Normally, Gillian Welch and Black Sabbath would not be put in the same breath as musical companions, but that’s the sound The Hiders are aiming for at this year’s Nelsonville Music Festival.
“If you ever wanted to hear something like Glillian Welch and Black Sabbath, come out and see us,” said Billy Alletzhauser, frontman of the band.
Alletzhauser, former member of alternative band The Ass Ponys, spoke happily about The Hiders, the band he has been writing music, playing guitar and singing for since 2002.
“I always had songs, and wasn’t super confident about them,” Alletzhauser said. “We would just jam and get drunk enough, and we would play my own songs.”
With that, The Hiders were born. The band is frequently compared to Neil Young or My Morning Jacket in write-ups by NPR or allmusic.com. Alletzhauser said that at first, it was not a conscious influence.
“I think (it was) more because so many people mentioned (Young) to me when we started, I started learning more about him,” Alletzhauser said.
Alletzhauser said he hopes that when people see himself and The Hiders perform, that they see the band for what it is, a bunch of people who enjoy playing music together. He went on to say that a lot of The Hiders’ music lends itself to a narrative focused on the intensity of how people go about their daily lives.
“I want (the songs) to have a mystical, sort of visceral, feeling,” Alletzhauser said. “Like the blues.”
With that in mind, the band’s performance lends itself to the blues, where there are open spaces for the band to create a journey for audience members to travel through with the band, Alletzhauser said.
“I mostly just want people to get a sense of story, and beyond that, I want them to see a kickass, rugged, heartfelt show,” Alletzhauser said.
ds834910@ohiou.edu
If You Go:
What: The Hiders at Nelsonville Music Festival
When: 1:15 p.m. Friday
Where: Porch Stage
Admission: $75 Day Pass, $120 Weekend Pass
