HALO CIRCUS WRANGLES AN URGENT NEW SOUND
Electro-pop duo finds praise, political venom aimed at new music
Halo Circus insists that its music is not political.
“Human, but not political,” says Matthew Hager, a Houston native and one-half of the electro-pop duo that also features “American Idol” alum Allison Iraheta. He’s talking about the band’s bracing new EP, “Robots and Wranglers.”
“I think we made an album that kind of held a mirror to where everything’s at. I don’t think we spent a lot of time judging. We just put sounds and lyrics to what we were experiencing.”
Iraheta, who just turned 26, calls the new sound “very fast and very loud.” The duo and spouses (they married in 2013) morphed from a thoughtful pop-rock quartet on 2016 album “Bunny” to the current sleek look and sound. Halo Circus performs Thursday and Friday at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck.
“The album needed to sound like the buzzing and the high, fast frequency that is this year,” Iraheta says. “Everyone is charged by this electricity.”
Indeed, “Robots and Wranglers” bristles with a noise and urgency that reflects the current state of the world. “Oh, Money!” ruminates on the dangers and necessity of financial gain. “Contact” is about the longing for a physical connection. “Got it Made” casts Iraheta as a cyberstalker who can “see everything in front of me” thanks to social media.
And first single “Narcissist” is a booming takedown of modern-day hypocrisy and is earning play across the country, including spins on The Buzz 94.5 FM. Though Hager says they’re simply “probing the narrative,” the song seems to take aim at a certain politician: “Here’s the way I run a country/I hate you, but I want you to love me/And don’t you ever stop thinking of me.”
The pointed new sound has made for some uncomfortable moments on tour.
“We’ve had venom spewed at us,” Hager says. “In Pittsburgh, a small crowd had to be asked to leave after interrupting one of our songs and drunkenly demanding both their money back and ‘freedom.’ At one of our Florida shows, not realizing that they booked a bilingual act, a drunken owner demanded we stop playing our song ‘Verdad,’ which means truth.
“We don’t get political onstage, and we have fans who are from both sides of the aisle. But something we are doing drives a certain type of person bananas.”
The ideal, of course, is the age-old adage and classic Madonna lyric: Music makes the people come together. It’s one Halo Circus continues to strive for.
“Being able to connect on a ‘Let’s explore’ level is not really allowed right now. That’s all we’re doing,” Iraheta says.
“That’s what art used to be. Let’s all explore together and raise questions together.”
Luckily, both Iraheta and Hager know how to handle wildly diverse crowds.
Iraheta, of course, lobbied for weekly votes on “American Idol,” finishing in fourth place behind Season 8 winner Kris Allen and runner-up Adam Lambert. She released a solo album in 2009 and, most recently, sang backup on the Nine Inch Nails single “Less Than” and alongside Luis Fonsi at Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy party. She served as a backup singer for several “Idol” seasons, performing alongside contestants and judge Jennifer Lopez.
“I’ve learned so much,” Iraheta says. “Jesus, being in the same room with Trent Reznor — absolutely the craziest experience of my life. I grew up being a huge fan. It’s also given me the opportunity to grow as a member of Halo Circus.”
Hager has performed alongside a slew of pop and rock acts, including Backstreet Boys, Mandy Moore, Scott Weiland and Duran Duran. He was Moore’s musical director for several years, helming the bulk of her TV and touring performances.
“‘I Wanna be With You’ — I played that song 85,000 times all across the world,” Hager says with a laugh.
“Allison and I both have a pretty deep range in terms of influences and styles that we’ve participated in. We each kind of remind each other that we can go deeper and that there’s further to go. I think we push each other in ways that no one else can.”