Q: Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?
A: Well I’m from Xalapa, Mexico, It’s a city located between Mexico city & Veracruz port(the gulf of Mexico), is a quiet place nowadays compared to other cities, the weather is pleasant almost all the year and is considered one of the top Music & Arts city as well, people are proud of their symphony orchestra, but also of the folk dance that cover traditions of all state of Veracruz, and of course there are local venues to enjoy and listening to Jazz, Rock music. From chilhood I had Violin and singing lessons on CIMI, a children’s musical initiation center where I learned the basis of classical music, I used to listen the same music that my big brothers played on cassettes: Duran Duran, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots & Alanis Morisette are coming to my mind, but with the passing of years I did my own research to listen to radio stations trying discover new music and that’s when Modern Rock/Alternative came into my life, I was turning teenager in the second half of 90’s and I can say It was a strong era of Rock Music that I easyly leaned into english music beside there was a strong scene of Pop Rock in Mexico, I was definitely a fan of bands like Bush, Incubus, Vertical Horizon, Feeder, Sevendust & Finger Eleven, I was completely confident with all the enviroment to find my own sound in the near future and to get the experience, that’s when I took an acoustic guitar and said myself, alright let’s do this for real.
Q: And what other artists have you found yourself listening to lately?
A: It’s funny and hard at the same time because I’d like mention many artists as possible, in the present I listen to Maggie Rogers, The Ocean Blue, Matt Corby, Little Monarch & Bombay Bicycle Club, there is also an artist called Peter Broderick that a friend of mine, Andrew McCluskey(from MusicTo) shared to me, I still listen songs from previous releases, and that’s when I go back to my playlists and play Tom Misch, Kings Of Conevenience, Florence + The Machine, Sam, Fender, Maro, Rae Morris, The Paper Kites and Rheanna Downey to name a few.
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences, and why the name ‘HIRRY’?
A: On 2000’s era I became a listener of Singer-songwriter stuff like Ryan Adams & Duncan Sheik, I believe it had to be the way to become one, I’m happy to say my strongest musical influence is Matthew Good, Pete Yorn & Gema Hayes, however bands like Switchfoot, Augustana, The Fray & The Damnwells blew up my mind, years later front-mans like Jon Foreman & Alex Dezen launched their solo-projects and I was so happy to listen to them. Why Hirry? I’m not sure but somehow some friends started to call me like that until everyone everywhere call me Hirry and I really like it, I thought this has to be my artist name as it feels easy-listening instead of my real name: Hiram.
Q: You have just released your new single, ‘Ten Miles’. Is there a story behind it?
A: Yes! For sure! And I’m so happy to share it! I started to write and record my first EP as Soloist on march of this year, Is called “Daylight” and is about a chapter of my life that involve many scenarios. everything starts when my band RUNTOLIFE disbanded, we launched a Live Show on November 2022 as a gift to our fans, and as a way to say goodbye, it was the break point that forced myself to work on my soloist project, but with a different Ingredient: Running. I used to Jogging on weekends 1-2 Miles, but never thought I could run more distance, a friend of mine Luis Gonzalez showed me some routes and in someway pushed me to make a better effort, then I went on my own to go over my whole city and Run finally, more than 3 miles, I started to feel so alive and of course the benefits of running, that’s when I decided to run my first Marathon in Mexico City, in that period of time I was in love as well of a woman called Mary, but as many love stories, we ended up breaking up, despite moving away, I looked for her over the next months but I couldn’t save our relationship and she was dating someone else, I blamed myself a lot of letting fall our relation and with the time I understood that things had to go through, I forgave myself, I let her go with love and continued my training until I joined a team called ‘Quiero Run’, they coached me on a mission to run a second marathon(Maratón LALA) in Torreón, Mexico. I never thought in becoming a marathonist, in fact someone asked me if this was the reason of the meaning “Runtolife”, I said no, but maybe I made it happen. I used to run on mornings from 5am to 8am everyday and for months, 70 miles a week, and while running I was always thinking about Mary and how to make her back, at the same time looking to Improve my time and get a PR, I usually ran on a mountain in the middle of Xalapa, is called ‘Cerro Macuiltepetl’, many people and generations has run on it during decades, so “El cerro” was on my route, on early mornings is dark and it has a mistery inside the forest, I always say that nature is something powerfull in energy and in many ways that we have to respect it, that’s when I thought about making a song about it “Inner Sense”, when finishing my laps on ‘El Cerro’ my route continued to a long avenue where dawn arrives, for this step I decided to make a second song called “Daylight” which is the name of the EP, when turning 7am I was thinking about breakfast & coffee with motivation of ending my distance, while thinking a lot of things on this step I did a third song to remind me to stay focus “Stand For Something” until finishing line doing “Ten Miles” and go back home, ready to start my day, this is is the fourth track and single that tells this whole story.
Q: Can we expect a new EP or even an album from you in the near future?
A: Yeah! I am now working on the second EP to be launched on fall-winter, an album is what I do want to make a real thing by the next year, I can’t wait to share them all with you!
Q: What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
A: I guess honest, love and inspiration are the key elements, I am more of that sort of world where acoustic is the main sound and easyly turns to a blending of many styles: Instrumental, Electro, Pop & Altenative Rock, connecting feelings with music in many ways, because I always want to say more, explore sounds and to be confident with that.
Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?
A: Yes! Definitely! It does! It makes me happy but more important, it makes me stay inspired, the only thing I’m expecting is to get the right spread, and get to know more people in the music industry.
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
A: I like the Idea of considering songs as pieces to put together to complete a story, so I try to define what is the main drama I am going to surf around, then I select a first title that will take the lead, it’s like having the road mapped and when I decide how to follow it. I usually Improvise many chords and tunes on my acoustic guitar, I open my booknote and start analysing my writings, not a diary precisely but as a reminder of meanings I want to share, finally I realize I’m doing it, that I am in the middle of the creative process and everything after all these turns to fun and delightful, most of the time I like to drink Coffee or Lemon Te, I love to do this on my studio where I can focus with enough silence. When it comes the time for recording I do it on nights, and on weekends I love to work on editions, I like to think is a circle of joy.
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
A: I’d like to say everything during this career been difficult, specifically the first years with my band Runtolife were so hard to get a performance, and get heard, I believe that this is the bridge that prepare us for what’s next if we work wise even if conditions are against us.
Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
A: Music been the reason I have met new places and people, I can say my dreams came through when I played overseas, I had the oportunity to travel to New York, London, Berlin & Los Angeles to play my music, being there I realized I was living my dream in an honest way, I got crazy of happiness anyway and had such a great time sharing my voice and stories, I’m very proud of my music itself, but also proud of my family and the friends that supported me along the way like Samuel Wall, Javier Cárcamo, Rafael Rosas, Carlos Cortés, Arturo Naranjo, Mayolo Sotero & Jose Villagrán.
