Interview with the Melodic Pop Punk Band Hellaphant (Canada)

May 19, 2023

Interview with the Melodic Pop Punk Band Hellaphant (Canada)

By Mick Michaels

The Cosmick View: Hello, and welcome to The Cosmick View/MBM Ten Pounder! Thanks for taking some time to chat with us!
Scott Cameron Thanks for having me.

CV: Describe your definition of the band’s sound and style and how does that definition uniquely describe the music?

SC: I would describe our sound as loud, energetic, melodic pop punk rock. We get the term “90’s skate punk” thrown at us a lot, which to me is a great compliment. We don’t play super fast or heavy, but there is still an element of power and anger that comes through our mid-paced melody. I think our sound fits well with a broad range of music for a live show or just on a playlist.

CV: Today, everyone talks about artist and audience connection. Is such a level of connection actually achievable for an artist and if so, how have you made the connection to your fans?
SC: I think that connection is 100% achievable for small, independent bands like us. We are just four regular dudes who love music and having fun, our inspiration for our music and song lyrics comes from all things around us and everyday life. We love chatting with other people at shows or online DIY punk is super accessible to anyone.

CV: Is fan interaction an important part of the band’s inner culture?

SC: I think it is fairly important to us, being music fans ourselves we have always loved to interact with bands and individuals we appreciate and understand it is a two way thing, without fans we would be just playing to ourselves, we feed off the energy from crowds live and love getting people reaching out online as well.

CV: Can a band truly interact with its fans and still maintain a level of personal privacy without crossing the line and giving up their “personal space” in your opinion?

SC: Certainly, I mean unless you are celebrity status and that comes with a whole host of problems for privacy, but it’s not a situation we worry about, our fans are our friends and we trust them and never present ourselves as anything other than 4 regular guys. I personally am shy and quiet and like my privacy so I can see where rock gods who are constantly being pursued might need to put up boundaries, but as a small indie act we aren’t really concerned about that at all.

CV: Is music, and its value, viewed differently around the world in your opinion? If so, what do you see as the biggest difference in such multiple views among various cultures?

SC: Music is fairly universal, so I don’t think it makes a huge difference where in the world you are from. It is really a matter of personal style and taste as to what grabs you and moves you. With everything being available digitally online and bands touring all over the world everything is more accessible than ever, which can be a good thing but some markets are so over saturated sometimes locally we find people are apathetic about going to see live bands because we are spoiled with so much easily available.

CV: Do you feel that a band that has an international appeal, will tend to connect more so to American audiences? Would they be more enticed or intrigued to see the band over indigenous acts because of the foreign flavor?
SC: uhhh, Gary?

Garrington Begner: It’s a great question. I think we would do better as an “import” act. It carries a little bit of interest being from another country, city etc. I also feel our sound is appealing to other countries because we were influenced heavily by other countries' music. US skate punk, garage rock, UK’s punk and Metal sound, while keeping Canadian.

CV: Has modern-day digital technology made everyone an artist on some level in your opinion? Have the actual lines of what really is an artist been blurred?

SC: Modern technology has definitely made things more accessible in terms of learning an instrument and recording but I think there will always be a healthy amount of consumers and creators. I don’t think it has changed who is an artist.

CV: How would you describe the difference between an artist who follows trends and one who sets them?

SC: Certainly the ability to not be afraid to follow your heart and not be overly concerned with what is happening or what is popular is going to make you stand apart as opposed to being so influenced by everything around you that it becomes mimicking others creations and not truly an original idea.

CV: Has music overall been splintered into too many sub-genres in an effort to appease fan tastes in your opinion? And has such fan appeasements, in actuality, weakened music’s impact as a whole by dividing audiences?
SC: There certainly are a lot of sub genres, but to me it seems more of a way to classify and label for convenience. I don’t think it has weakened music’s impact or divided audiences, there will always be exceptions that are difficult to box into one sub genre and cross over to many, likewise i think most listeners are savvy enough to know that just because something gets labeled this or that you have to be open minded enough to see for yourself.

CV: What can fans expect to see coming next from you?

SC: We are currently just trying to play out as much as we can and build our following while supporting our current releases, constantly creating new works and having some fun along the way.

CV: Thanks again for taking some time and talking. It is greatly appreciated.

thank you!

Check out Hellaphant at:

https://fasterandlouder.bandcamp.com/album/hellaphant-crumble-and-rise

https://www.instagram.com/hellaphantband/

https://www.facebook.com/HellaphantRocks

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.