Introducing: The Hellfreaks

The HellfreaksThe Hellfreaks are a four piece band from Budapest, Hungary that seamlessly mesh together punk, rock and metal to make a glorious noise. Vocalist and founding member Shakey Sue talks us through the origins of the band and the personal physical pain and heartache that brought her to music, as well as telling us how you shouldn’t wait for one of their gigs to calm down before heading to the bar.

What are the origins of the band and how long have you been playing together?

SS: We’re THE HELLFREAKS, a band from Hungary, which is in the middle of nowhere in the international rock world! We’re a punk rock metal band and pretty unique in our country. There are very few bands that play rock music with a girl at the front but definitely no punk rock bands with a female singer. Somehow, with a bit of luck and a hell of a lot of work, we’ve managed to play way more shows over the border than in Hungary. We’ve played more than 250 gigs across Europe and also made it over the big pond and toured in the US.

Through the years, not only has the line up changed but also the music. It started as a hobby band, with music that was way more psychobilly influenced. That has redeveloped many times into a modern punk rock with a portion of metal thrown in that we call our own.

After ten years, we’ve released four albums and a few video clips, which together have accumulated more than seven million views and sold over five thousand records. We’re very happy with how things are going, but we’re certainly far from the finish line!

How did you feel performing your first gig? And how was it?!

SS: It did not happen yesterday, but I clearly remember that I was very VERY afraid of it and basically I just wanted to survive the evening. But after the ice was broken I never felt like that again.

What should people expect when they check you and the band out? How would you describe yourselves?

SS: If you see us live you can expect loud rock music, sweat, headbanging, honesty and a show with no breaks. To use the words of an audience member from a previous performance: “at the beginning of your show I thought I would head to the bar to grab a beer when it calmed down a little… but now it’s over and I’m thirsty as hell!”

Don’t waste your time if you’re into stereotypes. If you like rock music, you are definitely walking the right path with us. If you’re sick of those poppy sweet notes, feel free to come closer! We play loud and fast modern rock music with a unique female voice on the mic. We’re the sound for kids who grew up with rock’n’roll, punk, metal and hardcore – because that’s what we’re into! And we love to mix these elements and spice them up with a modern touch.

The new music scene is bursting at the seams with fresh talent. In what ways do you feel a band has to stand out from others trying to build a name?

SS: When it comes to the question “to which bands do you sound similar?” it takes me ages to give an answer. I’ve even asked our street team this question and no one could really answer it. Maybe something between Paramore and Madball could be the right answer, which is a pretty wide range.

I believe that this has to be a sign that we’re doing a good job because it’s hard to compare us to any other band, which means that we’re really doing something unique and that is one of the main goals when you’re writing music.

The HellfreaksWhat are you working on at the minute that people can check out?

SS: The last few months have all been about preparing and laying the groundwork for our new album God On The Run that we have just released!

We’ve released four of our new singles from the record with music videos that you can check out on YouTube.

We’ve been working on the new songs for over two years, fulfilling an old dream to work with foreign producers. Pre-production work had been with Paul Miner (New Found Glory, Atreyu, Death By Stereo), production/mixing with Evan Rodaniche (Escape The Faith, Powerman 5000, Lacey Sturm). The mastering with Tom Waltz provided us with the perfect final form for the band’s songs and ideas.

Spotify link: here   or get a CD or LP directly from the band: here

What band out there at the minute do you feel that you would be best suited to open for?

SS: It was very surprising to me, but our new album God On The Run is often compared to Billy Talent. I didn’t come up with this idea myself but if that’s the feedback we shouldn’t stand in its way, right?

Who do you feel is the next band to break out?

SS: There are too many good bands out there. I can’t pick one… even though it’s all about luck and connections in the end.

What are your first musical memories And what was the light bulb moment that made you go “I want to do that?”

SS: My light bulb moment was maybe the darkest year of my life.

I got into music completely by accident. I was a professional gymnast and sport was pretty much my everything. I unfortunately landed badly on my feet which resulted in a spine operation when I was 14 years old. I had to recalculate my life and fill the gap that my sports career had left behind. It was a difficult reality to accept at the time. The physical pain was nothing compared to the hole in my soul that I tried to fill. That’s how I found music and, a couple of years later in 2009, ended up forming The Hellfreaks.

What was the last gig that you attended as a fan?

SS: Behemoth and Slipknot. Loved it.

What is the album that you have in your collection/spotify playlist that would surprise most people?

SS: K Flay – Every Where is Some Where, and I’m also obsessed with Billie Eilish and Yungblud.

What are your plans for 2020?

SS: Thanks to COVID-19, it’s time for creativity instead of touring! So we’ve already started working on new songs and have just started to record new demos. We’ll see if there’s anything that we’re able to share by the end of the year, but the number one priority for us right now is to get God On The Run heard by as many people as possible!

How active are you on social media and where can people connect with you?

SS: We are very active, because this is THE place to connect with our world wide freak family! We have quite a big fanbase on Facebook but we’re trying to push more and more content towards our Instagram account, as it’s much easier to involve fans in our everyday life over there.

Follow us, like us, subscribe to our YouTube channel as there is so much coming right now, and we hope to see you all in person at a Hellfreaks show someday!

Website: www.thehellfreaks.com

 

Check Also

MOON SHOT | album’s title track “The Power” released

Scrap the old-school idea of a rock band and replace it with MOON SHOT, a …

AMIGO THE DEVIL | UK & RoI tour 2024 : US singer-songwriter announces July dates

US singer-songwriter Amigo the Devil (aka Danny Kiranos) has announced a July UK & RoI …

AMONGST LIARS: New single/video – ‘You Are Not a Slave’

Alternative rockers AMONGST LIARS are going head to head with the powers that be with …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *