Lzzy: Halestorm has been around for about eight years. We just got signed to Atlantic Records in June. This is our biggest tour to date so we're out for two months now. We'll be out until the middle of March on this tour. I play guitar and lead vocals. This is Josh playing bass and as you can tell by the crunching...

Joe: I'm Joe. I play guitar.

Lzzy: And Arejay, you know him.

Yes, he's getting potty trained.

Lzzy: Potty training our drummer is currently underway. We're all pumped up and extremely excited about this tour. This is the third date on the SnoCore tour and we've known Seether for a while and the same thing with Shinedown. Just met Flyleaf. Everyone is really, really cool and just really good guys. We're excited.

Is this the first time you guys have played in venues like this?

Lzzy: This is the first time we've ever been to Dallas actually and it'll be the fourth time we've been to Texas. But yeah, we're playing a lot of different venues that we've never played before. Just like this. We've never been here before.

Joe: All we did last year was SXSW. That was our first trip out West. Last March.

Lzzy: Down in Austin.

I know a lot of people have mixed reactions to the SXSW thing. How did it go for you guys?

Lzzy: It was a blast because like I said, we're taking it all in. We're the baby band. This whole experience. We're just taking it all in. There were so many musicians just walking around. People were playing in the street. Every bar had a live act. It was a really good time for us.

Joe: Blue Balls.

Lzzy: There was a shot called Blue Balls. I didn't get to experience the Blue Balls.

Joe: That was the first night we'd been drinking.

Arejay: Yeah, we'd like Blue Balls.

So you're working on a new record or you have one coming out in the spring.

Lzzy: Yeah, right now we have a live EP. Basically that's the fan generator. It's not available in stores. It's just handed out for our live shows so people can take a little bit of us...

Joe: It's soon on the website.

Lzzy: Yeah, it's soon on the website. You can order it on the website. After this tour the plan is to go into the studio and work on our debut full length album on Atlantic so we're excited about that.

How did you guys get signed with Atlantic?

Lzzy: The whole thing was about a seven month process actually. We were showcasing in New York through a producer that we'd been working with in Philadelphia. We started showcasing in New York at a place called Don Hill's right outside of Greenwich Village. Basically one thing after another, his lawyer came to see us and then his lawyer really liked us. He brought our A&R guy to come see us. In turn then he brought his boss, they brought their boss. They brought the interns in for their opinions. Then when we finally got around to it, it started in January and June 28th we got signed. It was a long process. Then of course they offered the deal and then we negotiated and back and forth.

Joe: We were jumping for joy when we finally got signed.

My God, that's nerve wracking just to sit and listen to that.

Lzzy: Exactly, see? You're stressed just hearing about it. No, we love it. We have a great team around us. In fact, Scott one of the dudes from Atlantic just came to deliver our post scrims. It's like a banner but see through and they go on the stage. We have a great team at Atlantic. They're very hands on. They're the first record label that we ever really met that got it instantly. Basically everyone that came to see the show said "all right, we understand." It was uplifting.

That was cool. A lot of people have mixed reactions about being with a huge label.

Lzzy: Oh, of course. We weren't getting that far. We were like "you know what? Let's just do what we do and keep working. If something happens and it's the right thing, then fine." We weren't going to settle for anything less than what we have now and it just ended up to be the right people. Our A&R guy stuck his neck out so far for us and really made this deal for us. He's a very good guy. He's the same A&R guy for Jet. Just very old school. Very much in touch with his musicians. He's an A&R with a soul.

That's hard to find.

Lzzy: It was unusual circumstances for this one. We feel like we really did make the right decision.

Well, you guys have been hacking at this for eight years. Was there any time during that period where you ever got frustrated?

Arejay: Every day.

Lzzy: Every day. Certainly.

Joe: The goal has always been the same.

Lzzy: To keep going.

Arejay: Play for as many people as you can whenever you can. Just evolve. Keep writing and evolving. There are old Halestorm CDs out there. I was 11 and she was 14 or 15. They're awesome. It's just evolution. We're here now and hopefully within a year we'll be somewhere new.

Lzzy: It's the beginning. It was the long haul to the beginning and now we start over again. We've graduated from being the regional local band working hard and now we get to work even harder and start all over again. Make new friends and hopefully keep the old ones. Just keep moving. We're hoping for the 25 or 50 year career. We want to have some reunion tours.

At least three reunion tours after you retire. A la Ozzy Osbourne and KISS.

Arejay: I want five comeback albums.

Joe: Five farewell tours.

Lzzy: Like KISS. They keep saying they're leaving but they come back.

No shit. Now they've got the DVD out.

Arejay: I want to be like an STD. We'll never leave. We'll be just under the surface and we'll pop out once in a while.

He wants to be like herpes.

Arejay: How cool is it to be a herpe on the ball sack of America?

Lzzy: I don't think I've ever heard it put that way.

I thought it was very to the point. Once you put this tour behind you, being the herpe on the ball sack of America, what do you plan on next?

Arejay: That would be a good name for a headlining tour. The breakout tour.

Lzzy: We'll be going on about that forever. After the tour we'll get into the studio. We'll record our album and then basically go on tour for the rest of our lives. Those are the next two steps anyway. After that, who knows? Do a movie.

Herpes: The Reemergence. You guys have obviously put out CDs in the past. What kind of stuff do you guys like to write about?

Lzzy: Everything.

Arejay: There are two things. There are the relationship songs and then there's the pseudo political songs.

Lzzy: Pop culture. Talking about politics. Love. Internal, talk about what's happening with yourself. Those are the main three things that go on just because we're around all these rock bands. Everything that we're exposed to filters through. It's great because we'll be with these rock bands so we get the one liners like "monkey throwing chestnuts at the door". That's a great line for a song. I'm going to write that down. Then it evolves from that.

Don't forget the herpe breakout song.

Arejay: You need to write that down.

Lzzy: We need to write about that actually.

Any other thoughts or comments?

Lzzy: Our story is that we're here, come and listen to us. We're not going to force anything on you. Until later. Come and give us a listen and tell us what you thought. Come to our website, www.halestorm.com or MySpace. There's a video on the website.

Arejay: Look in the media section. That's probably the best representation of us musically.