Quick-fire Questions: 10 minutes with Hidden States
In 2019, Adam Day was riding a wave with County Line Runner. He found himself in the bewildering position of supporting Neil Young. His tracks were featured in TV series’ and his name was being touted by the likes of Stephen Street as the next big thing. Sadly, just as this was bubbling to a head, the pandemic came along and burst everything. Now performing as Hidden States, clear all this has given his cause to reflect.
His new EP, Reconcile, is very much a Ronseal name. It finds Day as a songwriter dabbling in despair, overcoming it, and reassessing things with an assertive new stride. Beginning with the brooding riff of ‘Fix to Fix’, the new Hidden States effort beautifully melds darkness and peace like the seaside at twilight, with breaking waves rushing in on poppy choruses, while moody instrumentation turns mellow melodies into dramatic pieces of reminiscence.
With luscious production work by Bill Ryder-Jones, the five songs set up the new chapter of Hidden States with a sense of singular energy and refreshment. As a songwriter Day has had a chance to shed his rugged edges but approach things anew once more. This makes for an EP that bubbles with an air of excitement but certainly isn’t without the depth of cognizance.
To get to know that depth a little better, we chatted with Day and asked him some quick-fire questions. After all, if you don’t have long to get to know someone, then it’s best to pick their brain on big issues and trifling insignificance in rapid succession. Enjoy…
Quick-fire Questions: 10 minutes with Hidden States:
1. What song would you want played at your funeral?
“How about ‘If You Don’t Know Me By Now’ the David Brent version.”
2. What film would you have given the ‘Best Picture’ Oscar to this year?
“Everything Everywhere all at Once looks interesting but I haven’t seen it.”
3. What is the best gig you’ve ever been to?
“I’ve been pretty lucky to see some really good gigs but I think I’d go with Leonard Cohen. Hard to explain why but there was an atmosphere in the air that wasn’t normal, almost spiritual…. is the only way I could describe it.”
4. What is the best gig you’ve ever played to date?
“I played Hyde park a while back and Neil Young headlined. His dressing room was next to mine. I was in between him and Seasick Steve who was just smoking weed all day saying how he just wanted to be at home. It was all a bit surreal and something I’d never have thought I’d be involved in when I started writing songs.”
5. Name your fantasy four-piece band?
“Tricky one, could be so many different people for me but I’ll go for. Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Paul McCartney & Levon Helm.”
6. Who the fuck is Mark E. Smith?
“Legend.”
7. What was the last book you read and what school grade would you give it?
“Kinda fell out of reading at the moment but the last book I read was No Country For Old Men written by Cormac McCarthy. I really liked the film of the book. I’ve read a couple of his books and they’re all good. A*.”
8. What’s the longest you’ve ever spent writing a single song?
“Still have one on the go that I probably started about 4 years ago. Seems to me that the longer it goes on the less likely I’ll finish it but it’s still alive…..just.”
9. What is your go-to takeaway?
“Pizza.”
10. If you can pick one, which track are you most proud of in your back catalogue?
“Probably ‘Hard to Find’. It was the first song I recorded with Bill Ryder-Jones in Liverpool. I couldn’t afford to get it mixed properly so I just used the monitor mix of how we left it at the studio and mastered that. It got a lot of streams and kinda kick started things.”
11. What is your dream holiday destination?
“Somewhere hot and far, far away.”
12. What is the worst gig you’ve ever been to?
“Probably one of mine when i started out.”
13. What is one weird food quirk you think everyone should try?
“I had mango & Chili in Mexico once which was strange but good.”
14. Who was your first celebrity crush?
“Can’t remember.”
15. Are The Beatles overrated?
“Never.”
