Southampton based metal band Our Hollow, Our Home are releasing their new album ‘Burn In The Flood’ on May 28th, through the bands own label //Hollow Music. Tobias and Connor talked to us about some of the tracks that have influenced them.
Fightstar – Grand Unification Pt. 1
Tobias: Fightstar have arguably been one the most important bands to me as a songwriter and therefore in turn, an integral influence on our band. I could easily have chosen any track from their back catalogue as all four of their full length albums are fantastically written and showcase a wide range of influences that have been perfectly executed throughout, however I’ve chosen Grand Unification Part 1 because I remember being totally in awe of the song when I first heard it. It whole heartedly blew me away and changed my perspective on songwriting from the moment I heard it.
Funeral For A Friend – All The Rage
Connor: I remember being really excited for this album to drop back when I was like, 13? I picked it up with my pocket money that week from a Woolworth’s (RIP) and although every single track is incredibly nostalgic to me, when I listen to it nowadays, I had to pick the opening track for this list as so many memories of messing around with my friends after school, trying to skateboard and just generally being a kid trying to figure life out, instantly coming flooding straight back.
Killswitch Engage – When Darkness Falls
Tobias: I’d been aware of Killswitch Engage for a while, but this was the first song they released with Howard Jones as their new vocalist, and it blew everything else I was listening to at the time out of the water. Both compositionally and sonically it felt like such a drastic leap forward from their first album that I must have listened to it every day until ‘End Of Heartache’ dropped.
Underoath – You’re Ever So Inviting
Connor: Underoath were one of my first big obsessions when I started discovering Post-Hardcore and Metal in general. I remember a friend showing me the ‘Define The Great Line’ record in secondary school and it really resonated with me at that time. I absolutely adore everything about this album and this track in particular still gives me goosebumps when I listen to it.
Thrice – Deadbolt
Tobias: This is the song that made me want to learn guitar. I remember a friend of mine showing me the music video for this song on a computer in the school library, and having played bass for a few years prior to that, all I wanted to do when I got home that day was try and learn that intro riff. Again, this is another band that means an awful lot to me, and having to choose just one song was really difficult!
Bullet For My Valentine – Suffocating Under Words Of Sorrow (What Can I Do)
Connor: I could easily have chosen any track from ‘The Poison’ because this album was extremely influential to me when I was growing up. I think it’s probably one of the first heavy albums that I really connected with, and I’d definitely say it’s influence contributed heavily towards me getting into Modern Metal and Metalcore. It was 100% a mainstay on my Walkman and then later my MP3 player in my early teens.
Papa Roach – Between Angels & Insects
Tobias: This is my favourite single of the first ever CD I owned. I used to listen to this album everyday on the bus to school, and Papa Roach were the band that really got me into music.
A Day To Remember – Welcome To The Family
Connor: This is definitely my favourite song from the “Homesick” record. It’s just the perfect blend of heavy and light that ADTR just do so well. I remember hearing it for the first time on MySpace, and being ecstatic because they were definitely my absolute favourite band at that point in time. I was completely hooked after I’d heard “For Those Who Have Heart’, and their contrasting, innovative sound massively helped me figure out what kind of band I wanted to be a part of.
Linkin Park – What I’ve Done
Tobias: I’ve picked this (controversially) as ‘Minutes to Midnight’ is my favourite Linkin Park record. As much as I absolutely adore ‘Hybrid Theory’ (probably the third album I ever owned) for me, this song especially touched a different nerve, and I personally found it invigorating from a songwriter’s point of view to see a band I cherished so dearly switch things up almost entirely and still create some amazing music.
The Amity Affliction- Chasing Ghosts
Connor: I probably wouldn’t have met Tobias and started playing in bands with him if it wasn’t for The Amity Affliction. When I went to audition for a band that would later become OHOH, I remember Tobias telling me that the sound he wanted to aim for was like Amity’s sound, ‘just with more riffs’ and I was sold instantly. This song is so lyrically poignant, musically infectious and just the right level of heavy. It’s one of my favourite tracks by a band that has truly inspired me to continue pursuing a career in music.