American Songwriter is happy to premiere this new single, “Farm On The Mountaintop” from the debut album Whatever It Is from art pop collective Hello Forever.
Singer/songwriter Samuel Joseph and company have created a throwback to a vibrant era with a set of songs that establish the collective’s exquisite harmonies and colorful instrumentation.
On the writing process behind the songs on Whatever It Is, Joseph shares, “it was a journey in learning to let go, learning to get out of the way, learning to listen to music and let it be what it wants to be.
“The album is a time capsule of our process and teleports you into our world, or whatever world you’re meant to visit through it. We hope listeners love it and find joy or peace or truth or some kind of meaningful experience through hearing the album.”
Whatever It Is features the collective’s previously released singles “I Want To Marry You,” “Anywhere Is Everywhere” and “Some Faith” which was recently featured on KCRW’s Electric 24 Playlist.
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To understand Hello Forever, one must make a pilgrimage to the very top of Topanga, CA, an isolated piece of land once used by the infamous Sandstone Retreat.
Combining pop, rock, R&B, soul, doo-wop, skiffle, jazz, gospel, and psychedelic tropes, the release captures the freshness of ‘60s icons like the Beach Boys, The Beatles, and Frank Zappa into a series of vivid snapshots. Hello Forever’s music is connected with the lifestyle and spiritual goals of its participants, a revolving membership that also includes, at various times, collaborators drummer/co-founder Andy Jimenez, Molly Pease, Jaron Crespi, Joey Briggs, and Anand Darsie.
On writing “Farm On The Mountaintop” and how their mountaintop sanctuary affects their artistry:
SAMUEL JOSEPH: I actually wrote that song before we moved here, envisioning what it would be like to live outside of the city. Maybe it was intuition, maybe it was motivation, but here we are a year later. Living up here keeps us clear and is very healing. Living together also keeps us all connected and immersed in our work.
On the concept of the video for “Farm On The Mountaintop,” filmed at their home in Topanga:
“Necessity is the mother of invention. It was a couple weeks ago and we knew we wanted to make a video but were really involved in recording our second album at the time. We didn’t have a ton of time but a few of us happened to be around the house with some friends and we just threw something together. We conceived it on the spot and filmed it in just a few takes. It was honestly a happy accident.”
On the writing process for Whatever It Is:
“Writing this album was a journey in learning to let go, learning to get out of the way, learning to listen to music and let it be what it wants to be. The album is a time capsule of our process and teleports you into our world, or whatever world you’re meant to visit through it. We hope listeners love it and find joy or peace or truth or some kind of meaningful experience through hearing the album.”
On their musical inspirations:
“Beings reflect their environment. So just by existing in the world of the Internet and the history of recorded music, we experience a lot and it’s refracted through our work. We do our best not to deliberately choose a palette of influences. There’s so much great music that we love and are inspired by from so many time periods, movements and locations. The Beatles, Sun Ra, The Beach Boys, Aretha Franklin, Brockhampton, Steve Wonder, Animal Collective, Tame Impala, Moses Sumney, Os Mutantes, Gilberto Gio, J Dilla, and Joni Mitchell. It’s hard to answer this because the answer always feels incomplete.”
Advice he would give to aspiring songwriters:
“Listen to your heart. Listen to the music that wants to come to life through you. Don’t let fear control you. Be gentle with yourself and with the art, and let it happen. Serve the journey and serve the purpose. Find what you love. Don’t judge what comes out and keep creating with curiosity, sensitivity, and gratitude. You can do it! The music is everywhere and inside of everyone.”
Filmed in a single take at the collective’s mountaintop sanctuary, this is “Farm On The Mountaintop.”
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