Going Rogue: On Half Me's Single "Snakeoil" and Being Fearless Within Their Music Career
Half Me
Every band has a different beginning. Some start off growing together, molding the sound in the process. Others find each other through adversity in the scene.No matter how they find one another, there is always the potential for something truly spectacular to happen within that process. Birthed out of negativity within the scene, Half me, though all came from different walks of life within the German band life, chose to make something out of the unlucky hands they were dealt. Starting with single "Firewalk" in 2019, they would continue to break ground with two more singles, "Livebait," and "Mantis" before arriving at their white-hot single this year, "Snakeoil."
What has sparked within this band is something that is fearless and has heart. Half Me takes nu-metal to new places with their new single "Snakeoil" with reckless abandon and does not dare look back. With a dauntless presence that commands listeners' ears with its off-kilter guitar riffs and rogueish percussive elements, Half Me is wanting to continue to spice things up for the genre and the metalcore industry this year. The track will indeed have everyone hooked on the first listen instrumentally, but lyrically, this digs down into a fairly common experience many people share. "Snakeoil" talks of being lured into a trap, being forced to play a game, and having to fight back all in the same process and invites you to be a part of that journey. The band talks with Scene Daddy about their new single and how they approach things differently within the genre as they try to break new territories musically, not just for themselves but for the genre.
What made you guys want to start up Half Me? What was happening in the scene around you at the time and how did that conversation go?
We all come from different bands that were already connected in the german scene in one way or another. However, our region seemed very dormant to us. There had been a load of outside negativity. When we launched "Half Me", we were all at a point where it was the best decision for every one of us to have a fresh start at a project we always wanted to do.
What are your musical influences? How were you able to bring that into your new single "Snakeoil?"
Our influences are many and come from various genres. Some are already musical hybrids such as nu-metal but we also draw from more technical metalcore or electronic music like drum’n’bass hence we can't exactly pinpoint the origin of specific elements in our music.
To get a better understanding we have put together an hour-long playlist on our Spotify profile.
I want to jump into talking about your new track a bit. Can we dive a bit deeper into what it's about?
Sure! “Snakeoil” definitely has an underlying theme of getting used and fights back in the same vein. I generally like my lyrics to be open to interpretation.
How was the writing process and recording process different from that of your previous single "Mantis?" There is a massive instrumental and vocal presence that I feel is already present with these off-kilter guitar riffs and rogueish percussive delivery.
While “Mantis” was written in a very unconventional way in terms of both riff writing and song structure, we wanted to try a more grounded tone with Snakeoil. So, with “Mantis,” we tried to break conservative structures, while with Snakeoil we tried to create something of our own within these structures.
Half Me “Snakeoil” Single Cover Art
What are you doing to stay progressive in the genre while still holding your artistic integrity intact?
It's important to combine influences and sometimes just to try things out. Little by little, unique elements crystallize out of this process. We have used each of our previous singles as an opportunity to reshape our core song elements and to try different directions.
Are there ever times where you feel some countries are not recognized in the metalcore genre compared to others? I know we get the same three or four places that bring in music, and it's all good. But I still feel some areas have made tremendous growth in the scene, but have not been seen for that yet. Why do you feel that is as an artist experiencing it firsthand?
Scenes like in the UK, US, or Australia enjoy a great deal of support and make it easy to get a foothold thereby getting in contact with local bands, finding support slots on tours, etc. The amount of interactions is on a different frequency, which increases the level of competition but also the level of opportunities.
There are certain countries where it is harder to find a platform for your music, but you could also see it as a chance and use it to stand out more. There is always a way.
What is next for you guys this year?
Continue the grind and get better at what we do. We´re still on the first round and can´t wait to reach the next level.