Hillcrest Road

Brittany: How and when did the band form?
HcR: We originally hail from Chris's parents' garage, though back then it was just him, Jake, Scott, and Scott's brother Rob getting together to jam and write music over the summer to fend off the invading forces of boredom which were creeping into their lives. When Rob moved off to Florida, we brought on Patrick and Tom, where we all joined forces in the spring of 2006 to become the band that we are today. What began as purely fun and fancy free grew into an endeavor that has taken us from obscurity to... well... doing this interview with BeatTheScene.com!

Brittany: Is there any significance to the name Hillcrest Road?
HcR: Why yes, of course! One of the many songs that never made it onto our set-list was called "At Hillcrest Road and Francis Creek." So we dropped all but the Hillcrest Road and adopted that as our title. The actual Hillcrest Road is about halfway between Green Bay and Milwaukee, where we like to stop for Subway sandwiches, gasoline, and take potty breaks.

Brittany: How would you describe your music?
HcR: Our influences vary greatly, including everything from rock, to hip hop and pop, to jazz. While we are usually characterized as "pop rock," we like to include elements of the other genres we love to listen to. Probably the most important thing about our music is that we do not write anything we would not want to listen to ourselves.

Brittany: What's your favorite song/songs to perform live?
HcR: That would probably be the first track off of our album, Life After Liftoff. Scott wrote the lyrics when he moved out from his parents' home and struck out on his own for the first time. It starts with some solo guitar, then we all come in really hard and fast. It's designed to shock the listener, and possibly make them swallow their bubblegum. The verses are calmer with some disco-like drum beats and melodic guitar and bass, and the refrains are heavy and driving. At the bridge we switch to a cool hip hop feel and dance like idiots whilst we pluck our strings.

Brittany: Do you have any favorite cities or venues to play?
HcR: Green Bay, definitely! For a city where the venues are either no longer having shows or closing down completely, the scene there is surviving thanks to all of the amazing people keeping it alive.

Brittany: If you had to choose your tour lineup right now who would you choose?
HcR: Top five would be Saosin, Say Anything, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Paramore, and... of course... Yanni. We shall explain... First of all, Saosin has been one of our favorites ever since they were pressing their own EPs years ago and no one knew who they were. They are all incredible musicians and write amazing music. Say Anything has possibly the best written lyrics of any band out there today. They have a certain sting to them that makes you almost pity the people that they are written about. Red Jumpsuit has exploded in the past year and a half, and their album is one of the best produced and engineered out there today. Paramore because... Well, to be quite honest, Hayley Williams is beautiful. So probably just her, the rest of the band can stay at home for the tour and she can hang out with us the whole time. Yanni is one of the most influential and brilliant musicians probably in the history of the world. His flowing curly locks can make even the hardest hearted woman swoon over him, and bring grown men to their knees with tears of joy.

Brittany: Pick a song of your choice and tell us what it is about.
HcR: Most of our fans have never heard our acoustic song Marvelous, and the story behind it is one that we love to tell. Scott, Jake, and our merch-er DJ were on their front porch one cold and stormy night in Milwaukee when they were approached by a homeless man. He first lifted his shirt and spun around to show he was not "packin' heat," then joined them on the steps. He introduced himself as "Marvelous Love" and they quickly struck up a conversation. Puffing on his lit crack pipe, Marvelous told them his entire life story, from his youth selling drugs on his block, to surviving in the worst of conditions on the street, to his time spent in jail and being stopped almost daily by the po-lice, to his addiction to cocaine. When he had finished, Scott simply asked him if he believed in God after all of the hardships he's had in his life. Marvelous shrugged and replied "What do you think gets us up in the morning?" That later became the chorus of the song named after Marvelous. While we are not an overtly religious band, we are all spiritual in some way or another, and this song brings that to light.

Brittany: How do you feel about Myspace and Purevolume?
HcR: Myspace and Purevolume have completely revolutionized the industry by allowing independent bands and musicians to market themselves and reach a fan base far larger than had ever been possible before. In our opinion, reaching out to people in this way is far more important than goi - Beat the Scene

All the way from Milwaukee, WI comes the best band I have heard in a long time. The first time I had listened to HcR was when they were in their mixing stage. They were very good then and got even better. I can't wait until their next album comes out. Enjoy!! - Ryan Metheny (Smartpunk.com)

Hillcrest Road, a five piece band from Milwaukee, is the latest pop-rock sensation to command my attention. Their debut album, Life After Liftoff is a blend of traditional pop-rock sounds, mixed with a soulful voice, and a genuinely uplifting feel. Certainly a band that’s ready to take on the mainstream, their debut album was a pleasant surprise and a great way to cap 2007.

Having never before heard of Hillcrest Road, I was excited to see how they compared with the bands that were currently in line for a review. Life After Liftoff was excellent off the first listen, and not surprisingly, I was more than happy to give them my final review of the year. Hillcrest Road have taken the genre of pop-rock head on, and developed a sound that really solidifies them as the next generation. They have done an excellent job of retaining the fundamentals of the genre, but have also implemented an alternative feel to their sound. Their soulful influence is what puts them ahead of the pack, in what has become a highly critiqued, yet competitive year for the pop rock industry.

Hillcrest Road has great vocals, which is what really impressed me from the get go. Talent wise the vocals are good, but it’s the soft nature of, lead singer, Scott Dangerfield’s voice that attracts the soul, so to speak. Options Limit Actions is a song that gives off this exact notion, using a very catchy yet subtle guitar riff, accompanied by excellent vocals, the final product was a simple, yet great song.

Taking a slower pace than most other bands, Hillcrest Road gives the softer side of individuals an emotional trip. I get a really good vibe when listening to Hillcrest Road because they don’t try to do too much, which in the end, speaks volumes for their music. The use of slow verses quickly turning to faster paced chorus’ has been a winning strategy for other bands and is, no question, fitting for this band as well. Use of acoustic guitars, blended with electric guitars, bass, drums, and keyboards has developed a sound I’m really impressed with. It’s Been You shows the pop-rock style of Hillcrest Road, whereas as Marvelous goes back to the soulful alternative side of the band.

Overall, the vocals and instrumentals mesh well to produce simple satisfying songs. The lyrics are meaningful and match the vocals, providing listeners with something they can relate to. I would recommend this band to anyone who likes the slower paced pop rock that Hillcrest Road provides. Any fans of The Cab should also check out this band because they are very similar. Hopefully Hillcrest Road can do a show in Toronto, because in just a couple of listens they have become an instant favourite of mine. - Allan's World Music