Forming in December 2014, the last year has seen electronic-pop trio, Halem, develop into a fully functioning pop artist. Even without officially releasing any music, the band have successfully created a buzz in and around Liverpool from their fresh sound. The band will be performing as part of Liverpool's independent online music festival The 2ubeXtra. Tomatrax caught up with Reece from the band to ask a few questions.
How did the band form?We formed in December 2014, second year at LIPA. After a year of me (Reece) deciding what to do with my time at uni I thought it was finally time to start something exciting. I knew Katy & Jiwon as we're all on the same course and they happened to be big fans of electronic music so as a group we were perfect!
Where did the name Halem come from?It took weeks and after long deliberation our name actually comes from a bag of tea. Sitting in The Baltic Social Katy spotted a decoration (which was a bag of tea!?) with "Halem" on it.
Your live shows have visual effects to go with the music, how do you work out what visuals to pair with which song?A lot of the time we'll send suggestions for each song to the lighting engineer to sort something out, but for the 2ube Xtra we're working very closely with Josh, our lighting designed, getting the lights just right. They need to reflect each song. We're going for the nightclub-atmosphere so it's certainly going to be lively. We also have some fantastic neon signs that we try to use at every show, specially designed by lighting company Neon Creations Ltd - very talented people and worth checking out if you're after some neon!
You've gained a decent following on the back of your shows despite not releasing any music officially, what's the band's secret to gaining this following?Putting on a good show! Being a different genre is quite an advantage in my opinion; 99% of gigs we turn up at we'll be sharing the bill with 3/4 guitar-based bands - and there's us with our keyboards and laptops... This, plus our Neon lights, makes us stand out from the rest.
Are there any plans to release an EP/Album?Indeed there are. June/July of this year... Keep your eyes out.
You'll be playing as part of the 2ubeXtra festival, what can fans expect from your show?We're not treating this as just another gig. Every little detail is being examined. As I said, we're aiming for a nightclub-vibe so expect some heart-pumping drums and sub-bass , but also expect elements of suspense.
Are there any artists you'll be wanting to see at the festival?We're actually planning on attending every single night, there is SO much talent on display at this festival it's unbelievable.
Do you ever listen to your own music?Admittedly yes I do. But believe me when I say it's all analytical listening. I'm always looking for ways of improving our music, and as we haven't 'officially' released anything yet we still have the opportunity to alter songs.
What other music do you listen to?Personally my Spotify account is loaded with all sorts. Ranging from Queens Of The Stone Age, Katy Perry, Hans Zimmer, Chet Baker, DJ Fresh, Michael Jackson... Too many too mention. My all time favourite artist has to be Muse, but in terms of genres I tend to listening to chart music the most, mainly because this is what we're aiming for with Halem.
What do you have planned after the 2ubeXtra festival?Lots of exciting things!
27th April - LIMF Showcase - Proud Camden, London
7th June - Durham University Graduation Party
29th June - Live w/Dave Monks, Cavern Club, Liverpool
We've got lots of things in the pipeline so follow us to see what else we've got in store!
Check out Halem's Facebook page to find out more!
