Hallway’s Latest Single ‘Last Time’ Radiates Nostalgia Through Every Note
The synchronicity between the members of the band Hallway is not only evident in their music, but in everything they do. Tanvi Das, Gabe MT, Declan Hogan, Felix Ward, and Joey Kane make up the group. The band released their third single, “Last Time” in early October and although the group only began releasing music recently, their history together begins years earlier — back in highschool.
Tanvi Das, lead vocalist, had the initial idea for the band since most of them went to the same highschool. “I reached out to Gabe and Declan because we were in the same grade and had a few classes together and then they asked Felix, who knew Joey. It all came together piece by piece,” Das says. Ward, co-vocalist and rhythm guitarist, elaborated on the group’s history: “We would see each other in the hallway, specifically the 700s hallway, where all of the theater and band kids would hang out,” he says. The 700s hallway introduced the band members to each other and is a significant part of their history. Hallway’s drummer, Hogan, elaborated on the significance of this hallway, “We thought about naming the band “the 700s” at one point, but “Hallway” rolls off the tongue really easily.”
Although the band members knew each other in high school, they didn’t start seriously playing together until recently. “This past summer was the first time we really started doing shows other than small house performances,” MT, lead guitarist, says. “Felix has been really on top of booking and getting us gigs and reaching out to other groups.”
Image courtesy of Emily Narinsky
As the group played together more frequently and continued to create more music, they began to find their sound. They leaned into the backstory of their name to encapsulate the vibe of their music: “I think both the lyrical matter and the sound of our music can be described as nostalgic. [We] aim to make nicely formatted music that sounds indie and emotional,” Ward says.
Das further describes the band as having an “Indie rock, nostalgic sound.” While each of their songs has a different energy, there are some similar elements present across their discography. “Gabe often has a strong [rhythmic guitar] solo and Joey often has a really strong bassline to give us almost a signature sound,” Das says.
In order to produce such sonically pleasing music, the group has needed to work in constant harmony, adding to each other’s work to make it the best it can be. “I like to think of it as Felix bringing the dough and then we all kneed it together to turn it into something,” Hogan says. “The songs grow over time, too, and stay very [fluid]. The two singles we have out now started as something completely different than they are now, but as we got more comfortable playing all together, the formations changed a little while we figured out what worked for us.” MT elaborated on this point, saying, “Felix will often [instruct us to] improvise something over a [section] and I’ll do different things every time we play live to find what sounds best.” This layering method has allowed Hallway to produce rather intricate songs, melding complicated rhythmic sections with catchy lyricism. Ward describes their songwriting process as being gradual and collaborative, attributing their success to their ability to work as a team.
Their newest single, “Last Time” is a prime example of their harmonious creative process. This two-and-a–half minute song is packed with stunning lyrics and strong rhythmic elements. Listeners can hear Das’s strong vocals come through MT’s rhythmic guitar sections and on top of the consistent bassline. The song repeats the lyrics, “last time this time” throughout the piece, signifying an era of their lives coming to an end. The lyrics, “Last night was a waste of my time,” explore the idea of being young and making the kind of mistakes you regret in the morning. Ward says the group truly loves this song and furthermore notes, “When we finished [“Last Time”] and listened to it all the way through, we realized it’s a song we want to listen to and a song that encapsulates our music tastes.”
Image courtesy of Scott Olson
The group finds a lot of value in playing their music live. Over the last few months, Hallway has started to gain a following, creating a community of people who look forward to attending all their shows. “We often play a house venue called The Burrow and it’s always fun! It feels like we are a band playing with [the audience] rather than for them,” Hogan says.
“This is what they love to do and they are not slowing down”
Regardless of if they’ve played a venue twenty times or if they’re stepping on that stage for the very first time, their pre-show rituals are the same. The group likes to get to the space early to explore the stage and hangout a bit: “We also make sure to reserve some time for goofing off and laughing together,” Hogan says. The joy the group members feel while playing their music radiates off the stage and through every single note in their performances — this is what they love to do and they are not slowing down. Later this fall, the group plans to release their first EP. “We are all really invested and excited to see what comes next,” Das says. If their first two songs are any indication of what’s to come, listeners are in for some great new music coming soon.