HALESTORM's LZZY HALE: 'We're Very Lucky That We Still Like Each Other'

In a new interview with Graspop Metal Meeting, HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale was asked if she has "any idea how special" it is that she and her bandmates have managed to keep the same lineup for nearly 20 years. She replied (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's very special. In fact, tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of the day that Joe [Hottinger], our guitar player, auditioned to be in the band. So, yeah, it's very special. It's crazy to think about it, because we don't always think about it until we meet other bands that constantly have a new lineup or they hate each other. So we're very lucky that we still like each other and we still hang out."

Lzzy and her brother Arejay (drums) formed HALESTORM in 1998 while in middle school. Hottinger joined the group in 2003, followed by bassist Josh Smith in 2004.

During a June 2022 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Lzzy talked about the fact that HALESTORM has had the same lineup for nearly two decades – a rarity among rock acts. "I feel like that's probably one of our biggest accomplishments," she said. "We actually still like each other. We've been on tours — we still go out on tours with bands that don't even speak [to each other] until they're on stage. And I'm, like, 'That must be horrible.' We've always supported and loved each other. And we've been through a lot of ups and downs; we've been through this whole roller-coaster ride together. And nobody really knows us the way we all know us. So it really is like a marriage, which is weird, because it's like I'm married to three guys and one of them is my brother. I should probably just say 'family' and not 'marriage' because Blabbermouth will get a hold of that… It's great. I love the boys. And I couldn't imagine doing it with anybody else. Because there is something about the way that we all meet in the middle. What I can do is something that the three boys cannot. But I can't do the same thing that Joe does; I can't do the same thing that Josh does; nobody can do anything that Arejay can do. And it's one of those things that, like I said, with our forces combined, with all four of us together making these decisions and moving forward and the way that we play together, it just wouldn't be HALESTORM without the four of us."

Last month, HALESTORM teamed up with country singer Ashley McBryde for a reimagined version of the band's song "Terrible Things", which was originally featured on the Lzzy-fronted outfit's 2022 studio album "Back From The Dead".

This past December, HALESTORM released a deluxe edition of "Back From The Dead". "Back From The Dead: Deluxe Edition" includes seven previously unreleased B-sides, including "Mine", a 1980s-inspired rocker. "Back From The Dead: Deluxe Edition" is available digitally, on CD, and cassette tape, marking the first time that the album has been offered in those physical formats.

In December 2018, HALESTORM was nominated for a "Best Rock Performance" Grammy Award for its song "Uncomfortable". Six years earlier, the band won its first Grammy in the category of "Best Hard Rock/ Metal Performance" for "Love Bites (So Do I)".