Hallo (pronounced Hollow) is a cozy indie rock band that hails from the weird and hot-as-hell city of Austin, Texas. Their debut single, “Cold Magic,” was released on February 24, 2023, the same night they played a sold-out show at Mohawk, Austin, TX. Armed with a handful of expired personal ‘ov-chipkaarten’ she acquired after living abroad and experiencing three winters in Amsterdam, Tiana Stuart wrote an album about being used, the disorientation that comes from being trapped inside toxic relationships and finding strength in oneself after the inevitable heartbreak caused by others’ actions. Each song is an intimate look inside the highly sensitive and easily wounded heart.
Hallo is Tiana Stuart (rhythm guitar and vocals), Nick Navarro (drums), Aaron Sekula (bass), Jason Morris (lead guitar), and Benjamin Stuart (drums-studio recording).
Hallo’s new single, “Daylight,” is an explosive waltz that builds a bridge between the density of heavy rock and the whimsy of folk. Stuart’s gentle vocal tones cascade around an ever-warping arrangement that plays with the ear via heavy tones delivered softly. The band uses this bed of nuanced influences to deliver poetic songwriting with graceful vulnerability, creating an enticing juxtaposition between the stadium-sized musicianship and the personal emotions being explored. Hallo blends these worlds seamlessly with the ease of veterans and the refreshing perspective of a young band finding their sound. “Daylight” is a powerful anthem with infectious tendencies and personal lyrics that make the familiar folk-rock instrumentation feel brand new.
“‘Daylight’ touches on how burdensome it is to constantly have to troubleshoot one’s life. How isolating it feels when you detach from reality for survival’s sake, and how painful it is to be abandoned by the people you trust the most,” explains the band. “It’s about the exhaustion you feel from hearing endless apologies without any changes to back them up. Resentment forever hides in the shadows of forgiveness, and the scars forged onto your heart only serve as a reminder of how little you ever meant to the people who wielded the knife. “‘You let go of my hand. I don’t know if I can stand you…’”
