Get to know Jamie Lou & the Hullabaloo

Jamie Lou & the Hullabaloo

There is a ton of good music happening in Fayetteville these days, but you’d be hard pressed to find a local band with more momentum in the Fayetteville music scene right now than you’ll find with local folk/rock outfit, Jamie Lou & The Hullabaloo.

The band has been on a steady rise in recent years, gaining fans with each performance on the strength of the band’s stellar musicianship, the smooth voice of singer Jamie Lou Connolly, and the release of their 2017 EP, Femi-Socialite.

This month, the band will share the state with another stellar local band, Lost John, at a show set for Thursday, July 18 at George’s Majestic Lounge.

We got in touch with Jamie Lou via email recently, and she was nice enough to answer some questions for us.

What have you been listening to lately?
Lucas Nelson has a great new record out. Alot of Big Thief, Kurt Vile & The Violators, and Parcels

We can’t believe we’ve never had a chance to chat with you guys before. Tell us a little bit about how you guys started playing together.
We are glad we finally get to talk with you! After performing for a while as a solo artist, I formed a band and through the years it has taken different forms. Matt White (drums) has been in the group the longest and is responsible for the name “The Hullabaloo.” Garrett Brolund (lead guitar) joined next and that’s when we really started to see a change happen. Matt and Garrett truly personify that Hullabaloo element to the songs I bring in, that most often start as more Americana-esk softies, until they bring the rock. Peyton Finley (Bass) is the newest member and joined soon after we relocated to NWA.

We’ve been enjoying the Femi-Socialite EP. Are you guys playing a lot of songs off that record / how much material have you written since then?
So glad to hear you are enjoying it! We are still playing most of the songs off the EP but have incorporated a lot of new material in the last couple of months. Most of which is going to be on our upcoming Album ‘Dear Frances’. I typically write at least a song a month, sometimes it works for the band and sometimes they don’t, so I am unsure how many songs are lost in the abyss of my brain at this point lol

It seems like you guys have been playing out of town a little more lately. What are some fun places you’ve played, or venues that you like to play when you travel?
One of our favorite places to play is Four Quarter in Little Rock, really great folks and some of the best food around. We recently passed through the Deep Ellum area of Ft. Worth, Texas and really enjoyed it

How do you perceive the music scene in Fayetteville these days? What are some other local acts that are doing cool things?
The music scene in Fayetteville is definitely very active, I love how much the community supports music here. We love maybe too many bands in the area and just Arkansas in general to list off, BUT, Bones of the Earth, Lost John, and Cameron Johnson all came out with great records this year.

Tell us a bit about the show coming up at George’s with Lost John. It’s their album release, correct?

They will definitely be playing their record, which is super exciting as a fan. We will be opening the show and both of us playing in the lounge. There will be some collaboration happening between our bands, but you will just have to come to see it in action ;) The show starts at 9 p.m., and the cover is $8.

(Editors note: We found this video of the two band’s collaborating on a cover of ‘Helplessly Hoping’ by Crosby, Stills, and Nash.)

What is next for you guys? Any recording or touring plans in the works?
We are really trying to take space to focus on this record (Dear Frances) for the rest of the year, and release it by 2020, that year will also see a lot more touring. We are all travelers at heart and definitely miss the road.

Jamie Lou & The Hullabaloo – Highway Men