K: How would you describe your sound?
AH: Ashy tenor singing over finger plucking guitars, vintage sci-fi keyboards and a thumpy, often 2 stepping rhythm section.
K: Who are some of your sonic influences?
AH: I really like a lot of jazz records from the 60s, like Coltrane and Wayne Shorter. I also love Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. Stevie Wonder is an all-time favorite.
K: What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?
AH: Making my first album "The Moving Sidewalk." Not only was it a tremendous amount of work to complete the homemade record (never would have happened without Pete Rende, who engineered and co-produced the whole thing in his Brooklyn apartment on homemade gear), but also on a personal level, to commit to my own music after working as a sideman and bassist in NYC for years. It felt risky at the time, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life.
K: What has been your favorite city/venue to play in?
AH: Rockwood Music Hall in NYC. I've played there a thousand times by now, with my own band and as a sideman. It's a cozy, intimate space with a friendly staff, and great sound.
K: What’s on heavy rotation in the tour bus/ on your ipod?
AH: Old Delta blues from the 20s, Béla Bartók plays Bartók, Richard Swift, and Broadcast.
K: Who is your favorite new artist?
AH: Josh Mease. He's one of the most thoughtful and meticulous songwriters around. Each song fits together like a house of cards with no extraneous information blocking up the sentiment. People should play his songs.
K: What would be your dream collaboration and why?
AH: I'd love to work with Stevie Wonder. I've been moved by his music since I was a little kid. Judging by the songs he's written for other artists, he seems to be a very thoughtful and intuitive collaborator.
K: Tell us your craziest/most embarrassing band story, and make it a good one.
AH: I once drove the band to the wrong city. I guess I put the wrong address in the GPS, because we did fine following the directions. But when we got to the address, it was a suspicious building. We called the promoters and learned we were about 3.5 hours away. We gunned it across Massachusetts and played our gig about 3 hours late.
