Founded from the ashes of successful Twin Cities punk rock acts including The Devil Blues Band, The No-No's and No Pride, Hush Victoria set out to craft powerful songs based equally in rhythm and melody. Songs from the Hush Victoria EP have been added to several Spotify playlists as well as terrestrial and streaming radio outlets. Look out for their new full-length release in the coming months and be sure to experience the delivery and drive of this live powerhouse as they begin to book their concert calendar!
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hush Victoria is:
Brandon: Guitar and vocals
Country Matt: Drums and backup vocals
City Matt: Bass and backup vocals
Some of the answers in this interview are from City Matt's personal point of view, but most are from the point of view of the whole band.
Kamil) Hey Hush Victoria, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
Hey, thanks for taking the time to chat with me! For me personally, I first got into music through my parents--they were really big music fans and my dad played guitar and bass and my mom played piano.
How do you balance your time in the studio with other commitments such as a part-time job, family, admin?
All three of us have families. Our drummer, Country Matt, will become a dad for the first time in just a few months! We work our jobs, but music is the most important thing in our lives. We just make sure we have time set aside in our lives to jam and write songs. We love playing live and will do so anytime we can.
I also have a recording studio in which I take select projects, but those are few and far between these days. Just staying focused on Hush Victoria.
Your latest release is 'Hush Victoria'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
The songs came together really quickly! Brandon had written "Under the Rug" before we formed but both "Acetylene" and "Forever A.M." were written in the span of about a month. As far as production, it was helpful for us to set a deadline. We decided that this music would be released in December, and that deadline proved to be very effective. It was Hush Victoria's first time in the studio, but I had recorded two EPs for Brandon and Country Matt's previous band, so I was familiar with their work flow. We worked fast and we're really happy with the result.
Where did you get the inspiration for this EP?
Brandon (guitar and vox) is the principal songwriter. The songs on this EP are pretty varied; for example, "Forever A.M." is about a friend of Brandon's wife who passed away tragically in a car crash. "Under the Rug" is about a friend of Brandon's who took his own life. We tend to stay honest with our music, even if the subject is painful. For this first EP, we decided to get these three songs recorded so we could begin pushing forward with live shows and publicity, begin building our brand.
How long did you work on the 'Hush Victoria'? Was it an easy process for you?
Our first rehearsal was in September of 2022, so this was a quick process. Right away, we knew that we had something special going with Hush Victoria, so that made us even more eager to advance our mission. The songs have been flowing out at a record pace, and we are really excited about keeping that tempo up!
How do you know when a work is finished?
Brandon will usually bring either part of a song or a complete song to rehearsal. We'll learn the arrangement and then begin trying out different drum patterns and bass lines. It's a collaborative process; sometimes we'll totally change the arrangement or add a new bridge in or whatever. We'll then demo the song and continue to work on it at home. It's safe to say that no song remains unchanged throughout that first week, but by the time we get back together, we've got it wired. Then we know it's finished!
Can you write what was your best performance in your career? How do you remember it?
Oh wow...I've played some relatively big shows, but as far as best performance--I'd say when my previous band opened for MDC was right up there. Big crowd, big expectations. Our singer electrocuted herself shortly before we played, but we killed that show. I remember being really wiped out after the set and thinking to myself "shit, that was what it's all about."
I should say that I expect my best performance is still to come...at a Hush Victoria show!
How do you find yourself in the music business? When you started out in music, did you know it would be like this?
I think we all went into the music business eyes wide open. Playing in original bands can feel like treading water, but none of us are naive. We know what it takes to get our music out there and be heard. A band is only as good as it's weakest link and this band has no weak links. It's refreshing, since--in my opinion--the only people you can count on in this deal are your bandmates.
Who is your favourite musician?
Oooh, too tough to pick only one! As far as influences, we all come from punk rock backgrounds. We all love Rancid and the Misfits for sure. Brandon and I are big Gaslight Anthem/Brian Fallon fans as well. You can certainly hear indie rock influences in the songs, and even a bit of 70's AOR or 80's metal can sneak in there, but that's pretty subtle.
What are your plans for the future?
We're headed back into the studio in a few weeks--we're planning on recording 6 new songs and packaging up a full-length release to begin playing live this summer. As a matter of fact, I'm working on setting up the album release show as we speak!