Hello Rockstars!
Today’s Artist of the Week is skate punk, melodic hardcore band Hollow Mute!
Here’s their story in their own words, enjoy!
All Photos by: Casey Wong.
VMS:
“When did you start writing and performing your music.
What’s your backstory and current lineup.”
Hollow Mute:
Current line-up:
Drew Irvin – Bass
Gabe Moran – The Lead Guitar
Gil Alvarado – Drums
John Brown – Vocals
Seth Spicer – The “Other” Guitar
“Hollow Mute formed a few years ago as a passion project after the disbandment of War Called Home, which both Seth (guitar) and Gil (drums) played in. Gil reached out to Gabe, who he knew through Callshot, to join as the lead guitarist. We started writing songs in this configuration until the summer of 2024, when we jammed with bassist, Drew (previously of Guts) and instantly clicked. Then through a series of misadventures, we hoodwinked John (from New Cold War) to take on the lead vocalist role.”
VMS:
“What artist or bands inspire you and your sound.”
Hollow Mute:
“The bands that have inspired us are a smattering of punk rock and metal bands like: A Wilhelm Scream, Blink-182, Bad Religion, Comeback Kid, Death, MxPx, Pink Floyd, Propaghandi, Slick Shoes, Strung Out…and of course NOFX.”
VMS:
“What’s your writing process and inspiration for your lyrics.”
Hollow Mute:
John: “My writing process has mostly been referencing Hollow Mute’s demo tracks and working on lyrics and melodies at my modest home studio. Currently, my inspiration for lyrics is mostly from the direction of what the rest of the band has in their heads and a compulsion to write. I try to do a bit of improvisation and free styling at rehearsals.”
Seth: “Writing music for me has been based on feeling. I don’t know what I am doing on guitar. I just like to beat the crap out of the instrument as a release for my stress and frustrations. I only write about what I know or have experienced, as my lyrics tend to be self-deprecating and laden with cynicism.”
VMS:
“I absolutely love your live shows, I think your guys are sick! Do you have a favorite song you guys like to play live.”
Hollow Mute:
Gil: “Umbrella Apocalypse.”
John: “”Mosh Rattle” is probably my favorite so far. I’ve only performed a few songs live with the guys, and I really enjoy the energy, structure, and brevity of that song.”
Seth: “I love what we do or else I wouldn’t be doing it, but I love the way “Umbrella Apocalypse” rumbles under my feet when we play it live.”
Gabe: “My favorite song to play live is either “Umbrella Apocalypse” or our Jawbreaker cover.”
Drew: “My favorite songs to play are “Neon Alchemy” or “Umbrella Apocalypse”!”
VMS:
“Which local artist would you like to work with and why.”
Hollow Mute:
Gabe: “I wish Better Broken would get back together so we could play together.”
Gil: “I would say right now, since we are fresh and new, I would love the opportunity to play with every local Vegas band. But one of my new favorite bands is Body Of Filth, they are sick AF!”
Drew: “No Flowers! Because he’s my best friend, lol.”
VMS:
“What’s your overall theme or message of your music, what song resonates with you the most.”
Hollow Mute:
John: “Thematically most of what I write comes from the daily struggles of existing. Addiction, war and death, romance and sex, dreams and nightmares.
Though the content is frequently dark, I would like to think there is a consistent theme of perseverance. Despite all the struggles, there is some kind of silver lining or a light at the end of the tunnel. I don’t know if I necessarily believe it, but it’s an encouraging thought.”
Gabe: “I try to remain apolitical and agnostic on all fronts. So far, from what I have been hearing John (our vocalist) come up with, it is very much in line with what we do: passionate sadness and overall self-deprecation, set to a very fast punk rock beat. We always joke around and call ourselves “Sadwagon”.”
VMS:
“Do you have any crazy or interesting stories from working in the music scene.”
Hollow Mute:
Drew: “I got robbed at gun point in California while on tour, filling in on bass for a hardcore band named Keepsake. It was on April 1st, so nobody believed us when we said what happened to us, lol.”
John: “Yes, but on the advice of my attorney I’m not supposed to document and/or publish most of them… Blackouts, train wreck performances, rooms full of people getting drugged by vengeful bartenders. My wife getting everyone’s wives/girlfriends so drunk she (wifey) was banned from our shows for a while. Cracking my head open in a mosh pit. Fist fights, broken limbs, performing at big festivals and on huge stages. Too many to list, and too much to believe.”
VMS:
“What does the future hold for Hollow Mute.”
Hollow Mute:
“Continue our camaraderie with a bunch of talented and quality people making music together. We plan to release a lot of music through various mediums, while performing regularly locally, and maybe someday hitting the road. We want to use this time together as an outlet for us to share some great times, good vibes, and express ourselves creatively.”
VMS:
“What do you want your audience to feel and experience at one of your live shows.”
Hollow Mute:
Gil: “We would love the audience to feel like it’s okay to be different and be yourself no matter who you are. We also want them to feel and see how hard we work at our instruments individually to bring them all our passion and love of music and share that with them in the moment.”
Drew: “The incredibly high energy of classic, fast skate/hardcore punk!”
VMS:
“What have been your personal pros and cons of being a band here in Las Vegas. What do you think the scene could improve on and what are your hopes for the future of the Vegas Music Scene.”
Hollow Mute:
Gabe: “Pros: It feels like one unified scene, with friendly, supportive competition.
Cons: It gets too hot to play outdoors during the summer. I really love our scene here in Vegas. And I think we will become the hub for punk rock very soon. We need to stand united and continue to help each other out.”
Gil: “Pro is that after moving here and playing shows, I have met people from all over the United States, coming together and sharing a common love of music and passion for the scene.”
VMS Thoughts:
I am happy to report that punk is not only alive and well in Vegas, but is definitely alive and well in Hollow Mute! You can tell that music runs deep through their veins, exploding in their wonderful live performances as well with their wonderful songs. These incredibly skilled musicians and kick ass singer, run a tight ship; keeping the tempo fast, intense, unrelenting, and an overall amazing experience for the audience. I love the complexity and diversity of the topics they cover in their music, It’s nice to see a band not afraid to talk about real life situations, and making their songs a cathartic experience for the listener.
They are passionate, raw, and the real deal, and I encourage you to go check out their live show they have coming up on April 4th at Double Down Saloon at 9 pm, sponsored by Scumbags Productions. It has an amazing lineup, all of these are solid bands and it’s going to be an absolutely killer night, you definitely don’t wanna miss this show!
I’m so excited to see where the future takes them, I just hope they always stay true to who they are, and never lose that passion and love they have for music and this scene. I know for one, I’m buckling up for the amazing journey that Hollow Mute is on. I know they are relatively new, but I am so honored to have them as my Artist of the Week and I feel they will be sticking around and rocking this city for years to come.
For more Information about Hollow Mute, please visit their Instagram! 🙂
—-Vegas Music Scene.