Helmed by Lola Stephen, Hank is a new London-based band whose moody rock oscillates between post-punk simplicity and a blown-out racket, with Stephen’s vocals foregrounding much of the action. In the words of their own song title, they “Pull It Off.” The songs from their two Dalliance Recordings-released EPs, Spiralic and Twist Grip, are begging to be heard live, for both their danceability and all-encompassing sound. We sent Stephen some questions, asking her about everything from her interest in religious imagery to amusement park attractions. If you aren’t lucky enough to catch a Hank show in Europe this month, listen to Spiralic below, and preorder both EPs, together in physical form, here.
Where did your name come from? Who is Hank?
Lola Stephen: Hank was this massive tank of a ginger cat my auntie had when I was child. He’s always stuck with me, kind of an insane name for a cat. Good name for a band?
How many shows did you play before you began releasing music? Did audience reaction affect which songs came out first?
I think we played for about two years before we released anything, and it was more about which songs we loved playing live and got excited about and those naturally became the ones we wanted to release first or what stuck in general. Others died in the process RIP </3.
Lately, we’ve been challenging ourselves to write and record tracks in a single day with our producer Jamie who’s become the secret extra member. “Dogstar” and “Spiralic” (a new track coming as a bonus on our double EP vinyl in November) are examples of that. I love writing with constraints, capturing the energy of a moment and then letting it expand live and seeing how it lands with people.
How did the four of you meet, and when did you decide to start playing together?
Hank is constantly revolving and evolving with different members, both live and in the studio. I’ve always been at the core and it’s really special that so many people want to be a part of it.
From stage to recording, is your setup the same? Can we get a gear rundown?
Again this changes, depending on who’s involved at the time. I think playing with other people and their styles brings something interesting to each performance or run of shows. I love learning from and collaborating with different musicians. Gear-wise I have three distortion pedals on my board, and maybe I’ll get another?
What’s your favorite venue in London?
Is it really biased for me to say The Shacklewell Arms because I’m the booker? Let me give myself and the team some flowers. :)
You’ve made references to angels, halos, and heaven. Why does this motif resonate?
I like the idea that there’s something bigger than all of us. Maybe not a God in the traditional sense, but who knows? None of us ever will, and that uncertainty is a really cool part of the human experience. I like the idea that there are energies looking out for us, guiding us in ways we can’t physically see.
But at the same time, maybe it’s all just our own experience—the feelings and connections we have every day, in small moments and interactions that we perceive as something greater. I think that perspective comes through in my lyrics. People might be angels and stars, or at least that’s how they feel to me.
You shot the “Dogstar” video at the Brighton Pier, right? What’s your favorite ride?
Yeah that was a/v fun and a silly unplanned video shoot when we were there for a show (using “video shoot” loosely here, it was very much all filmed on our phones in the moment). My whole life I’ve been too scared to ride the Ghost Train and that day I did it. Armed with £20 on a ride card, a dream, and a fear to overcome. I screamed the whole time and I loved it.
