HELLO OPERATOR – AN INTEVIEW WITH ANNE ESTELLA
November 13th saw the unveiling of the eponymous debut album by fuzzed-up riffmeisters Hello Operator, who, with only a handful of releases to their name, have already racked up close to 2.5 million streams on Spotify. The killer quartet, who were spawned in 2014 as a 15-piece school band, have worked with some of the industry’s heavyweights, travelled the globe and learnt from Rock royalty. Currently described as one of the best new bands on the planet, I caught up with the Yorkshiremen in the afterglow of their album launch and found out how they’re thriving on life in the snake pit.
ANNE; Welcome! How did Hello Operator form and how did you come up with your name?
HELLO OPERATOR: We formed as a joke for a school band competition. There were about 15 members in the beginning and we just learnt a load of Artic Monkeys and Strokes covers. On the night, only four of us showed up-that’s us!
The name was inspired by “Little Black Submarines” by the Black Keys, specifically the lyric “Operator please”. Try as we might, people still think we nicked it from The White Stripes.
ANNE: For those unfamiliar with your music, how would you describe your sound and your key influences?
HELLO OPERATOR: Desert Rock/ Blues Rock at heart. In the beginning we took inspiration from Artic Monkeys, The Black Keys, Queens of the Stone Age, Led Zeppelin, as well as more soulful artists like Ray Charles and Billie Holiday.
ANNE: You’ve just released your eagerly awaited self-titled debut album–congratulations! What are the songs about? Is there a theme running through the record?
HELLO OPERATOR: Thanks! There’s no one particular theme on the album. Lyrically I enjoy jumping between topics.
“Reeperbahn” was written after spending time in Hamburg. It’s one of the strangest places I’ve ever been and it stole my heart pretty quickly. We all had sore heads one morning and I’m pretty sure I saw a man wearing an eye patch charging towards me on a wooden leg!
“Decimator”, the opening track, is about arguing with your girlfriend on a night out. Especially the ones where you want to stay out and she wants to go home. It’s about feeling invincible.
“I Created a Monster” does what it says on the tin, really. This was the first song where we started to experiment with characters. The majority of which are seen through the eyes of a mad doctor, who then faces a backlash from his creations. It’s a lot of fun to play live.
“Strangers in the Rain” was inspired by a friend who use to fall asleep at house parties. She’d stretch her arms and start mumbling some strange shit. I often wondered where she’d go.
“Cruel” is about the music industry. I’d been thinking about artists that never quite made it, or rarely received the accolade they deserved. Donovan always struck me as one of those characters. There’s a great video of him and Dylan sharing tunes with one another. Donovan hands the guitar to Dylan who bashes out “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” and kind of shows him up. The despair on Donovan’s face is utterly painstaking but in the same breath, completely filled with ambition. I think that’s a good look.
ANNE: You’ve worked with some of the industry’s most renowned figures, including Tony Visconti, Nitin Sawhney, Bob Geldof, Carl Barat and Frank Carter—who was your favorite person to work with?
HELLO OPERATOR: First off, meeting every one of them has been an honor. Back when we started the band, we never imagined that one day we’d be mentioned alongside a list of that calibre. If I had to pick, though, it’d be Frank Carter. We wrote a few tunes with him which was an experience. He also taught us a lot of valuable lessons about the industry and what it takes to survive.
ANNE: If you could work or collaborate with anyone else, who would that be and why?
HELLO OPERATOR: Tom Waits. He’s got a knack of boiling down an entirely absurd universe into three-in-a-half-minutes. That’s something I really admire. Plus, I’d go nighthawking with him anytime.
ANNE: What have been the highlights of your career so far?
HELLO OPERATOR: Tony Visconti (David Bowie’s producer) coming to watch us rehearse in our shabby little practice room. That was pretty special. Besides that, it’s gotta be releasing this album. We’re all really proud of it.
ANNE: If you could play anywhere, supporting anyone, where would it be and who would be headlining?
HELLO OPERATOR: We’re all from a village in Yorkshire called Huby. Every summer they’d have this “Huby Feast” festival down the park, which was essentially a load of people huddled under a marquee in the pissing rain eating hog roast sandwiches. We’d normally play like third on the bill behind the school marching band and the local “Dad” rockers doing dodgy Clash covers. Hopefully we’ll do that again. Maybe as a warm-up for Glastonbury…..
ANNE: What’s the best way for people to find out about new music and support up and coming bnads and artists such as yourselves?
HELLO OPERATOR: If you like the music, tell your mates, tell your family. Share what you love with who you love.
ANNE: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
HELLO OPERATOR: I’d remove the artist. It’s an absolute snake pit and the less the artist is involved, the better. Let the music fend for itself.
ANNE: What are your plans for 2021?
HELLO OPERATOR: We’re planning a run of shows to celebrate the album release which will be held in select cities across the U.K. Keep your eyes peeled!!!
This is the acclaimed music journalist, Anne Estella’s second submission in AMP.
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Follow Hello Operator: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream their music: Spotify / Soundcloud / Reverbnation / YouTube
Purchase: iTunes / Amazon
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