There’s nothing quite like the help and support of your friends when you have a dream. For singer/songwriter James Hooker, it was his tight-knit circle that jumped straight on board when he expressed an interest in performing and growing on the 50 or so songs he had up his sleeves.
With his 12-string guitar and a massive influence from the works of singer Tom Petty, Hooker hit the studio with Neil Wilkinson, Jayden Ensor and Andrew Braidner, all of whom were seasoned musicians with tenures in Melbourne bands like Redcoats, Fluff and Child.
The group came together not fully knowing what kind of sound they wanted from their project. “I think the songs brought something out of us,” says Hooker, “We have all known and played music with each other for many years, but this was really the first time for us together. It definitely gelled better than we expected and the idea of recording and playing more is exciting.”
The result of their collaborative efforts to aid Hooker to achieve his performance dreams is James Hooker & The Hallows. Hooker and his Hallows developed their own unique performance persona that combines good old fashioned jingles, well-crafted pop beats and clear and concise storytelling.
Over the space of a year, their self-titled debut was recorded by Rob Long at Bird Studios and St Charles Recording Studios, where they captured the essence of late-noughties indie jams atop a fresh vibe.
Interestingly however, there’s something very spiritual about Hooker’s music, and the tracks on the album often have a very prayer-like quality. The album is pensive and hallowed in its tone. “The songs were written during different points in my life,” says Hooker. “The two recording sessions were actually quite far apart and so much happened in that time.
“After the first session, a girlfriend of the engineer said the songs were too sad, so I went away and wrote some happy ones to balance it out. I love songwriting, I find the process very therapeutic.”
The word ‘organic’ is thrown around a lot these days to describe the natural DIY approach to many of Melbourne’s most unabashed up and coming groups – James Hooker and The Hallows are no exception, fully recognising their natural aesthetic and ensuring it’s a part of their sound. A sound that is relatable and real for their audience.
Lovely Girl, Lazy Lady, Evil Eyes, Heart Of Stone: some of the tracks on their album are unavoidably human and clearly feminine inn and clearly feminine in title. Suffice to say that the most real themes that Hooker presents to his audience are those themes of love and loss. “Our songs are very relatable and do have some common themes of love, heartbreak and religion. But I would say they are also layered with hope and finding happiness.”
The natural aesthetic of James Hooker & The Hallows is, in short, a very expressive band, a very human group who only want people to feel they can relate to the natural presentation and realness of their music. “I think we’re a great band that’s passionate about making timeless music,” says Hooker, “I think the music expresses that.
“People will either love us or hate us. But the ones who hate us will love us eventually.”
