Side Stage Magazine: What makes Pop Evil stand out from your other albums?
Haley Cramer: There are a few different elements that changed things up for this album. One of them being myself!
Its the first album from Pop Evil that has had my drumming on it. I think that my playing naturally slightly changed and evolved the sound. Prior to this album the band had always written on the road whilst touring. This time we all thought it important to go a different route and step away from the road. We spent six weeks writing and approximately 10 recording. We feel that this really gave us the opportunity to get our best work to date on record. This album was the first time working with Kato Khandwala, an experience we will never forget. Sadly we will never be able to replicate that again because he sadly passed away shortly after the album was released. We feel so grateful to of had the opportunity to work with him. We all learned so much from a truly phenomenal producer and all round top guy!
Your Bio states that every album marks a distinctive time in your career. What do you think this album signifies for you and the other band members?
I feel that this album has cohesively got the blend of the prior two albums mixed into one. Onyx and UP both had very different personalities, this album sees those two vibes extended and brought together. This is what led us to self-title the album. We feel we captured the two sides of Pop Evil in perfect harmony.
Do you have a favorite track on this album? Why is that your favorite?
That’s a tough one! It changes all the time. We’ve recently added ‘Gods Dam’ into the live set which made me very happy because of drum part wise, its one that I’m most proud of. We’ve also just started playing ‘Rewind’ which is a gorgeous moment of self-reflection in the heaviest live set.
I can’t deny though that ‘Waking Lions’ is a killer song to perform live and is my top track at the moment.
How do you prepare yourself to be on the road for this upcoming tour?
I don’t really have any specific routine to get myself ready for the road. But I do take my downtime seriously. I make sure I eat healthily and do everything I can to rest both my body and my mind. My mind especially! I make a conscious effort to step away from social media. Social media is such a big part of your day to day job on the road these days and it can be a dangerous thing. You are constantly watching what everyone else is doing etc. I find this to be quiet overwhelming sometimes. I try not to compare myself to others but ultimately it’s inevitable. So, to prepare myself for the road, I take time at home to process the last tour then leave it behind in order to move forward. Finding my identity off stage again and being content to just be me and relax is the most important thing. That way I make sure that when I go back on the road I have a clear mind and feel confident and secure in myself.
Where are you most looking forward to playing?
I literally look forward to every show. I can’t pick favorite places to play. I love the travel part of my job. New towns, cities, countries and the people that reside in them are awesome things to experience and I feel blessed every day to have this opportunity.
I saw your care packages for the homeless this past Christmas. I really love seeing humanity in action like that! You were able to inspire so many others to do the same. What inspired you to do those packages?
I’m going to contradict myself here because, earlier, I said I step away from social media while I’m at home. Last Christmas I just felt compelled to use my social media for the greater good. That’s the plus side to Instagram and Facebook! And after all its because of seeing something on social media about helping the homeless that inspired me in the first place. I was merely passing the idea on!
Following up with your series of “If you give one thing this Christmas, maybe give a shit” posts, what are some charities or issues you’re passionate about and how can others get involved?
It goes without saying that donating to charities is a good thing to do and every charity in the world could do with your donations but the way I look at life is – It’s our jobs as humans to save the planet and every living thing on it! It is not just about donating to charities it is about actually physically doing something to clean up this mess we’re living in. As a society, we are asking too much of the planet. We need to stop over farming and stop over consuming.
The idea for “If you give one thing this Christmas, maybe give a shit” came from lyrics in a Christmas song by UK Vegan singer Songwriter Queen V. I love how she’s using music and humor to spread a serious message to end animal cruelty and clean up our act!
Can you tell me about your experience as a woman in rock? Are there any hurdles to you’ve had to overcome for your career because of it?
I haven’t had any hurdles as such but when I started playing I was very aware that there weren’t many female musicians so I got a bit frustrated about always being seen as a ‘Novelty’ act. I’m happy to say those days are nearly gone! There are so many female musicians out there now that I’m fairly confident that in the not too distant future it could very well get to 50/50. Which is how it should be!
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to a young musician (or creative)?
Be you! Because no one else can do that job!
