In the ever-evolving landscape of alternative rock, few bands manage to captivate and challenge their audience and the scene as effectively as Hell Hotel. As they prepare to release their next single ‘Jennifer’s Body,’ we had the opportunity to delve into the creative minds behind the music. In this exclusive interview, Hell Hotel shares insights into the inspiration for their latest track, the intricacies of their songwriting process, and the artistic journey that continues to shape their unique sound. Join us as we uncover the stories and visions that drive this enigmatic band.

by Josephine Best | 20th May, 2024

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Hey guys, to get things going please introduce yourselves and tell us how you guys came together and formed Hell Hotel!

Tom (Vocals & Guitar): We came together through our mutual friend Georgia who plays drums for us live and in the studio. She just posted a story on instagram saying she had a friend who was looking to start a project who can play guitar and can scream, I responded to it and she put Demi and I in touch! Some time went by I wrote some demos that I thought would fit the projects vibe and sent them over and then we continued to work on them together. That’s how Hell Hotel started! 

Demi (Clean Vocals): We were in the studio only a few months later and banged out the first couple of songs which is what everyone is hearing now. It all came together quite fast and we’ve just become close friends along the way.

Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your upcoming single “Jennifer’s Body”?

Tom: The main inspiration for this song was the first two albums by The Used, their self titled and Love & Death. The “sassy” nature of them really informed the guitar riffs and how we write lyrically is most often wrapped in some kind of fiction or story. We use a lot of metaphors so it’s not always personally about ourselves. This song is about being murdered by a vampire that you fall in love with haha, the overarching metaphor is more so the idea of thinking you’re not deserving of love or unable to be loved and being in self-destructive and toxic relationships as a form of self harm.

How does this single compare to your previous single “Smile”

Demi: Compared to Smile this song is I guess a lot less aggressive, it’s more “boppy” whilst still being emotive. It has a lot more atmospheric tendencies with inspiration from bands like Casey and Holding Absence for example, while still taking inspiration from the 2000’s and super nostalgic classic emo bands like The Used. 

Tom: It still has the same emotional impact, it sets a good tone for us a band and what we want to achieve but also allows us to have a great platform to explore our sound and grow as a band rather than just pigeon holing ourselves into these two songs.

What was the creative process for writing this song or what your general songwriting process entails?

Tom: To get started I normally come up with a guitar riff and work out a good skeleton of a song. I’ll then send it to Demi who acts as a bit more of a producer giving feedback on what is or isn’t working, what can be changed and then we work on lyrics together.

Demi: Yeah we share ideas of lyrics we both have, and discuss what ideas we have that fit the vibe of the song and then go back and forth bouncing ideas from there. We then will get together and demo the vocals for it and then just go ahead and record it! We’ve got a real streamlined process in place for song writing that allows us to knock out a lot of songs very quickly. We’ve got a big ol’ demo folder of songs and ideas just waiting to be recorded. 

What do you feel sets you apart from other bands and artists in the same genre?

Tom: I feel like what sets us apart is our blend of influences. We touch on a bit of My Chem, Taking Back Sunday, but with a more modern approach with Demi bringing a lot of character in her vocal delivery. For sure we aren’t reinventing the wheel in any way but I think we’re putting a fresh spin on a genre that’s been explored indefinitely but with festivals like When We Were Young and ideas of nostalgia in music getting so much coverage it’s a theme being revisited. We want to put a more modern take on that sound and just make it our own! 

What do you hope people take away from your music or watching you perform live?

Tom: I hope people feel a sense of escapism from our music. The way we try and build our own world and narrative with our visuals and lyrics I hope are a kin to what got me into music personally as a kid, escapism from what was going on in my life and offering some kind of catharsis.

Demi: We want the same energy to translate to our live shows, for anyone who may already be a fan or someone who has never heard our music.

Tom: We want people to come to a show and feel that release, the world is a scary place, sometimes its nice to escape into a world of emo bangers. But yes, a sense of belonging and escapism.

How would you guys describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?

Tom: Emo I guess? But someone described us as sass-core the other week which was brilliant so lets go with emo sass-core haha.

If you could have your dream collaboration with any artist who would it be?

Tom: My Chem are my favourite band and always will be, I’d love to write with them. They are incredible musicians and how they craft their songs I take a lot of inspiration from. But if we are talking producing, what we have been trying to create recently has more of that Taking Back Sunday sound so maybe working with someone like Eric Valentine would be incredible.

Demi: For me it would have to be PVRIS, I’ve got a bit history with them personally and their music always I’ve always really connected with. Plus Lynn being an openly proud queer artist in the industry has been a huge inspiration. I love how versatile they are, the progression of their albums is a huge testament to that and I feel like we would make an amazing blend and could create something amazing together.

Have you guys got anything in the works you care to share with us?

Demi: We have loads in the works, like we said new music on the way and we want to get to as many places as possible to play.

Tom: Of course we don’t want to give away too much as it will be a nice surprise for anyone who follows us. So keep an eye out and follow us to see what our movements are.

Be sure to check out Hell Hotel and their next single ‘Jennifer’s Body’ released on the 31st of May. You can check out their debut single ‘Smile‘ here: