HYDROGYN Vocalist Julie Westlake - "I Grew Up Singing Country And Gospel; I Never Really Listened To A Whole Lot Of Rock"

May 14, 2014, 10 years ago

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Hydrogyn's Jeff and Julie Westlake are featured in a new interview with UK-based Rock Radio NI. They discuss the band's new Break The Chains EP, the new video, working with producer Michael Wagener, plans for a new album and DVD to celebrate the bands 10th anniversary and much more. An excerpt is available below:

NI Rocks: You’re from Ashland in Kentucky which I guess would be a stronghold for country music (indeed, according to Wikipedia, Billy Ray Cyrus and The Judds come from that area!). There is a lot of cross-over from country to rock music. How much of an influence did country music have in your development as a singer?

Julie: "Of course I grew up singing country and gospel and never really listened to a whole lot of rock. Country is how I developed myself as a singer, but when you get into the rock genre it is so different and it takes a lot more out of you vocally to perform those songs. Country is kinda where I came from but I don’t know much it really influenced me as a singer because I’ve really switched gears to the rock genre."

Jeff: "Personally, I don’t see her as a country singer. I’ve seen her on both sides of the fence and the voice she has now is just a stronger more powerful version of what she had before. There’s nothing different about her delivery, she’s always been a powerful singer that had a lot of emotion in her voice. I’ve objectively seen her from both sides and when I first heard her I never considered her to be a country singer."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Hydrogyn is celebrating its 10 year anniversary this year. For the celebration the band is currently recording a full length for release (which marks the bands 10th release) later in the year of all new material and also a DVD that will chronicle the band’s first ten years together.

Over the past three plus years the bands front woman Julie Westlake has suffered through some health issues and personal losses that has kept the band playing live very infrequently. With that now behind her the band will be celebrating their ten years in 2014.

“We have a lot left in the tank so to speak and very excited to get this new one done and out to the fans. Even with us missing from the live venue our fans have stuck with us and kept supporting us which means a lot to me, Jeff (Westlake, guitarist) and everyone around us.” stated Julie.

The new release is yet untitled as is the DVD but both products are being worked on currently with late summer early fall releases in mind.

For more info visit Hydrogyn.com.


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