When Max Hellmann, Drew Mottinger, and Patrick Doyle formed Hotel for Strangers in early 2014, the three members drew on the experiences they had sketched out from their previous bands in Los Angeles. Usually accustomed to writing in a live setting, the trio decided to mix things up and deconstruct their process in Doyle’s home studio. The results were a creative experience vastly different from their previous ones, with a sense of precision that compliments the layered hooks and candy-coated choruses. The studio time helped to define the five song set that is the debut Hotel for Strangers EP, released on July 1st.
In this interview, we chat with Patrick about the band’s influences, their new EP, and more.
Full Q&A, links, and streams below. The video was animated by the very talented Teppei Ando.
Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?
Hotel for Strangers began as a studio project, so we were really looking for a fresh approach. Our previous bands had kind of burned out on writing while we jammed out- it was a conscious attempt to change up our creative process. Nothing was precious- we hacked up drum loops, sang vocals on the couch, etc.- it was fun!
How long have you been creating and sharing your music with the public?
Well, this project was released in early July, so it’s pretty new. We’ve all spent some pretty serious time in previous projects, though- and our live band is flushed out with some pretty special LA musicians (Mike Schneider, Jessica Gerhardt, and Colin Mann). If you combine all of us, we’ve all been doing this band thing for about 120 years, or 720 cat years.
Who or what influences your playing and/or writing? Also, what motivates you to keep going?
We try really hard to make our Venn Diagrams overlap- each of us would probably write in a different direction on our own, but that’s not really how we want to collaborate. There are a lot of great venues here in Los Angeles, too- it’s pretty easy to go out and hear excellent new bands, and we don’t take that for granted. Personally, I’m influenced by a lot of the higher end culinary shows, Chef’s Table, etc. Perhaps those chefs are the new rock stars..
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
Nope, we had no agenda. Our music is meant to be familiar, but with a twist of clever- a new writing process was our only goal.
What was the last song you listened to?
Autolux, “Soft Scene.”
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
I’m super into fidelity when I’m recording and producing, but as a listener, I’m a slut. None of those formats would prevent me from liking a song.. LaserDisc?
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
I guess I use Spotify more often than not. If they found a better way to pay musicians, I’d probably spend more time on it. I love the fact that Vulfpeck took them for a couple grand, too.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what are one or two of the biggest challenges you face when trying to attract listeners to your music?
Hype Machine, and realizing that premieres are heavily tied to clicks.
Do you gig, tour or perform? Do you ever live stream? Where can music lovers see you live?
We had some a rough summer with band injuries- a broken hand, dislocated shoulders, etc. If Obamacare supported a tour, we’d be headlining.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more of your music?
Yes, we’d love that!
Any last thoughts? Shout outs? Words of wisdom?
I’d suggest reading “Our Band Could Be Your Life.”
Don’t support stock music sites- licensing is one of the last revenue streams for musicians!
Thank you for checking out our band- we greatly appreciate it!
Patrick
Hotel For Strangers
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