Lzzy Hale Explores the Origins of Halestorm’s Hits on ‘How I Wrote That Song’
In “How I Wrote That Song,” Lzzy discusses Halestorm’s “I Get Off,” plus cover songs, and how activism plays a role in her writing, and more.
Lzzy Hale has been writing and performing with her band Halestorm for over half of her life. Over the past two decades, she’s released gold and platinum-selling albums with plenty of chart-toppers at rock radio, all while shattering the status quo with her powerhouse vocals and bold lyrics.
In this installment of How I Wrote That Song, Radio Sara asks Lzzy about her biggest hits, going back to when Halestorm came out swinging in 2009 with the single “I Get Off.” Despite the saucy title, the song's first draft was actually about how the band won over a few hardened record executives in the audience at a live showcase.
When Lzzy developed the lyrics further with a writing collective called The Girls, she explains: “I was telling them this story [about the show] and one of them - and this is why I love writing with women, because our sense of humor is the same - was like, 'Oh, so you got off on them enjoying what you do'... and we took over this piano, in the lobby of this hotel, and were singing 'I get off on you, getting off on me,' just totally annoying everybody around us.”
She adds with a laugh, “It originally didn’t start from sex, but it definitely grew its own legs!”
Sara and Lzzy also discuss the Grammy-nominated song “Uncomfortable” and a new track called “Terrible Things.” Along the way, they touch on her unexpected radio hit with Daughtry this year, swapping gender perspectives in song lyrics, and how activism plays a role in her writing process.
Note: This interview was originally recorded in March 2023.
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EVANESCENCE & HALESTORM
with special guest LILITH CZAR
January 16th, 2022 at BB&T Pavilion
Photos by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence
Amy Lee of Evanescence / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence
Will Hunt of Evanescence / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Halestorm
Lzzy Hale of Halestorm / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence
Amy Lee of Evanescence / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Halestorm
Joe Hottinger of Halestorm / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Halestorm
Lzzy Hale & Joe Hottinger of Halestorm / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence & Halestorm
Fans rockin' out to Lilith Czar, Halestorm, and Evanescence at BB&T Pavilion in Camden, NJ on January 16th, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Halestorm
Arejay Hale of Halestorm / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Halestorm
Lzzy Hale of Halestorm / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence & Halestorm
Fans rockin' out to Lilith Czar, Halestorm, and Evanescence at BB&T Pavilion in Camden, NJ on January 16th, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence
Amy Lee of Evanescence / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence
Evanescence / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence
Amy Lee of Evanescence / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence & Halestorm
Fans rockin' out to Lilith Czar, Halestorm, and Evanescence at BB&T Pavilion in Camden, NJ on January 16th, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Halestorm
Lzzy Hale of Halestorm / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Halestorm
Josh Smith of Halestorm / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Halestorm
Arejay Hale of Halestorm / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence & Halestorm
Fans rockin' out to Lilith Czar, Halestorm, and Evanescence at BB&T Pavilion in Camden, NJ on January 16th, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Halestorm
Joe Hottinger of Halestorm / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence
Amy Lee of Evanescence / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Halestorm
Lzzy Hale of Halestorm / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Halestorm
Lzzy Hale of Halestorm / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence & Halestorm
Fans rockin' out to Lilith Czar, Halestorm, and Evanescence at BB&T Pavilion in Camden, NJ on January 16th, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence
Amy Lee of Evanescence / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence
Evanescence / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence
Amy Lee of Evanescence / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Halestorm
Lzzy Hale of Halestorm / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Halestorm
Joe Hottinger of Halestorm / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence
Amy Lee of Evanescence / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence
Evanescence / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence
Amy Lee of Evanescence / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence
Evanescence / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence
Amy Lee of Evanescence / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence
Evanescence / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence
Evanescence / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence
Amy Lee of Evanescence / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence
Amy Lee of Evanescence / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence
Amy Lee of Evanescence / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence
Amy Lee of Evanescence / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
Evanescence
Amy Lee of Evanescence / BB&T Pavilion / Camden, NJ / January 16, 2022 / Photo by Bill Raymond/Digital Noise Mag
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