Hellogoodbye began when Forrest Kline created songs in high school on his computer. With its synth-infused melodies, sappy lyrics and penchant for teasing college journalists, it’s clear that the group has not strayed too far from its teenage roots. Then again, it would be foolish to expect maturity from a band that chooses Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! as a title for its debut album. Artsweek managed to get some good stories out of Forrest, keyboardist Jesse Kurvink and bassist Travis Head.

Artsweek: What made you decide to put the AIM alert in “Shimmy Shimmy Quarter Turn”?
Forrest Kline: Did it trick you?
Kind of, at first.
Travis Head: You still have the sound on?
Kline: That’s super annoying. … I just got a folder of all the sound clips from the computer, but I didn’t have anything sweet … like synthesizers or anything.
How’d you get signed to Drive-Thru Records?
Kline: We were playing shows in Orange County and stuff. … They heard mp3s on the Internet. … We just got lucky.
And you guys played Warped Tour two years ago. How was that?
Kline: We didn’t get too crazy. We never do really. We mostly just played bocce ball. … I think some of the other bands on Warped Tour didn’t like us, because we kept getting blamed for weird stuff that we didn’t do. … Anti-Flag didn’t like us.
Head: But it’s OK, ’cause we really like them.
Jesse Kurvink: I remember I was at Warped Tour, and I dyed my hair pink and I thought I was so unique and stuff. And the Saves the Day singer had pink hair.
On your MySpace, you use the word “indie” sarcastically a lot.
Kline: No, that’s not sarcastic.
Does it piss you off to be referred to as emo?
Kline: No, that’s funny too.
Head: “Indie,” you know… that’s just a word for a band that isn’t that great.
You’re working on a new album now. How’s that going to sound?
Kline: Indie.
Head: Emo.
Kline: It’s kinda casual; we’re just … it could go in any direction still. Who knows?
–Amy Silverstein

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