Jordan McGraw, Matt Black, and Drew Langan of Hundred Handed are a pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. Jordan sings and plays guitar, Drew plays the drums, and Matt plays the bass. They started the band in 2015 after years of being in other bands that just didn’t quite make them happy enough.
Check out the interview below.
Hi, Jordan! Tell us what inspires your songs?
We like to keep things positive and write about things that make us happy and laugh. There are enough sad, serious songs out there! Don’t get me wrong, we love setting a good vibe with something serious… We’ve just spent too much time in other bands not enjoying how fun what we get to do is. So, this time, we stick to the fun stuff!
Tell us about your writing process.
I’d like to say we have some flawless process that gets a song we like out of us every time… but we don’t. Sometimes we start with a lyric, sometimes music, sometimes someone says something funny that turns into a whole song… We’re along for the ride too!
How would you describe your sound?
Like mid-90s Robert Downy Jr. met up with Tom Hanks in Big and stole Tom Cruise’s car from Risky Business.
Tell us how the band formed.
Drew and I have been in a few bands together and Matt Black found himself touring with us. We were always the first up and last to bed just laughing and hanging out. Turns out we played the right instruments to start this band! So we locked ourselves in our home studio and compared influences and wishes for the future. There we were.
Growing up, what songs inspired you?
Oh man… anything from Blink-182 to Tina Turner and Daft Punk – Earth Wind and Fire. Whatever feels good. Music was a big part of my household growing up. I’m not sure how I got any musical ability though… my brother can’t clap on beat (literally), my dad can barely play the radio… maybe my mom has some very undiscovered rhythm.
Do you draw from personal experiences to create your music?
Always! Some names and identifying details have been changed to maintain the illusion of innocence amongst our friends and to protect some of their marriages… but ask specifics and I’ll give you all the dirt.
What is the most important aspect of songwriting for you guys?
I sound like a broken record but… HAVING FUN.
What is the biggest misconception about being in a band?
That we are all dim witted fuck boys. We are quite witty.
What is your most favorite experience in your career to date?
This band’s first full set in front of a crowd was in front of 10,000 Australians… that was a very surreal accomplishment. I had always tried my hand at some background vocals in our other bands but had never jumped into the middle and sang lead vocals… kind of jumped right into the fire there. I had the best time I’ve ever had on stage.
List the 5 things you need to have with you on a stage.
1.Water
2. Confetti Canon
3. Whiskey or tequila
4. My friends
5. Set list… I can barely remember the order of the lyrics… let alone the order of the songs.
Do you have any upcoming projects that we haven’t mentioned?
We’re always making new music and we hate keeping it to ourselves. Expect plenty of new music very soon!
Q12. Complete this sentence, if I had an opportunity to change anything, I would change ___________.
Well, I’m on an airplane with no limes for this glass of tequila. I’d change my current limelessness.
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Featured Image Credit: Taryn Anderson
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