Hookup, based out of Oklahoma City, OK, is a coming together of several different stylistic backgrounds to form a uniquely enjoyable, alt-pop unit.
Formed in January 2019, the band blends influences spanning the spectrum of genres such as psychedelic, pop, indie, rock, emo, hiphop, & singer-songwriter. The output is catchy, hook-drenched tunes that hit you in the soul and get you moving to the beat.
The group, self-produced, is currently in the studio working on their debut full-length release - with several single releases planned for the coming months. Expect to see a lot more of Hookup in the near future.
We recently met up with Hookup and talked musical roots, creative processes, and a late night tattoo from 'Screwie Louie'.
1. How did you meet, and how/when did you come together to form Hookup?
Grayson: Hookup formed in January of this year. We’ve been playing music together for a while since meeting in college, but one of the founding members of our previous band moved out of state so we decided to give it a fresh start.
2. How long have you been making music? What did the beginning stages of your creative process look like?
Caleb: I think my first “song” was written 7 years ago but I didn’t really start taking it seriously until after I was out of college. Back then I didn’t really know what I was doing so I’d just make a drum beat and play something to it then make a structure of a song like verse chorus bridge. Honestly not a lot’s changed as far as that goes.
Grayson: I’ve been making music since around my senior year of high school - so about 5 years. I’ll say that the creative process can start from many different directions, but the beginning stages for me are usually a simple beat and rustling through chords and sounds on my keyboard or guitar.
3. Who have been some of your biggest inspirations? Music and otherwise.
Grayson: Here recently it’s been bands like… Tame Impala of course, Blood Orange, Crumb, Men I Trust, Andy Shauf, Sales, Broncho, Mac Demarco, Big Thief, Anderson .Paak, Angus & Julia Stone, and Hanz Zimmer… just to name a few.
Caleb: I’m really inspired by the people in my family and the people I work with. I’m surrounded by people doing a lot of great things and persevering through a lot stacked against them. As for some of the biggest musical inspirations - The Beatles, Pinegrove, and Hippo Campus are first to mind. I’m falling in love with Billie Eilish too honestly, and just like current pop music in general. I’m also inspired by a lot of local artists and bands too, specifically with the creative content they’re putting out like in their videos and on instagram - it’s really helping me feel better about expressing and being myself.
4. What inspired the name Hookup?
Caleb: I’m not really sure, I just remember Grayson came to the studio one day with it and it kinda stuck. We were also super ready for a name to be settled upon, ya know?
Grayson: We’d been looking for a new name and so we were all coming up with ideas. We were jokingly discussing how we, mostly me… pretty much only me… always forget to plug shit in with my short attention span. They always had to tell me to “hookup” my gear like on stage or in the studio. Hearing it enough times, it just stuck.
5. Most interesting or noteworthy experience you’ve had as a band so far?
Grayson: Making it to Seattle and back was pretty tight. With only a Durango and a trailer. Shouts out to Brandon, I think he still drives that car. Chicago was really cool too, walking around the city and stumbling into a house show. Our friend Emily had moved up there a few months before so she let us crash and showed us around.
Caleb: Yeah some of the most interesting times come from touring for sure. Like breaking down outside of Baton Rouge and spending the night in a wal-mart parking lot getting druuuunk in the retired church bus we were traveling in from Red Oak, OK. Shouts out Brandon again, he definitely doesn’t still drive that one. And then getting a tattoo in New Orleans a few days later at 2am by a guy named Screwie Louie.
6. And finally, what can we expect for the future from Hookup?
Grayson: New tunes, new tunes and some more new tunes!!
Caleb: Yeah - tunes you’re gonna be into.
You can keep up with Hookup on instagram @hookupband.
And you can find them on Spotify here:
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