Known As Being “A Blue Collar Band”, The Rock Band, The HOLLYWOOD KILLS Explains That And Much More!

The Hollywood Kills have truly earned their moniker of a “blue collar band.” Over the span of a decade, amid the chaos of career-defining conquests, the Nashville-based group has managed to solidify an ever-evolving sound. Pulling up the roots of Motown rhythm and blues, and coupling them with heavy riffs that fit right in with bands like Queens of the Stone Age, Maroon 5 and Franz Ferdinand, The Hollywood Kills are the next logical step in the evolution of modern rock ‘n roll. They have shared the stage with internationally-known acts such as: Fall Out Boy, Three Doors Down, Cage the Elephant, and Everclear. They have toured with The Pretty Reckless, and also had a stint on the Vans Warped Tour after being a finalist in the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands. The band has released three EPs: Don’t Panic (2011), An Idiot’s Guide to Desertion (2012), and Coming of Age (2014). They have recently finished recording their upcoming release Episode IV.

Learn more about this promising band in the following All Access interview:

Thank you for your time today! What else do you have on tap today besides this interview?

Thanks for having us! It’s a big day for us. We’re releasing our new EP, playing a house show this evening, then going out for our bass player Preston’s bachelor party! He’s getting married next week!

How did you all first meet each other? What made you think could start this group together? How did you come up with your name? What other names were you thinking about?

We grew up in Nashville, where there has always been a great underground rock scene. We all played in different bands, but fate brought us together with this band. The name comes from our distaste with Hollywood and all the superficial tendencies that go along with it. We’d be embarrassed to tell you some of the other names we were tossing around!

What exactly does your moniker “blue collar band” mean?

We’re a completely independent band. We write all of our own songs and play our own instruments. We write, direct, and edit our own videos. We manage our website and merch store. Shoot, we usually don’t even have a merch person at our shows! We take pride in our work ethic, and have worked very hard to get this band to where it is today. We’ve worked crappy jobs to support our love and passion for this band.

You’ve shared the stage and toured with some incredible artists. Which experiences have stood out to you the most and why those in particular?

Being on the road with The Pretty Reckless was one of our favorite experiences. We were very nervous when the tour started, but we grew very close with the band and their tour personnel. We learned a lot over those two months and met so many incredible people.

How do you think your sound has grown over the years? How is your upcoming “Episode IV” different or similar to your previous collections?

Our sound has matured almost parallel to how our music taste has evolved throughout the years. We tried experimenting with different instrumentation and different recording techniques on “Episode IV’ that we had never used before. Our teenage emo years have morphed into adulthood blues.

How creatively involved were you all with your silent-film themed “Señorita” video?

We were the entire creative force behind the video. We wrote, filmed, directed, and edited it. We’re very creative people so its always refreshing to let that creativity shine through outlets other than music.

What bands have continued to inspire you and your music? Who would you still love to work with in the future?

A unique thing about us as a group is the wide styles of music we all listen to. Brent loves Motown and is currently rocking Billy Joel, while Johnny is big on Japanese pop right now. Cody loves post punk and new wave music like Wire and Talking Heads, while Preston always keeps it solid with older punk bands like Strung Out. The melting pot of influences help shape the music we play. We could all agree though that we’d love to do a record with Butch Walker.

What do you hope is the message of your music?

All of our songs are about different subjects, but we hope to inspire young musicians to never give up on their dreams and to continuously work hard on their craft.

Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers about the band or your music?

If Rock & Roll is dead, The Hollywood Kills is its zombie apocalypse!