Just before their performance at House of Rock in Corpus Cristi, Texas, Ballyhoo! front-man Howi Spangler spoke with The Pier about the origins of the band’s latest summer single “Fast Times,” and hinted at the possibility of a new album.
“We wrote the song in the studio back in March with no idea where it was gonna go or what it was gonna be about,” says Spangler. “I wasn’t exactly thinking of a party song at the time, and we were going a certain way with it but it wasn’t really hitting us right. But it felt like a cool Ballyhoo song so me and my buddy Greg Shields, who worked with us on (albums) ’Daydreams’ and ‘Pineapple Grenade,’ went into the studio and re-wrote some of the lyrics. Then it became a song about how awesome it is to be in a band. Once we added the vocals to it we really dug it.”
The song was recorded and mixed by Lee Rosario at North Avenue Studios in Orlando, Florida, and mastered at Sterling Sound in New York City, with additional production by Josh Saldate. The cover art was also done by KC Cowan.
According to Spangler, the idea for the song spawned from a playful freestyle rap session in the studio. Howi says this fun, summertime ambiance that’s been heard more frequently in the band’s last few releases is a precursor for their new album that they’re expecting to record later in the year.
Pineapple Grenade was the groups last album put out in 2013 under their own Right Coast Records. Since then, the group has changed bass players with the departing JR Gregory’s shoes attempting to be filled by new bassist Nick Lucera. Spangler confirmed that this song is Nick’s debut with the band. With a new bassist and a lively ambiance in mind, fans may be looking forward to a spring or summertime release next year.
Related links:
Ballyhoo! Website
Ballyhoo! Facebook
Article By: Andrew Aroche
Watch: Ballyhoo! & Passafire – “Easy” (Commodores Cover)