Hell Beach is a five-piece rock 'n' roll, power pop, punk rock band from Manchester, NH, dedicated to stirring the coals and fanning the flames in the hearts and spirits of hellions, outcasts, and degenerates everywhere. Shannon got a chance to talk to Hell Beach about their new music.
Interview
Shannon Elaine sits down with Hell Beach
Hell Beach describes itself as “power punk pop rock ’n’ roll from hell.” What does that mean to you and what do you want someone who has never heard you before to understand about the band?
Genres getting pretty wacky and I really don’t love them in general (haha). I don’t think we fit under just one genre. We have a mix of things going on so I would like to let people know that yes it's poppy, but it's also aggressive, it's high energy, and it's rock n roll in essence. “From hell” sort of lets people know that we are having fun and are not taking ourselves super serious. We stick very closely to the hell theme so it’s only right to include in that description of our band.
There’s an expectation now that musicians aren’t just musicians you’re also supposed to make Reels, TikToks, take photos, post constantly and essentially become content creators. How much of that feels useful to you, and how much feels like another job?
If I think about it too hard I’ll go insane. I just do my best to find some joy in the social media aspect of it. I try to keep it light and just treat it as a way to connect with people who give a shit about our band. Sometimes it feels suffocating. If you stop for a few days it feels like you are starting over and apps like Instagram will absolutely make it clear to you that you are fucking up. It sucks! I would much rather be spending my time and energy on something else but sadly this is part of it now.
Tell me about the video. Where did the concept come from, and how involved were you in developing the visual side of it?
The video for our new single “Snakeskin” takes place in a thrift shop called Tiger Den Goods in Milford, NH which is owned by our friend Morgan French. The song touches on a lot of themes of change, rebirth, and growth. I think this fits nicely with the concept of thrifted goods. These items are taking on new life or perhaps being transformed into something new. We go through similar cycles in life, I think.
Did making the video change the way you think about the song at all, or bring out something in it that wasn’t as obvious when you recorded it?
It really did! On a few levels. To be honest, the video was sort of thrown together last minute. We needed a place to film and a simple concept. We filmed the video two weeks before the single dropped. That being said, it clicked later how well the theme aligned with the song. This video shoot was also the first time the five of us were together in one place in a very long time. Since we played at the Sinclair back in June. This gives the video some personal meaning for me and maybe the other guys too.
Why did you choose this particular song as the new single? What made it feel like the right introduction to this era of Hell Beach?
"Snakeskin" is actually the most recently written song on the album. It basically came about immediately before we started tracking. I am absolutely someone who becomes sort of obsessed over the shiny new song, but I think we were all on the same page. "Snakeskin" set a tone for the rest of the album. It captures some of the energy and grit everyone can expect from the new album. Its somewhere in the middle of the road in regard to the spectrum of the record. Some songs will be lighter than "Snakeskin", some songs will be more aggressive.
What’s the story behind the song? Where did it start, and what was the writing process like?
"Snakeskin" is really the “new kid on the block” on this album. I think having the whole album written helped us to see it as a whole and then give it a final brushstroke. We did not know we needed “Snakeskin” until everything else was done and we were able to take a step back and absorb it. We sat down to write a loud and proud preamble to the new chapter of Hell Beach.
Is there a lyric, moment, or musical choice in the single that you’re especially excited for people to notice?
The end of the chorus says “Speaking a language petrified deep in subconscious peat, turn it up loud, coming in clean”
This line is really talking about the language of the subconscious mind, which is symbols. I am always fascinated with my really weird dreams and what the symbols are telling me. Sometimes we need to turn inward and tune into that quiet voice, speaking in a language that only the individual can decode, because their mind has been creating it glyph by glyph their entire life.
You’re part of a pretty interconnected New England punk/pop-punk community. What do you think this scene does particularly well and what could it be doing better?
Our scene is pretty small. A beautiful thing about that is you can’t be picky. You can’t play exclusively with bands you fit perfectly with. You have to team up with bands that are a little different than you. And that has lead us to meeting some of the greatest people in the world.
The Fest has such a strong reputation within punk. Is there anyone you’re especially excited to play alongside or see while you’re there?
It’s always an honor to play FEST. It was one of our first goals as a band. Tim’s first fest was FEST 7 in 2008! Its so cool to be a part of the FEST community. This year we are doing something extra special and playing Pre-Fest as well. We will be at Loosy’s the Thursday before the official FEST begins alongside so many cool bands. We are especially excited to play with Catbite and Choke Up. Our official FEST set is at The Wooly on Saturday which feels like a big deal! I am most excited to see Bashful from Richmond, VA.
It feels like Hell Beach has a lot happening at once right now. Does this feel like a turning-point moment for the band?
This is certainly a turning point for us. Releasing a new album, releasing it with Counter Intuitive Records, brining a new feel and energy to the music and live set, it’s a new chapter.
By the time the record is fully out and The Fest is over, what do you hope people understand about Hell Beach that they might not have understood before?
Hell Beach has gone through many changes since our last album. I think if you liked BEACHWORLD you will like Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea, but I think you are in for some surprises. BEACHWORLD feels like the middle of June through the first weekend of September to me. Our new album feels like it begins Halloween night, and stretches into the long, dark, New England winter.
Hell Beach's new album Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea is scheduled to be released on November 13th via Counter Intuitive Records.