The Bad Hats is a Nashville based Folk / Rock band who works to achieve a redefined take on Folk for the newer generation. Since the formation of the group, the band has released a fan-funded EP where the band had graciously donated a portion of proceeds to the nonprofit organization Room In The Inn. Off of this exciting EP is the tune “The Deal” and it is full of sugar-sweet emotions. As the story and music progresses, we quickly found ourselves closing our eyes, taking a breather, and thinking deeply about every good moment of life.
This release is full of the feels with a delicate flair of nostalgia, with a modern spark. “The Deal” starts off as a super tame, laid back tune with a beautiful acoustic guitar, little dashes of electric guitar and drums, and an incredible captivating vocal performance that captures your heart and takes it on a journey. Towards the end of the song, there’s a gear switch and suddenly the page and energy picks up with its radio effected vocals, drums that simply explode with power, and chugging guitar lines. Post this the song tames it back down to conclude with a beautiful tag that leaves you wanting more. This is a fantastic experience that we think everyone should go through. You can listen to "The Deal" here.
Welcome to BuzzMusic The Bad Hats! Your release off the EP “The Deal” is a beautiful rollercoaster that is full of emotion. What was it like to write the lyrics and instrumentation of this song? What was the story that was in mind during the writing? This song really came alive in the studio. When we played the song for the first time during the writing process, it really seemed to flow with everyone. It was fairly mellow. The ending really began to take a direction towards intensity when we began the song outlive. The lyrics were written in the studio before tracking as a reflection of the things artists give up to pursue a career in the arts. More so though, the song is about what anyone sacrifices of themself to protect any of their relationships. We are loving every element of this release, it’s like a good comfort food. What was the recording and production process like? Were there any challenges involved during the creation? There were a ton of challenges. We worked with an incredible producer, Andy Wildrick. It was our first time working with a producer. We have always self-produced. The whole process was new to us, and we tried to soak up as much information as we could. We tracked on Whitney Houston’s old recording console, so that was sick, and all of our studio musicians killed it. We couldn’t be happier with how the experience turned out. The musicality between every part is astounding, a clear attention to detail went here. What are typical writing sessions like with the band? How did all the members come to meet? Typically, I (Benny Jenkins) bring a song to the band that I’ve been playing around with, and we begin to shape the structure together. We play through the song without having heard it before. We take our first impressions and try to mold them into interlocking parts. Usually, one of us manages to find a good groove in the first playthrough, and we all work from that. Sometimes, we change the song drastically from the original idea (tempo, style, dynamics). It doesn’t matter what the final song sounds like as long as each one of us is individually committed to having it in our set. This ensures that not only is our style as a band represented, but each of our own music styles will be there as well. This release is the perfect blend of Folk with a hint of modern style to it, in what ways is the band trying to redefine the genre and come up with something new? Are there particular elements that you are trying to redefine?
We want to see the themes of storytelling and personal growth from old folk songs represented in a package that is easier for modern society to consume. We believe in community and the value of caring for your neighbor without anterior motives. Our world can feel really self-absorbed, and we wanted an opportunity to present a positive message about investing in relationships. We take great care in writing the music because we want it to be honest, and we respect the art form for its capacity for expression.
What can we expect to see from you throughout the rest of 2020?
Time will tell. The pandemic has basically shut down the music industry, so touring will be off the table until at least September for us. However, we will be doing a virtual tour later in May, along with regular live-stream concerts from our studio every weekend until we start touting again. We will also be recording and releasing a series of covers that our fans who paid for our album using crowdfunding requested of us. The first one will be out on May 8th! Stay tuned. They sound really great, and we have had a blast making them!