Q&A with Rising Metalcore Band Hollow Front

Grand Rapids, MI metalcore band, Hollow Front just wrapped up their tour with Fit For A King. Guitarist/Vocalist Dakota Alvarez took some time to answer some questions about the band’s origins, musical influences and upcoming album.

Concert Crap: Hollow Front is from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Are you all from the area? How did the members of the band meet?

Dakota Alvarez: All of us are from different places throughout Michigan, but centric to Grand Rapids! I joined Hollow Front back in 2018 pre-Still Life by making a parody song of a bunch of Michigan locals. I ultimately ended up getting asked to join afterwards and then with a few members either leaving or separated due to creative differences we ended up acquiring Brandon Rummler. We eventually had Lee Albrecht join as a separate guitarist. Due to his involvement as producer with every record prior to The Price of Dreaming, it was an easy decision to add him in!

CC: How would you describe your musical style for those who aren’t familiar with the band?

DA: I’d describe us as a metalcore band that uses storytelling elements through the music and allows the lyrics to guide those feelings and make them relatable! We have heavy elements, but the goal is always to express ourselves, authentically.

CC: What bands have had the biggest influence on your music?

DA: I feel that we’re influenced musically by bands such as Killswitch Engage, The Ghost Inside, Linkin Park, Northlane and influenced lyrically by artists such as Chester Bennington, John Mayer, Corey Taylor, and Jeremy Depoyster. Production-wise, we’ve taken a lot of influence from Adam Nolly, Dan Braunstein and Brian Hood.

CC: There are a lot of great musical acts from Michigan? Who is your favorite and why?

DA: Personally, some of my favorite acts are Elijah Russ, NF, Of Virtue, and Deadflower! Everyone but NF are personal friends, and their stage presence is very infectious and entertaining! NF is just a very poetic and artistic vision of rap, and I feel like it’s fresh when I listen.

CC: You have a new album, The Price of Dreaming, coming out in May. How does this album compare to your two previous albums, Still Life (2018) and Loose Threads (2020)?

DA: I feel like this new album really takes what we’re good at, and that’s relatability, and SOARS with it. Each song comes from a deep place of anguish, love, loss, conviction and compassion and I feel like we’ve gotten to express that not only lyrically, but sonically as well. I feel like it’s the perfect progression from where this band derived from.

CC: Hollow Front is currently supporting Fit For A King on The Dark Path tour and later in the summer you will be joining August Burns Red and We Came As Romans on the road. What is it like to be touring with bands like these?

DA: It’s been incredible! A lot of these bands were groups that each of us have looked up to, to some degree. And getting to not only witness it up close, but share a workspace with them is incredibly humbling. I feel like in order for people to grow, they need to be teachable. And I feel like getting to share a space with these guys, there’s a lot of opportunity to learn the correct ways to navigate this industry.

CC: I’m a Michigan native and former Grand Rapids resident so I always have to ask this question. Maize and Blue or Green and White?

DA: Green and White, baby!! Nothing personal, but the first NCAA game was MSU vs. North Western, and the atmosphere I felt in that stadium was INCREDIBLE and stuck with me. Plus UofM stole my 49ers coach from us. So there’s a little bit of bias.

For more information on Hollow Front, please visit:

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Interview by Scott Raymer (Website | Instagram | Facebook)

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