Hallan

Photo by Karl Bailey

Name, where are you from?
I am Conor and I yell alongside Adam, Josh R and Josh T. Portsmouth.

Describe your style in three words?
Incongruous, awkward, cords.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
I saw The Libertines back at Reading in 2015, when I was a much different boy to the one I am now. A gig to mark the passing of my teenage youth. Hearing their earlier stuff still reminds me of being a naïve young lad.

If you could be on the line up with any two artists in history?
I’d pick The Clash and Pet Shop Boys to keep my mum and dad happy. I'd be fulfilling their dream by taking part in their ultimate gig lineup.

Which subcultures have influenced you?
Every modern rock band owes an arm or a leg to the '70s punk movement. The beatnik generation and folk movement of the '60s are also hiding away within the Hallan hive mind somewhere.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
I’d sit down and have lovely chat with George Mallory. Besides wanting to know if he did climb the second step and summit Everest in 1924, the man is a fearless and inspirational entity. (Andrew Irvine would be just as lovely for a chat but can only pick one.)

Of all the venues you’ve been to or played, which is your favourite?
We always love playing the Wedgewood Rooms in our hometown. We’ve been going there since we were kids to see touring bands so it’s quite something to be able to headline it ourselves. Camden Assembly was lovely and The Old Blue Last had an outrageous green room.

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Martin Newell from The Cleaners From Venus. He's been self-releasing his own albums on cassette since the '80s. I think he had a bad experience with the music industry and decided to stay at home and create where he was comfortable. He’s got endless tunes that span countless genres, and he still doesn’t get the credit he deserves. There’s a documentary in the works about him that looks brilliant called 'The Jangling Man' so check that out.

Hallan will release their debut EP 'Reporting Live From The Living Room Floor' via Nice Swan records in July 2021. Pre-order it via linktr.ee/hallan.