“Reminiscent of Polyphonic Spree or The Hidden Cameras, those harmonies soar close to the Beach Boys while maintaining a heavenly, psychedelic edge.” – CLASH
“Sonically rich, electric and organic” – The Most Radicalist
“Packed to the rafters with joyous melodies, introspective lyrics, and sun-drenched psychedelic hues.” – Wonderland
“Deliciously disorientating” – Uncut
Californian group Hello Forever release their debut album Whatever It Is, with two new tracks ‘Everything Is So Hard’ & ‘I’m Feeling It‘ – available now on vinyl & CD via Rough Trade Records & Remote Control Records.
Based in Topanga, California, on a piece of land once used by a free-love nudist commune, the art-pop collective Hello Forever are led by the eccentric, magnetic figure of Samuel Joseph. They live together, in this pastoral setting high above the Pacific Ocean – not far from where Neil Young recorded After the Gold Rush or Captain Beefheart laid down the tracks for Trout Mask Replica, the group forever expanding and contracting, with members coming and going as they please. However, the group adheres to a stringent five day a week rehearsal schedule, they fuse elements of the 60s West Coast sound with a DIY approach to music and creativity which has spawned their remarkable debut album, the aptly titled Whatever It Is. Joseph and company have created a contemporary throwback to a vibrant era with a set of songs that establish the collective’s exquisite harmonies and colourful instrumentation.
Hello Forever’s music is inextricable with the lifestyle and spiritual goals of its participants, a revolving membership that also includes, at various times, collaborators drummer/co-founder Andy Jimenez, Molly Pease, Jaron Crespi, Joey Briggs, Anand Darsie and Lina Kay. Walk into their communal compound and one of the first things one sees is a copy of the late Baba Ram Dass’ counter-culture classic, Be Here Now, perhaps the best description of the collective’s philosophy of life, creativity, art and music.