music industry for a while now, captivating audiences nationwide with their high energy live shows.
But it was with the release of their second EP, How We Get Down late last year that the group really began to gain momentum. Recently, I caught up with the guys to talk about their new single, Don’t Miss Me, what sets them apart from other country artists, and plans for their international tour.
Thanks! The reaction has been great. Many people have sent us messages and have been telling us about their own personal experiences with family/friends in the armed forces, so it’s really touched some people which is great.
The song’s from your EP, How We Get Down, and is quite a departure from your first single of the same name. Was having songs with a diverse sound something you considered when making the EP, or was that just the way it turned out?
We wanted to have some diversity on this EP and during the writing process it all kind of came together. We weren’t writing a specific way to tailor an EP that was a specific sound, everything kind of worked out with something that we are proud of and shows our diversity. Bit of luck really!
The track is very personal to all of you, drawn from family members’ experiences in war. Why was it important to you to make Don’t Miss Me, and what do you want people to take away from listening to it?
When Pepper [Deroy, lead vocals and bass] originally brought the pieces to this song in, it really resonated with us all as we have all had personal experiences with family members and friends who have served/currently serving. Hearing stories from them and seeing the impact on their relationships and lives, we really wanted to make this song special and really try and touch people’s lives.
Were you hesitant about releasing Don’t Miss Me publicly, given how personal it is to you all?
Not at all, we would rather share something special like this so everyone has a chance to interpret it how they would like, especially with people have been affected by loss, sacrifice and hardship.
What usually influences your song writing?
A lot of it comes from personal experiences in our day to day lives, as well as being on the road, travelling to new places to play, the new people we meet from all walks of life, and a whole lot of fun!
Generally speaking, is it a collaborative process, or something you do solo?
It’s definitely a collaborative process, the writing can come from funny places, but when it’s there we roll with it and all have our input. That’s really why our sound is the way it is.
What were the main differences between recording your debut self-titled EP yourself and recording your latest, How We Get Down?
The differences, we think, obviously draw from the fact we have been playing together for longer now, and we’ve all shared some more experiences together, on road/off road. We probably approached this EP with more confidence in our sound/writing also.
Is How We Get Down a precursor to an album?
Well, we love to keep a secret, but you’re on the money there! As we are in the process of writing for our debut album now, can’t tell you any more than that [laughs].
You’re well known for your live performances, and recently played at Gympie Music Muster. What was that like?
The Muster was a great time, we love it there! We played at The Crowbar this year for three shows and it seems like they were getting [crazier] as the shows went on; there was a whole of dust being kicked up as we were playing and everybody was having a great time, especially us!
Your schedule seems quite busy. Do you have much down time?
To be honest we love having a busy schedule: “Busy it best,” we say. We want to work as hard as we can with the opportunities we have been given, try and make the most of it for sure.
As far as down time goes, we don’t really have a lot at the moment, but we make our personal lives work too as we have plenty of love and support from our family and friends.
What can people expect from one of your live performances?
They can expect a good time, we just get up on stage and do our thing really. You’ll have to come check one out for yourself!
What do you enjoy most about touring?
Well, definitely not arguing about window seats on flights or front seats in hire cars [laughs]. No, we love touring around and seeing new places and meeting new people. That’s really an awesome thing you don’t get to do in a lot of other professions, so we consider ourselves pretty damn lucky.
How do you wind down from a gig?
Usually a stop in a food place and bunch of chicken nuggets, or as we call them “protein bites”. Then listening to some of our favourite tunes and singing along on the drive home is always good for the soul.
Do you feel your live act really lends itself to a festival setting, or do you prefer smaller gigs?
We love the festival scene, we feel it brings out the best in us, but we also love to play a smaller more relaxed setting, as it gives us a chance to show our diversity, we like to think we are adaptable.
You’ve got a number of live performances coming up, including Rock The Boat and Deni Ute Muster. Is there one in particular that you’re looking forward to?
Honestly, we’ve got some awesome shows coming up and we can’t really point out one in particular we’ve got the opportunity to play alongside – pumped for all of them!
You’re also heading over to NZ in late 2017/early 2018. What are you most looking forward to about that?
As it’s our first international tour, we are looking forward to playing somewhere new, to a totally new crowd. It’s going to be a great time.
You’ve had a massive 2017, having appeared on numerous festival bills and other gigs. What are some of the highlights and lowlights of your musical career so far? Are there any big dreams you still want to tick off, but haven’t had the chance yet?
We’ve had some awesome shows this year, a highlight was playing in Cairns for the PBR [Professional Bull Riders Australia]. [They were] some of the craziest dudes we’ve ever met.
The lowlights would be the obvious one: balancing home life with touring life. Now, there is always big dreams in our sights. You have to aim high in this industry, that’s for sure. The sky is the limit if you’re willing to work hard, so in doing so the chances should present themselves.
Country music is growing in popularity, with the rise of artists such as Taylor Swift, Kelsea Ballerini and Keith Urban particularly. What’s your opinion of that and what, do you believe, is the appeal of country music as a whole?
We love that the popularity is growing for country music. As far as the appeal for it goes, just sit and listen to the lyrics and feel the stories that are in there. There’s plenty from all walks of life, so it’s relateable on a lot of levels for everyone.
What sets you guys apart from other country acts on the scene at the moment?
We don’t really like to compare ourselves to other acts. We like to think that we have a unique product to offer and we hope the people who follow us enjoy it as much as we do.
If you could collaborate with anyone in the industry (living or dead), who would it be and why?
We have our idols and dream collaborators, but collectively it would have to be Garth Brooks, or Florida Georgia Line. Both of these artists are amazing and inspirational for us, so working with them would be a dream come true.
What’s the epitome of success for you?
If you can do what you love for work, but also the thought of playing in front of a stadium full of people singing your song back to you, would be an amazing experience.
What else have you got planned for the rest of this year?
We’ve been working hard on new songs for a forthcoming album, as well as a few film clips, and putting together some new elements to the show, keeping it fresh and a bit different each time. But all in all, we are having a great time doing it.
The music video for “Don’t Miss Me” is now on YouTube!
Don’t forget to catch Hurricane Fall live in action on their current tour:
Deni Ute Muster – 29th Sept
VDMfest – 7th Oct
Rock the Boat Cruise – 16th – 23rd Oct
Ariah Park Bns – 28th Oct
Gin & Raspberry Boutique Bar, Wanaka NZ – 30th December
Top Paddock Music Festival, NZ – 31st December
Wanaka Rodeo After Party, NZ – 2nd January
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