Halestorm
Halestorm
Section titled “Halestorm”
Halestorm is an American hard-rock band from Red Lion, Pennsylvania. Siblings Elizabeth “Lzzy” Hale and Arejay Hale began writing and performing original music together as children in 1997; guitarist Joe Hottinger joined in 2003, bassist Josh Smith joined in 2004, and the group later became an Atlantic Records act. Their sound is usually described as hard rock with heavy-metal, alternative-metal, post-grunge, and alternative-rock edges.
The band is best known for high-energy touring and modern rock radio staples such as “I Get Off,” “Love Bites (So Do I),” “Freak Like Me,” “Apocalyptic,” “Amen,” “Uncomfortable,” and “Back from the Dead.” “Love Bites (So Do I)” won the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance, making Halestorm the first female-fronted band to win that category.
Quick facts
Section titled “Quick facts”| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Origin | Red Lion, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Active | 1997–present |
| Core styles | Hard rock, heavy metal, alternative metal, post-grunge, alternative rock |
| Label | Atlantic Records |
| Official site | [https://www.halestormrocks.com/ halestormrocks.com] |
| Current lineup | Lzzy Hale, Arejay Hale, Joe Hottinger, Josh Smith |
Current members
Section titled “Current members”| Member | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Lzzy Hale |
Lead vocals, guitar, piano/keyboards | Co-founder and primary frontwoman. Hale began on piano as a child, later took up guitar, and is known for a powerful belting vocal style and for being one of the most visible women in contemporary hard rock. |
 Arejay Hale |
Drums, percussion, backing vocals | Co-founder and Lzzy Hale’s younger brother. Arejay is known for theatrical, athletic drumming and won Revolver Golden Gods’ Best Drummer award in 2013. |
 Joe Hottinger |
Guitar, backing vocals | Joined in 2003 and became a major part of the band’s twin-guitar attack, live arrangements, and songwriting chemistry with Lzzy Hale. |
 Josh Smith |
Bass, keyboards, backing vocals | Joined in 2004, completing the modern lineup before the band’s Atlantic-era releases and heavy touring schedule. |
History
Section titled “History”Early years and Atlantic debut
Section titled “Early years and Atlantic debut”Lzzy and Arejay Hale started Halestorm while growing up in Pennsylvania. Early versions of the group included family and regional musicians before Joe Hottinger and Josh Smith settled into the lineup. Halestorm signed with Atlantic Records in 2005, released the live EP One and Done in 2006, and followed with the self-titled debut album Halestorm in 2009. The singles “I Get Off,” “It’s Not You,” “Love/Hate Heartbreak,” and “Familiar Taste of Poison” established the band on active-rock radio.
Breakthrough
Section titled “Breakthrough”The Strange Case Of… arrived in 2012 and became the band’s mainstream breakthrough. Its lead single “Love Bites (So Do I)” won the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance. The album also produced rock-radio hits including “I Miss the Misery,” “Freak Like Me,” and “Here’s to Us.”
Arena era and later albums
Section titled “Arena era and later albums”Into the Wild Life (2015) broadened the band’s palette and reached the top ten of the Billboard 200. Vicious (2018) continued that chart momentum and earned a Grammy nomination for “Uncomfortable.” After the pandemic-era Reimagined EP, Halestorm released Back from the Dead in 2022 and toured extensively, including major arena, festival, and international dates. Their sixth studio album, Everest, was released in August 2025.
Discography
Section titled “Discography”Studio albums
Section titled “Studio albums”| Cover | Album | Release date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Halestorm | April 28, 2009 | Major-label debut; includes “I Get Off,” “It’s Not You,” and “Familiar Taste of Poison.” |
 |
The Strange Case Of… | April 10, 2012 | Breakthrough album; includes the Grammy-winning “Love Bites (So Do I)” plus “I Miss the Misery,” “Freak Like Me,” and “Here’s to Us.” |
 |
Into the Wild Life | April 7, 2015 | Reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and includes “Apocalyptic,” “Amen,” and “I Am the Fire.” |
 |
Vicious | July 27, 2018 | Top-ten Billboard 200 album; includes “Uncomfortable,” “Black Vultures,” “Do Not Disturb,” and “Vicious.” |
 |
Back from the Dead | May 6, 2022 | Pandemic-era comeback album; includes “Back from the Dead,” “The Steeple,” and “Wicked Ways.” |
 |
Everest | August 8, 2025 | Sixth studio album; led by “Darkness Always Wins” and supported by extensive 2025–2026 touring. |
Other notable releases
Section titled “Other notable releases”- One and Done (2006) — early live EP for Atlantic.
- Live in Philly 2010 (2010) — live CD/DVD release from Philadelphia.
- ReAnimate (2011), ReAniMate 2.0 (2013), and ReAniMate 3.0 (2017) — covers EP series.
- Hello, It’s Mz. Hyde (2012) — EP preceding The Strange Case Of….
- Into the Wild Live: Chicago (2016) — live release.
- Reimagined (2020) — stripped-down/reworked songs, including “Break In” with Amy Lee of Evanescence and a cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.”
- Live at Wembley (2024) — live album documenting the band’s Wembley performance.
Touring and upcoming concert dates
Section titled “Touring and upcoming concert dates”Halestorm is known for a heavy road schedule, often appearing at rock festivals and as a support, co-headline, and headline act. The following upcoming dates were pulled from the official Halestorm tour widget on April 29, 2026; schedules can change, so check the official site before making plans.
| Date | Venue/Event | City | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 2026 | Sonic Temple Festival | Columbus, OH | — |
| May 16, 2026 | Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course | Grantville, PA | — |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Download Festival | Castle Donington, England | — |
| Jun 14, 2026 | The Garage | Glasgow, Scotland | Lzzy & Joe Unpluged; sold out |
| Jun 16, 2026 | EngineRooms Southampton | Southampton, England | —; sold out |
| Jun 17, 2026 | Islington Assembly Hall | London, United Kingdom | —; sold out |
| Jun 19, 2026 | The Academy | Dublin, Ireland | — |
| Jun 20, 2026 | Limelight | Belfast, Northern Ireland | — |
| Jun 25, 2026 | Summerfest | Milwaukee, WI | — |
| Jun 27, 2026 | Magic Springs Theme and Water Park @ Timberwood Amphitheater | Hot Springs, AR | — |
| Jul 4, 2026 | Rockin’ Thunder | Winnipeg, Canada | — |
| Jul 17, 2026 | The Astro | La Vista, NE | — |
| Jul 18, 2026 | Rock Fest | Cadott, WI | — |
| Sep 2, 2026 | Ball Arena | Denver, CO | Supporting BABYMETAL |
| Sep 4, 2026 | Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island | Chicago, IL | Supporting BABYMETAL |
| Sep 5, 2026 | Ruoff Music Center | Noblesville, IN | Supporting BABYMETAL |
| Sep 7, 2026 | RBC Amphitheatre | Toronto, ON | Supporting BABYMETAL |
| Sep 9, 2026 | PNC Bank Arts Center | Holmdel, NJ | Supporting BABYMETAL |
| Sep 10, 2026 | Xfinity Center | Mansfield, MA | Supporting BABYMETAL |
| Sep 12, 2026 | Jiffy Lube Live | Bristow, VA | Supporting BABYMETAL |
| Sep 13, 2026 | Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek | Raleigh, NC | Supporting BABYMETAL |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Truliant Amphitheater | Charlotte, NC | Supporting BABYMETAL |
| Sep 16, 2026 | Ameris Bank Amphitheatre | Alpharetta, GA | Supporting BABYMETAL |
| Sep 18, 2026 | Pine Knob Music Theatre | Clarkston, MI | Supporting BABYMETAL |
| Sep 19, 2026 | Louder Than Life | Louisville, KY | — |
| Sep 21, 2026 | Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - St. Louis | Maryland Heights, MO | Supporting BABYMETAL |
| Sep 23, 2026 | Dos Equis Pavilion | Dallas, TX | Supporting BABYMETAL |
| Sep 25, 2026 | The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion | The Woodlands, TX | Supporting BABYMETAL |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Germania Insurance Amphitheater | Del Valle, TX | Supporting BABYMETAL |
| Sep 29, 2026 | First Financial Credit Union Amphitheater | Albuquerque, NM | Supporting BABYMETAL |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre | Phoenix, AZ | Supporting BABYMETAL |
| Oct 2, 2026 | Agua Caliente Resort Casino | Rancho Mirage, CA | — |
Photo gallery
Section titled “Photo gallery”
Sources and further reading
Section titled “Sources and further reading”- [https://www.halestormrocks.com/ Halestorm official website]
- [https://www.halestormrocks.com/tour Halestorm official tour page]
- [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halestorm Wikipedia: Halestorm]
- [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halestorm_discography Wikipedia: Halestorm discography]
- [https://musicbrainz.org/artist/eaed2193-e026-493b-ac57-113360407b06 MusicBrainz: Halestorm]
- [https://coverartarchive.org/ Cover Art Archive] album-art records for Halestorm releases
- [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Halestorm Wikimedia Commons: Halestorm media]
Images on this page were imported from Wikimedia Commons and the MusicBrainz Cover Art Archive for local wiki display.