We have not had a new album from the gentleman of Hot Chelle Rae since 2011 and we’ve been craving more of their pop-rock awesomeness. In February 2013 they released a single that left us wanting more so we were thrilled when they released a new single last month titled “Don’t Say Goodnight.” We think the song definitely shows off a more mature HCR mixed with what we’ve grown to love about them.
We had the chance to chat with the guys to find out if a new album is in the works, what inspired “Don’t Say Goodnight” and even what it was like writing for another one of our favorites – Jesse McCartney.
Q: What does it feel like to finally release another single and what has the response been like?
Hot Chelle Rae: It feels amazing. We have a joke between us and our fans that we use the word “soon” too much. They kind of hate that word and we’ve grown to hate it ourselves, so it feels incredibly gratifying to give them something. It’s like finally being able to tell someone a secret. It feels amazing to put something new and fresh out there and its also really fun for us live.
Q: What inspired the new single and can you tell us a little bit about the song?
HCR: I think this one is definitely is the most obviously inspiration, as far as the lyrical content and the main title, “Don’t Say Goodnight.” When we’re on tour, there are so many opportunities to kind of see new places and experience whatever area that we’re in that we would never see if we didn’t do this for a living.
Q: Brandi Cyrus makes a tiny appearance in the song. How did you guys get to working with her?
HCR: I wouldn’t even say it’s working with her. Nash and I (Ryan) have known Brandi for so long. I actually went to school with Brandi. In order of people I’ve known the longest it’s like Brandi and then my brothers and Nash. So every time we seem to be in the studio something, Nash usually sends a text or calls Brandi and says “hey you want to stop by?” and she somehow ends up on our song. She’s actually shouting on our very first single we ever put out as well. So it’s pretty funny. We told her we’re going to just have her be on every album from here on out.
Q: And of course a new single means hopefully a new album. When can we expect a new album coming out?
HCR: We can’t really say for sure because if we do then we’re going to get burned to the stake because it always changes. But ultimately, I would like to say realistically, the end of summer. Probably fall the latest for a new album but it will be this year for sure.
Q: I heard Jesse McCartney say in an interview he wrote a song for you guys and ended up taking the song as his own single. Have you guys been working with him on other songs that are on your album?
HCR: We actually worked on a couple songs on his album. We’ve written with him a handful of times and it’s always a lot of fun but on our upcoming album there’s nothing so far. But the couple songs we wrote on his album were such a blast to work with him. He absolutely just murdered them. Like even in the studio we were laying down the rough vocals and we were just like “man, he sounds so good!” So we’re stoked to be apart of his album.
Q: Right now, are you guys focusing on writing for yourselves or are you still writing with other people or for other people?
HCR: We’re always writing for other people. We’re constantly trying to get in the room and write stuff for other artists and whatnot, but that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t write something and it would just totally surprise us. Every time we think our record is going to be closed, there is that one that always sneaks in at the last second and ends up making the album. So I wouldn’t say that our records never actually going to be closed until it’s on the shelf, but yeah, we’re always writing. Whether its for us or another artist it doesn’t matter, there’s constantly something creative happening,
Q: I know you guys post some Instagram videos of you in the studio but can you give fans an idea of a typical day in the studio.
HCR: I think the coolest thing about the studio is that there’s never anything typical and that’s what keeps it exciting. You can go into a garage and we wrote “I Like It Like That” in a garage in probably an hour or maybe 45 minutes in the middle of nowhere. But then there are these amazing, elaborate, crazy expensive studios we’ll go into and we might write one of the best songs ever or maybe a song that isn’t even going to be considered. And so it’s really just about the vibe and the energy and the day and what inspired who and where the song came from, as far as the meaning, and the emotion behind it and if it’s real enough to actually pull your own soul out of you when you’re recording and writing the lyrics and melody to it. Just being potential for greatness at any given moment or day keeps us excited and striving to write a better song every chance we get.
Q: Where is the strangest place you’ve ever written or recorded a song?
HCR: At an airport. We tried to write a couple songs in a little airport lounge one time. It’s funny cause it’s always like the less professional the studio, it seems like the better the song. So if it’s like at someone’s house of in a garage, we tend to get a better song then we would if we were to go to some elaborate expensive studio.
A: What message do you want to send to your fans?
HCR: I would say, number one is thank you for being patient with us and being the best fans in the world. It’s crazy cause when we were releasing “Don’t Say Goodnight,” we were a trending topic worldwide every single day on Twitter up to the release of the song and I think that just shows you what kind of power our fans have and how much they mean to us. I’m sure every artist will say this but I feel like I can speak for the band when I say we have such a unique bond with our fans and it’s unlike any other artists. So it’s just incredible.
If you haven’t picked up “Don’t Say Goodnight” yet, get it HERE. For even more updates on HCR, be sure to follow them on twitter.
