Halestorm: Everest, acoustic tour and band bond

Halestorm — Everest, out now via Atlantic; interview published 14 September 2026. After big festival slots at Sonic Temple and Download, Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger dropped into an intimate acoustic run that proved the group’s headline-ready power goes hand in hand with tight backstage chemistry — and a few surprises for fans.

The acoustic shows arrived during a heatwave and leaned on requests, reworkings and a playful backstage rapport that’s kept the band together for decades. Between riffs and reheated classics, the pair talked about longevity, setlist experiments and why some Halestorm songs feel like they’ve been played to death.

“We’re still together after what, 23 years? Nobody’s strangled anyone yet. It’s quite the feat.” — Lzzy Hale

That easy banter underpins bigger moves. The band now has its own studio, Joe says, and Lzzy teases the long-running Reanimate covers run could expand into a full album rather than another EP. Fans who love their covers — and the band’s willingness to pull songs into different shapes live — have reason to be excited.

On setlists the pair confess to juggling requests and memory lapses when songs aren’t played for a while, but there’s intent behind choices: Lzzy recommends newcomers start with the latest record and work backwards, and she still leans on fan favourites like "Love Bites (So Do I)" and "Fallen Star" as entry points.

The chat isn’t all craft. There are lighter moments about Arejay’s ever-changing hair, talks of a possible keytar return, and candid admits about which tracks they’ve overcooked live — "Miss The Misery" ranks high on the overplay list. They also name dream collaborators outside rock, with Lzzy picking Pink and pointing to an unlikely influence in Mumford & Sons.

For music fans, the takeaway is simple: Halestorm remain a live force whether they’re filling stadiums with old-school metal acts or stripping songs down in sweaty rooms. Everest keeps the momentum; the acoustic shows and talk of a covers album suggest the band is still willing to tinker and surprise.

Everest is out now via Atlantic.