EVERYONE HAS THOSE FORMATIVE BANDS AND TRACKS THAT FIRST GOT THEM INTO MUSIC AND HELPED SHAPE THEIR VERY BEING. THIS MONTH, CONNOR HALLISEY FROM OUR HOLLOW, OUR HOME TAKE US THROUGH SOME OF THE SONGS THAT MEANT THE MOST TO HIM DURING HIS TEENAGE YEARS.
WITH... CONNOR HALLISEY, OUR HOLLOW, OUR HOME PARKWAY DRIVE Romance is Dead I hadn’t really been listening to heavy music that long when I discovered this band. I think I bought this track and another from iTunes when I was like 13/14? Something about the emotion in the vocals and the melody of the guitars combined with this overall crushing metal sound had me hooked immediately. A DAY TO REMEMBER The Danger In Starting A Fire My mum still says this song reminds her of me. When I first heard ‘For Those Who Have Heart’ at 15, everything else went out of the window for months. I couldn’t put the album down! I became obsessed with this sound of pop-punk being mashed together with metal/ hardcore. UNDEROATH A Moment Suspended In Time I can remember discovering Underoath like it was yesterday. I just loved how different the band sounded to anything else I was listening to at the time. It took the essence of my favourite emo/posthardcore bands to a whole different level. Lyrically this song used to resonate with me and my teen angst, and feeling like I didn’t fit in even with my own friends. LINKIN PARK Somewhere I Belong My older cousin was a massive Linkin Park fan, so automatically, I thought they were really cool growing up. Then my parents got me the ‘Live in Texas’ album one year for my birthday, and I was genuinely hooked. I’m not sure if it’s the relatable lyrics or the atmosphere, but in particular, the opening track of the album just hit me really hard. NIRVANA Lithium Nirvana were arguably one of my first real loves in music. I just found Kurt Cobain to be a really unique, captivating and remarkably talented person. I was never that popular at school, and I got 46 Upset
bullied pretty badly, so seeing this guy who had unapologetically worn his heart on his sleeve and kinda made up his own definition of “cool” really inspired me. DEAD SWANS Ascension This song and album remind me of a time when I was really just trying to figure life out. I remember going through my first proper break-up, and this album was there for me. I felt like the words were being plucked right of my own mind. The way this song specifically explores depression and anxiety really captivated me and helped me realise that I wasn’t the only person who experienced these thoughts and feelings. BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE Room 409 I got this song on a compilation CD with Kerrang! back when I was at school. I remember putting the disc into my Walkman and feeling like I got punched in the face when it played this track. It starts with a little build-up that teases you before it just unleashes upon you. Maybe it’s purely for the nostalgia, but this is still up there as one of my favourite heavy songs ever, hands down. THE AMITY AFFLICTION Youngbloods If it wasn’t for this song, I might have
never made it into Our Hollow, Our Home. I was 16 and super into TAA at the time, and I got a message from the original bassist (who I’d never actually spoken to before) asking me to come audition for a new band called Deadlines. I agreed to the audition purely because he’d sent me a demo of a track they were working on, which instantly gave me ‘Youngbloods’ vibes. A week or so later, I’d auditioned and joined the band, which many years later went on to become OHOH! CIRCA SURVIVE Living Together I went to a show at Southampton Guildhall, and Circa Survive opened. I think I was the only one of my friends who was excited for their set, and it honestly blew me away. They have such an atmospheric sound that flows between emo/post-hardcore and experimental/rock that just really struck a chord with me. I even got to meet their guitarist after the show and get my ticket signed. My friend took the picture in a hurry, so it came out a little blurry, but Fightstar were playing too, and I didn’t have time to be sad about it, hahaha. P Our Hollow, Our Home’s album ‘Burn In The Flood’ is out 28th May.
