With four full-length albums under their belts and millions of adoring fans, it makes sense that Chicago-based, alternative rock five piece, Kill Hannah, hits us with a jaw-dropping tour to support their new  limited edition 2008 album, Hope For the Hopeless.     

Consisting of mostly b-sides, rarities and unreleased songs, the album is candy to the ears of Kill Hannah fans who have been waiting for more fire.  

We caught up with Dan Wiese, the guitarist and background vocalist for the band, and this is what was said:  

StopBeingfamous:  What’s the best thing about being on the Hope for the Hopeless tour?

Dan Wiese:  The best thing about this tour is that I finally feel like we’re doing a proper American headlining tour on our own terms.  We’re playing longer sets of the songs we like, and we have three amazing opening acts.  We’re also stepping up the production in that we have a spectacular light show that really fits our sound.  This is the best Kill Hannah has ever been.   
 
SBF:  What is your most memorable performance to date?

DW:  There are way too many memorable performances to choose from.  Off the top of my head, I think very fondly of our Earls Court Festival show last year in London.  I think that there were about 20,000 people singing along.  And it was at the same venue that Pink Floyd performed their famous “Wall” concerts in 1980.  It’s at those moments, when you step back and look at the sea of faces, that you really appreciate your place in the greater musical picture. 
 
SBF:  When did you guys first know that Kill Hannah was going to be a success?

DW:  Success is elusive.  I'm proud of our band, and what we’ve accomplished and what we’ve overcome.  But there hasn’t been any singular moment where I feel like we’ve achieved a next level of success.  I did just receive a photo of our album on sale in a store in Japan.  With Japanese writing and everything.  That made me feel good. 
  
SBF:   Nice! How do you guys choose the songs you'll play at concerts?

DW:  There’s no formula.  We just choose the songs that we like and that we think the audience will like.    
 
SBF:  Has a fan ever gone overboard?

DW:  Yes, several times.  It’s actually been kind of frightening at times.  I probably shouldn’t go into any details.

SBF:  Ha.  Okay.  Over the years Kill Hannah has gained a huge following, how do you feel about your old school fans versus your newer fans?  Are new school fans more rowdy?

DW:  A lot of the newer fans try to mosh to every single song, and obviously not every song is mosh-worthy.  I guess I’m glad that they’re enthusiastic, but the fans that have been around for a while probably have a better time listening to and appreciating the songs.  The new ones will get there though.   

SBF:  You guys are around some rather popular personalities, have you ever been star struck?

DW:  I think I got over being star struck a long time ago.  Although, when we first started the Velvet Revolver tour, I regressed to being a teenager the first time I saw Slash (of Guns and Roses) walking around backstage with that top hat on. 

 
SBF:  Which one of your songs would you say gets the biggest reaction from a crowd?

DW:  At this point, probably “Lips Like Morphine.”  
 
SBF:  If you could collaborate with another musician or band, who would it be?

DW:  That’s a good question.  We’ve been thinking a lot about new recordings, so my mindset is sort of producer-oriented at the moment.   I’d love to record with Daniel Lanois or Kevin Shields (former front-man for My Bloody Valentine). 
 
SBF: In the past, you've covered "Rebel Yell," a Billy Idol tune.  In the future, do you guys plan on doing more covers?

DW:  Probably.  Although I’d like for our covers to be of more obscure songs, and hopefully drastically different interpretations. 
 
SBF:  Which do you prefer, being in the studio or playing live?

DW:  They’re totally different experiences.  We’re coming to the end of a long tour right now, so I’m looking forward to recording a bit more.  
 
 
SBF: Have there been fans you've kept in touch with over the years?

DW:  There are a lot fans that travel and will come to dozens of shows in a row.  So seeing them every night is staying in touch.  I like seeing familiar faces.   
 
SBF: Buses and greenrooms can get rather cramped.  How well do you guys get along on tour?

DW:  We get along really well.  Everyone needs some privacy once in while, but it’s nice to have so many friends around. 
 
SBF: Which Kill Hannah video was the most fun to make?

DW:  Probably the recent “Boys and Girls” video.  We pretty much just hung around with Chicago friends all day. 
 
SBF:  Which do you prefer, playing in the U.S. or Europe?

DW:  At the moment, things are really great for us in Europe, so I like it there; especially when we have opportunities to check out the architecture.     
 

SBF: What business advice do you have for aspiring musicians? 

DW:  It’s really, really tough out there.  But if you’re sure that this is what you want, don’t give up and you’ll get there. End of Interview