She may have grown up believing herself to be a “weirdo outsider”, but Elizabeth Mae Hale has become one of modern rock’s biggest players. After a unique upbringing in a log cabin in the woods, and then on a 20-acre farm, the artist you know as Lzzy Hale was “bitten by the music bug”, and formed Halestorm at the age of 13, with her little brother, Arejay. “From early on, I knew I wanted to sing… or be a park ranger and look after the animals. I was actually quite sad because I couldn’t figure out how to do both those things together,” she tells us.
Since then, she’s overseen Halestorm’s meteoric rise. She was 21 when they signed to Atlantic Records, became the first woman to win a Grammy in the best metal performance category, and the band have released five albums – including this year’s career-heaviest Back From The Dead – that have helped define rock for a generation.
Lzzy has also garnered a reputation for being outspoken, opening up about her sexuality, relationships, mental health struggles and views on organised religion. “I’m happy to talk about anything!” she tells us as we sit down together over Zoom, refusing to dodge a single question. This is her story.
What was your upbringing like?
“I was blessed to have some supportive parents, who were a little nuts, because I don’t think I would have done some of the things I have done were it not for them. They had this crazy idea
