After impressing our team with a quality sound that lifts all cloudy moods, we sliced it up musically with Alabama alt-rockers Homebody. Chatting to us about the latest single Hindsight, chasing the kids around, and finding that ideal place, we find a self-enlightened interview with so much to gain value from.
Hello there, Homebody. Where in the world do we find you today and how did you get into music?
Homebody: Hi! We’re currently all at our day jobs or chasing our kids around our houses in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Music has always been at the forefront for all of us. Most of us are self-taught and got into playing to keep up with our friend groups and bands that were forming around us during our teenage years.
Who is in the band and how did the connection begin?
Homebody: Austin McQueen (vocals & guitar) and Jonathan Lollar (guitar) started Homebody during the Pandemic. We’ve always had a connection through friends and local shows, so it felt only natural to reach out to Jonathan when things shut down and I got the itch to start writing again. It had been almost a decade since we had seen or talked to one another, but we hit it off again and wrote our first EP, “Letting Go,” in a matter of weeks.
Following the release of our debut LP, “Stranger to Yourself,” our friends Jordan Humphries (guitar) and Lucas LeSeuer (bass) joined in to make playing shows a possibility for us.
Please tell us more about your latest release Hindsight.
Homebody: Jordan brought us the idea for Hindsight. The lead riff heard in the intro and outro of the song came first, and the rest of the song kind of snowballed from there. After a writing session or two, the song was complete and ready for vocals. Jordan tracked, mixed, & mastered the song, and our friend, Kevin Langley (All In Recordings), tracked the vocals.
Hindsight stands out from the rest of the songs in our collection. It’s a little more on the heavy side for us, but it maintains our signature sound and still has a catchy hook that people can sing along to. It’s definitely one of our new favorites.
When you close your eyes and imagine your ideal place to create, what does it look like?
Homebody: We have a pretty ideal space. Most of our songs are written in Jonathan’s home studio. We both grab a guitar and track as we go, which means there’s never a shortage of ideas.
Who or what inspires you most in this rather odd world?
Homebody: We’ve been inspired lately by our local music scene. There have been tons of reunion shows lately – lots of bands getting back together. If you’ve ever written music or played in a band, you understand how empty you can feel without that outlet. I think we’ve just been inspired lately to get back in, be involved, and fill that void.
What’s the best thing about being a musician?
Homebody: For me, there’s nothing better than turning a small idea in your head into a song you can share with other people. Listening to the finished product after a long day in the studio is a good feeling. Jonathan likes playing live shows the most, though he plays most of them with his other band, Penny Circus.
What’s the most important piece of advice you’ve ever received in your life?
Homebody: As far as music goes, the most important advice we’ve heard and can give to others is to stay authentic to who you are and never feel like getting older means you have to give up the things that make you happy.
Last, if you could create a music festival in your local area, what would the vibe be and who would be there?
Homebody: There’s not much of a music scene in Tuscaloosa, but 50 miles north in Birmingham, there’s a newly-resurrected music scene that’s thriving. If we created a music festival there, we’d have the staple Birmingham bands and our other favorite locals play. Bands like Qualifier, All In, Penny Circus, & too many more to list.
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Interview by Llewelyn Screen
