How Did I Get Here? is out now!
Image: Supplied.
Townsville-based trio, Hidden Pillars have unveiled their debut EP, How Did I Get Here?. We caught up with the trio to unpack the release, crafting their sonic palette and so much more!
Could you tell us a bit about your background in music and how Hidden Pillars came to be?
Everyone in the band has been actively involved with some form of music - playing instruments, writing music, or simply listening - for most of our lives, so forming a band to take a more focused route in music creation was a no brainer. Hidden Pillars started out as "Jamn" at the end of 2019, until we decided to reimagine our sonic style, future trajectory and overall image, which had to start with a new name.
Your debut EP How Did I Get Here? Has arrived! Walk us through the concepts and themes explored across the body of work…
For this project, we wanted to explore what it’s like to be going through a life-altering change, stuff like moving cities, starting a new job or career, or going through the ending of a relationship. We layed out the tracklisting in somewhat-chronological order, from the initial change and feelings of chaos with Pull The Rug, going through transitional stages and coming to terms with the changes through Broken Mind and Deleted, and reflecting on the situation and how you move forward with Get Out of My Head.
How important was it for you to explore and break down these themes within your music?
We felt like it was super important to fully flesh out these ideas through the lyrics of each song, as well as using the instrumentals and production to compliment each storyline as we went through the songs. For us, a large attraction to certain artists is being able to connect or relate in some way to the story or message that they’re telling through their music, so we focused on attempting the same thing with this EP.
How did you arrive at the sonic realm the EP exists within?
Having the vast knowledge and experience of our producer and collaborator Adib Parker was beyond helpful throughout the recording process. While we did have demo recordings of each song, after we recorded all our individual parts in the studio, Adib was able to work his magic and accentuate each recording stem with various production tools and techniques that we hadn’t even thought of when we were writing the songs. We knew we wanted each song to have its own identity and unique feel, and we knew the EP was going to be loud and distorted, but gaining Adib’s two cents on each idea definitely made the project what it is.
Which song off the EP would you choose to play to someone who had never heard your music and why?
It would definitely be Deleted, 10004%. We released it as a single prior to the release of the project, because after we heard it for the first time in the studio, we all just kind of looked at each other and collectively knew that this was the song that just sounded like us.
What’s one line, lyric or musical motif from the EP you find at times can be stuck in your head, or one that you’re most proud of?
I think we have all been guilty of humming or singing the chorus of Deleted to ourselves both during recording and after the track was released. There’s just something about it that gets stuck in your head for a couple of days after you listen to it.
How did the EP evolve throughout its creation? And do you have a particular process during writing sessions or does each song take on its own creative process?
There was a lot of planning about what we wanted out of the project, the themes we wanted to explore, and what each song should sound like or include. We listened to a lot of our favourite songs and artists to gather some ideas and inspiration prior to writing. The writing process was quite different from one song to the next, as songs like Broken Mind were months in the making, going through many iterations, and it took ages to land on something that we were happy with, whereas tracks like Deleted seemed to flow seamlessly from the initial concept through to final product, and it’s turned into one of the best songs we’ve ever written.
Will you be hitting the road and what can audiences expect from one of your live shows?
We had an awesome live show at a local venue in Townsville called Otherwise Bar to celebrate the release of the EP and we can’t wait to play these new tracks in more shows into the future. It’s looking like we won’t have any more shows for 2022, but a massive focus for next year will be playing as many shows as we can, in as many locations - both new and old - as possible.
GET TO KNOW HIDDEN PILLARS
Biggest influences?
Nothing But Thieves and Wolf Alice.
Dream collaboration?
Producing/Creating a track with the gents from King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.
Album that has had the most impact on you?
The self titled debut album from Nothing But Thieves.
How do you define your musical style in 3 words?
Versatile, Unconventional, smack-you-in-the-face.
Best song of 2022 so far?
Ce N’est Rien - Nothing But Thieves.
If you could create the soundtrack for any film, which one would it be?
Anything under the supervision of Edgar Wright.
Hannah Montana or Miley Cyrus?
Miley Cyrus.
A song you would love to cover on tour?
Dirtpicker - Post Animal.
Album you would listen to on repeat on a road trip?
Murder of the Universe - King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.
First concert you went to?
Nothing But Thieves (2018).
Best concert you have been to?
Same as above.
First album you ever bought?
Michael Jackson’s greatest hits.
Would you rather be a Spice Girl or a Backstreet Boy?
Spice Girl for sure.
If you were a Spice Girl, what would your spice nickname be?
Mother Spice.
Most memorable show you’ve ever performed?
The first time we played at ‘Otherwise Bar’, a local venue where we’ve seen countless of our favourite bands perform.
If you could support any artist on tour, who would it be?
Touring with King Gizz would be heaps of fun.
The moment you knew you wanted to be a musician?
After seeing local band Late November open for Aussie legends San Cisco, I messaged a mate of mine (the now lead singer of HP, Matt) and told him, ‘We’re starting a band.’ For anyone reading this, do yourself a favour and check out Late November.