Endlich sind Hurts sind zurück, jene Manchester Band, die es mit ihrem verführerischen Mix aus kontemporärem Pop und britischer Coolness bis in die Charts schafften. Diesen Weg verfolgen sie auch mit ihrer neuen Single Voices weiter und brechen mit ihrer sympathischen Art aus der oberflächlichen Pop-Szene aus, immer angetrieben von dem Verlangen die eigenen Fans zu inspirieren und den Erwartungen anderer standzuhalten. Eine Hürde die Voices ohne Probleme meistert, der Song fügt dem cinematischen und aufregend synthetischem Sound des Duos eine starke rhythmische Komponente hinzu. Ach würde sich Pop doch nur immer so gut anhören – wir hätten kein Problem mit den Charts! Voices ist für Theo Hutchcraft ein sehr persönlicher Song, der in der aktuellen Krise jedoch eine omnipräsente und absolut wichtig Message in sich trägt:
„Voices ist ein Song über Isolation, Verzweiflung und Manie. Er handelt außerdem von Kraft, Unverwüstlichkeit und der Macht des Verstandes. Das Lied wurde während einer persönlichen Krise geschrieben und wird nun während einer globalen Krise in die Welt entlassen. Hoffentlich kann der Song ein wenig Hoffnung und für manche, die mit ihren inneren Dämonen zu kämpfen haben, für Erleichterung sorgen.“
Und natürlich soll Voices natürlich keine einmalige Sache sein, weitere neue Songs sind bereits in der Mache und werden in den kommenden Monaten veröffentlicht. Um unsere Vorfreude in Taten umzuwandeln, haben wir uns kurzerhand Theo geschnappt und ihm einige Fragen zu der neuen Single und seinem persönlichen Umgang mit der aktuellen Krise gestellt. Das Interview präsentieren wir euch direkt nachdem Video zu Voices.
First of all: how are you personally and how is the situation in the UK in this worldwide crisis
Good thanks! Obviously it’s a very strange situation. Very difficult and sad for a lot of people. Personally, my lifestyle hasn’t changed so much. Working in isolation is one of the main parts of being a musician! I’ve been enjoying the peace and quiet of London, and using the time to reflect and slow down. It’s been beautiful to see how communities have come together and how important support and friendship have been.
Otherwise, excited to be back with new music for people to hear!
With your single Voices is released just now, in the middle of this situation – was the music or the campaign (a lot of acts have moved release-dates or had problems to shoot videos) somehow affected by it?
This is just how things have worked out. Obviously we couldn’t plan for it, but we’ve been working on the music for so long that we’re just ready to get it out there now. So we haven’t really changed our plans. Also, the song was written at a time of personal difficulty and is about dealing with isolation and mania. So it feels strangely fitting to release it into the world now. When that is an issue that is effecting a lot of people across the world.
Could you tell us a bit what Voices is about and how it came into existence? Also who was involved?
It’s a song about isolation and the power of the mind. The power to do good and to do harm. I think a lot of people struggle with these internal voices. But ultimately it’s a hopeful song about inner strength. It’s a paranoid pop song.
We also heard rumors of more music, maybe even an album, coming soon – can you tell us more what to expect from Hurts in the following months…and maybe even when to expect more?
Yes there will be more music. I think Voices is a good starting point to show people the direction that things will head. It’s a darker, more introspective road.
With music coming out, usually the plan is also to tour the release and play the new songs live – now all venues are closed, as well as the borders of most countries. What are your plans for touring at the time?
Obviously we will really miss touring for now. It’s one of the best parts of the job. I think it’s an exciting challenge to see how we can reach people and what else we can do. We have such a big community of fans around the world, who are all really supportive and in contact with each other. So we’ll have to work with them to try some new exciting ideas.
What are you doing at the moment when you feel lonely and which songs and records helped you during this strange time?
I’ve been speaking to a lot of old friends which has been great. People I haven’t spoken to for years. I think there’s definitely been a comfort in listening to familiar music. So I’ve been going through all my old albums and revisiting them. Music that is more psychedelic and strange has been fun. It’s a way to travel without moving!
