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| Source: Linda Battilani |
Step one: roll a man-sized disco ball in indigo hair dye and shovel monstrous heaps of glitter into the mix. Step two: kick into a pair of oversized boots and pelt the concoction against a wall with such a ferocity that the colours erupt in a beautifully frenzied medley. Step three: sway a flag around in the mess until it appears brighter than the grin on your face and wave it with assurance for all to see. Step four: congratulations, you now possess a smidgen of the blazing confidence illustrated in Halflives' latest feat, 'Rockstar Everyday'.
'Rockstar Everyday' is the catalyst that welcomes the new era of Paris-native outfit, Halflives' life-cycle - swanky get-ups, blushing beats and all. Following a short, far from dwindling quiet spell, the undeniably suave trio are breaking boundaries with this staggering blend of alt-rock, swooning pop textures and lyrics that are infectiously hooking. Linda Battilani's vocals ooze like teal honey and blanket the bulbous beats with a smoothness that allows the thick, fuzzy bass (Oscar Scantamburio) to run among the syllables, pooling below the drums (Fede Bernardi) in delectable puddles; puddles that are of the perfect consistency to stomp in while you're busy flailing to the vitality of this song.
Halflives tug on their leopard-print jackets and blast into the room with a confidence that can only be likened to rockstars. Despite 'Rockstar Everyday' revolving around the sole wish to become the kind of rockstar that indulges in lavish parties and lush surroundings of high status, I would argue that the charismatic trio are already embodying this lifestyle in every aspect. Linda's cropped, coloured hair and shadowed eyes serve to usher fans into the new life of Halflives, bringing with them an empowerment and vigour only applicable to the height of rockstardom.
'Rockstar Everyday' is the catalyst that welcomes the new era of Paris-native outfit, Halflives' life-cycle - swanky get-ups, blushing beats and all. Following a short, far from dwindling quiet spell, the undeniably suave trio are breaking boundaries with this staggering blend of alt-rock, swooning pop textures and lyrics that are infectiously hooking. Linda Battilani's vocals ooze like teal honey and blanket the bulbous beats with a smoothness that allows the thick, fuzzy bass (Oscar Scantamburio) to run among the syllables, pooling below the drums (Fede Bernardi) in delectable puddles; puddles that are of the perfect consistency to stomp in while you're busy flailing to the vitality of this song.
Halflives tug on their leopard-print jackets and blast into the room with a confidence that can only be likened to rockstars. Despite 'Rockstar Everyday' revolving around the sole wish to become the kind of rockstar that indulges in lavish parties and lush surroundings of high status, I would argue that the charismatic trio are already embodying this lifestyle in every aspect. Linda's cropped, coloured hair and shadowed eyes serve to usher fans into the new life of Halflives, bringing with them an empowerment and vigour only applicable to the height of rockstardom.
With influences such as Sia and veins that eagerly pulse beats lured from techno environments through their tracks, Halflives are ricocheting between continents with the sole intention of creating boisterous yet safe spaces for their fans. Since locking herself away for a few months to write an abundance of bops, Linda Battilani is gearing up to lead Halflives into unexplored territory, with the devotion of the band's longlasting fans fuelling them to evolve to their fullest. These guys dote on their audience and their fans feel the same, in full support of their evolution...
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| Source: 'Rockstar Everyday' Official Music Video by Halflives |
Change is inevitable. Nothing can stay still. We age, we evolve. That's simply what happened to us: we will always carry the 'old' stuff with us but we transformed into a newer version of ourselves. I felt the need to change, I grew a bit tired of the usual looks, the usual 'formulas'. I grew tired of always trying to be the same, and the urge to evolve and revamp both the music and our look emerged. It's funny because when I was younger, I wasn't really getting why bands all of a sudden would change, but now I get it: you can never be the same as when you were younger.
Can you talk a bit about the process of writing and recording 'Rockstar Everyday'? How did you come up with the concept for the song and why did you choose to release it as a single?
Despite the fact that it's quite different from what we released so far and we could have released a single that would have taken fans more gently into the new era, we decided to take the risk to release it as the first single anyway to respect the order in which the story has to be told. I didn't really come up with the concept of the song itself but more the whole vision that is what the next record will be about, and 'Rockstar Everyday' is the first step of the journey, which is denial. As for the writing process, I was just playing the guitar at home and started to play the main riff of the song and sing on it: it sounded cool so I immediately laid down the first draft and developed it with my producer later in the studio.
If you could steal an already existing lyric from another artist to slot into 'Rockstar Everyday', what would you choose and why?
This is one hell of a question! I thought about it for fifteen minutes but the best between all of my ideas is still the first one I had, 'One two three, / One two three, drink / Throw 'em back till I lose count' from Sia's 'Chandelier'. Other than being an amazing song that I love and that broke her career, I feel that the denial vibe is strong both in 'Rockstar Everyday' and 'Chandelier'.
What has the reception to the single been like so far?
Well, there have clearly been a lot of surprised reactions, literally no-one saw such a big change in direction coming. What I'm glad about is that many people were happily surprised about the change and embraced it with open arms. Seeing our fanbase sticking with us means literally everything.
What was your favourite part of recording the music video for 'Rockstar Everyday'?
The limousine part was pretty fun but I guess that my favourite part has [to have] been the party: we weren't allowed to make much noise so it looked more like a silent party where everybody had to dance and pretend to make noise while we weren't actually that loud! At the end of the shooting, everybody came to tell me they had a great time and hoped to do it again one day, and it definitely made me happy!
If you were to redesign the cover art for the new single with symbols and pictures that best represent the band and your aesthetic, what would you include and why?
I would go for a photo or graphic, maybe inserted in a postcard, in which we see a girl from the back, driving by night in a 'fast car' with her hair in the wind. In the landscape, I picture the Hollywood Sign.
What's next for Halflives? Any exciting plans coming up that your audience should keep an eye out for?
