Haus of Sound dive into darker depths with their new single “Mirage,” blending cinematic synth-rock and raw emotion. We spoke with the band about storytelling, evolution, and finding light in struggle.
1.
"Mirage" marks a darker, more cinematic turn compared to your earlier
singles. What inspired this shift in tone and sound?
Both Gabrielle (Lead Vocals) and Dex (Bass, Rap Vocals) write songs. This song
was written originally in 2017 by Dex as he was learning to play the bass. It
was a hard rock version back then, but as the band produced the album, it
changed in tonality in genre to accommodate its darkness. Dex wrote the song
while in college full-time, working two jobs, and trying to find time to write
his fiction books. He had a spot of darkness where he felt hopeless—where he
felt like all of the hard work led only to harder work. He realized other
people might go through the same struggle she did and decided to project his
feelings into words. Those words became the lyrics for Mirage.
2. The interplay between Gabrielle’s vocals and Dex’s spoken-word verses is
incredibly dynamic. How did that collaboration come about for this track?
Originally, Dex had a friend sing the lyrics as he was not confident with his
own voice. When it came to producing the song with Haus of Sound, it was not
easy to get his message out with just one vocalist. He stepped in to trade off
with Gabrielle, using inspiration from 2000’s hits like “Bring me to Life” by
Evanescence and “In the End” by Linkin Park to add his own voice to the
message.
3. Lyrically, “Mirage” explores themes like disillusionment and
self-deception. Can you tell us more about the story or emotion behind those
lyrics?
We live in a world full of different voices. Some of those voices are of those
who suffer and complain, and the answer to those voices is often simply to work
harder, but harder work doesn’t necessarily solve all of your problems—at least
not instantaneously.
On a second level; we also live in a social media world where no matter what we
practice, we can often find someone further along or more successful in the
journey than us.
And finally, we often accompany people who reached success with seemingly fewer
challenges than us, as if they were lucky, even if their success is just the
tip of the iceberg.
All of those thoughts can be depressing views, and Dex once followed the
teachings of Hustle culture only to burn himself out and tarnish his creativity
and self-confidence for a moment, experiencing all of the above.
He later realized you need to enjoy the journey, and is in a much happier
position in life and mentally, but there are many people who haven’t reached
that realization. Writing these lyrics helped Dex get through a rough time, and
he hopes to share it with those who still need a little inspiration to let go
of expectations.
4. You’ve cited influences like early Linkin Park and Evanescence. What drew
you to those particular artists as touchstones for this song?
Dex and Gabrielle are both millennials. Dex grew up with a lot of emo music and
Gabrielle with Hard Rock and Nu-Metal. Linkin Park and Evanescence were a
middle-ground that the both of them drew inspiration from.
5. Coming from a background as Seattle’s top 2000s tribute act, how has that
experience shaped your songwriting and performance approach as an original
band?
It’s experience. By being in a cover band, you learn the riffs, the
progressions, and the methods of some of the best songwriters and producers in
the worlds. You learn to study even the simplest-sounding songs and discover
what makes them great. We can’t write a single song now without eventually
comparing it to something we’ve heard as an afterthought. These songs are in
our blood now.
6. Each single so far — “Anxiety,” “Pain in My Eyes,” and now “Mirage” —
showcases a different facet of your sound. How do these songs connect to each
other, and what can we expect from your debut album Campfire Stories?
It’s in the name. Haus of Sound. We are who we are. We have covered songs from
the 60’s to the 2020’s… they all sound different, but to us… it’s all music. We
are going to write songs that sound different. Every band needs a sound, a
flavor perhaps—at least that’s what they say, but we’re tired of that. We just
want to be ourselves. Campfire Stories capture an image of a group of friends
at a campfire, telling different stories. Some are spooky. Some personal. Some
are real. Some are fiction. All of those stories have a different flavor; a
different sound. That’s the connection, and that’s what you can expect.
7. The production on “Mirage” is lush and atmospheric. Can you walk us
through the creative process in the studio for this track?
Dex originally wrote the song before he could even play the bass. In fact, he
learned his chromatic bass riffs while writing the song bit-by-bit. He
eventually had a full song, but nothing to publish. After working with
Gabrielle on covers, they found Jon, Mike, and Roberto separately and had a
full band to do original music with. This is one song he dusted off and decided
to rewrite. The lyrics and song structure went through many edits. It was just
hard to tell the same story with different performers. They key to getting past
this was to bring in a secondary vocalist, and who else but the lyricist?
Besides the story, key elements were a heavy synth lead and powerful bass. The
synths help give the song a strong, spacey feel, while the bass brought energy,
anger, and resentment in its alternations between consonance and dissonance.
Finally, the song sounds like it ends at the final line of the bridge, but then that bass hook swings in we bring it back to one final chorus. That false ending… itself… is a Mirage.
8. There’s a strong visual and emotional identity to your music. How
important is storytelling — both lyrically and sonically — to Haus of Sound’s
artistic vision?
Storytelling is 100% the name of our adventure. How many people out there read
books—fiction or nonfiction? How many watch shows or movies? How many listen to
campfire stories (see what we did there?)? From mythology and theology, to
music, movies, and books, we all consume stories. They’re naturally emotional
in some way. Some stories give advice… some just help you feel like you have a
shoulder to cry upon. Hell, some are just funny. But we remember them and we
get through life. That’s our vision
9. You’re running a full promo rollout, including targeted TikToks and
playlist pitching. How do you approach connecting with new listeners in such a
crowded digital landscape?
We just want people to hear our songs and our messages. We’re artists; not
businessfolk. Half the advice online says stay away from labels. Half says get
a label. We don’t care. We’re humans and we wrote songs others can relate to.
We’re just invested in getting them as far as they can go.
10. The line “Climbed to the top just for another façade” feels like a punch
to the gut. Are there personal experiences that influenced that lyric?
Imagine working so hard. Hours every day. Losing sleep. Doing all this
research. Only to complete your task and realize you haven’t even scratched the
surface? You can write a book—that’s an accomplishment, but you still have to
publish. You can graduate highschool or get your GED; great… now there’s
college or tradeschool, or you have to find some way to make money.
Or how about this? Say you finally get caught up on a bill, and then your car battery dies? Say you finally start catching up and then you get laid off of your job?
Dex has been through all of the above and more. We all have our own struggles and stories. The message in this song is to let it out. We aren’t alone. This is life.
We all just want to live, do things, be happy, and be at peace. But life has its hurdles and obstacles. That’s where that lyric comes in.
11. You merge genres like electronic rock, theatrical punk, and alt vocals.
How do you keep that balance without losing your core identity as a band?
We aren’t just one or the other. We’re the voice of the 2000’s. This isn’t
about balancing one or the other. This is how music evolves. In the end, we all
mix with one another.
12. What’s next for Haus of Sound after the release of “Mirage”? Can fans
expect more singles before Campfire Stories drops?
Yes! We are working on a double-feature by Gabrielle: A driven Halloween-rock
song based on the legend of Sleepy Hollow, and then the only slow song off our
album: a powerful ballad about the Blood Countess Elizabeth Bathory. We
hope to release them late July.
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