Hello Operator are an up-and-coming band from Canada that have been making waves with songs like “Chasing Sattelites” and their latest single “Take Me Away”. Their infectious synth arena rock is one of the catchiest in music right now. I recently got the oppurtunity to ask Evan (Keyboards) about their upcoming tour, a new album, and Trent Reznor.
Please introduce yourself and your role in Hello Operator.
I’m Evan – I play keyboards. On stage I sing backups, sometimes play guitar or tambourine. Mostly, I play a key-tar.
If you had to describe your band to someone who has never heard you guys before, what would you say?
I would say we sound like we’re influenced by synth-y pop bands like The Cars and The Cure and we mix those influences with modern rock ala like The Killers and Coldplay. But that probably still wouldn’t describe it well, so I would tell them to go to our Myspace page and listen for themselves!
Your album The Breaks was released back in November of 2007, how would you say you have changed since then as far as musical influences go?
We have gotten a little more keyboard-obsessed since then and listen to a little more Nine Inch Nails. But we’ve also learned a lot about song-writing and we still think mostly about writing the best songs possible – hopefully we have gotten better at it!
You just released a video for your song “Take Me Away”, what was it like filming that? And in what way(s) does the song relate to the video?
Filming it was cold and rainy and we had a bunch of last minute things go wrong day of shoot, but it was still fun and an adventure. Seeing the final product was a breath of fresh air, when we realized that the process that seemed rough at the beginning, ended in a pretty unique and cool looking video.
The song is about whatever or whoever it is that takes you away from the pain or just monotony in your life. The video is a take on that in an ambiguous sort of way, with a girl trying to find her way amidst a faceless crowd going about the hustle and bustle of the urban jungle.
You recently streamed video of yourselves in the studio for fans to watch, what are your plans as far as a new album is concerned?
We are planning to keep touring through summer, revisit some Canadian spots and play some U.S. shows and then in the fall start working on a new album. We already spent a few months writing for the album and we are pretty excited about the new material.
If you could be responsible for any one one-hit wonder song in musical history which would it be?
Spacehog – In the Meantime
If you could collaborate with any one musician who would it be and why?
Trent Reznor… he has the most amazing synth sounds and I’d want to learn how he does everything. He is also a great songwriter and I love the mix of pop songwriting with moody sonic awesomeness.
If you had to pick one female “pop-star” (ex. Lady Gaga, Britney Spears) to cover one of your songs who would it be? and which song?
Britney Spears singing 55 Regrets.
You are about to head out on tour until June, how are you preparing for that and what can fans expect?
We’re just trying to keep healthy and mentally prepare for all the adventures of touring. Fans can expect sweaty boys on stage with guitars and synths singing songs. We’re also going to play some of our new material, so fans can get a taste of what’s to come on the new album.
What is one thing you would want someone to take away from The Breaks, what would it be?
I would want someone to roll down their car window and sing along… maybe dance to it in their bedroom or rock out to it with their friends. I think it’s a pretty easy listen and I would hope people just enjoy it for music’s sake and take some of the lyrics to heart.
Where would you like to see yourself and the band in five years down the road?
We will basically be doing what we do now. Writing, recording, touring, writing, recording touring…. I see our fan base growing and hopefully we’ll get to take our music to some new places around the world.
Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions, is there anything else you would like to say to Driven Far Off’s readers?
That’s about it! Thanks!
Make Sure to catch Hello Operator on tour by checking out dates on their myspace!
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