Have to Have Interview
Q: Can you talk about how the band formed and your musical history? Something about expired passports?
A: After graduating from college, I (Julián Berdegué, frontman for Have To Have) went to England to start a band. After over a year across the pond, I found out that the only way to keep my Spanish passport (which was allowing me to live in England at the time) was to live and work in Spain for a year. That’s when I decided that the best option was to move to Austin, Texas, and start anew. I first met Dominic Neri (our drummer) a few weeks before moving to Austin in January 2018 over a Craigslist ad that landed us a jam together. Jonathan More (our bass player) came around that April - also a match made in Craigslist. Finally, Mitchell Stuart joined the band in August, and it was then that we really started to get the ball rolling/sound like ourselves. Fast forward to January 2019 - we hit the studio; then again to May 24th - we released Obscuriosity.
Q: Obscuriosity is your debut album. What were some of the inspirations behind its creation? and name?
A: As far as songwriting goes, this was a handpicked selection of songs I wrote between my time in England and the day the band was complete. As for the sonic outcome of putting a prog rock drummer, a punk-driven bass player, a rock guitarist and a songwriter in the same room, we can say it inspired a sense of what ultimately became the name of our first album: Obscuriosity. It’s old-school-meets-new-school-meets-skipping-class.
Q: What is your creative process like?
A: It starts with introducing a song I’ve written (the founding chord structure and the words) to the band. Once it hits our practice room, nothing is off the table, and given our diverse musical backgrounds, tastes and preferences, something refreshing (for us at least) is always around the corner.
Q: Can you talk about how the band formed and your musical history? Something about expired passports?
A: After graduating from college, I (Julián Berdegué, frontman for Have To Have) went to England to start a band. After over a year across the pond, I found out that the only way to keep my Spanish passport (which was allowing me to live in England at the time) was to live and work in Spain for a year. That’s when I decided that the best option was to move to Austin, Texas, and start anew. I first met Dominic Neri (our drummer) a few weeks before moving to Austin in January 2018 over a Craigslist ad that landed us a jam together. Jonathan More (our bass player) came around that April - also a match made in Craigslist. Finally, Mitchell Stuart joined the band in August, and it was then that we really started to get the ball rolling/sound like ourselves. Fast forward to January 2019 - we hit the studio; then again to May 24th - we released Obscuriosity.
Q: Obscuriosity is your debut album. What were some of the inspirations behind its creation? and name?
A: As far as songwriting goes, this was a handpicked selection of songs I wrote between my time in England and the day the band was complete. As for the sonic outcome of putting a prog rock drummer, a punk-driven bass player, a rock guitarist and a songwriter in the same room, we can say it inspired a sense of what ultimately became the name of our first album: Obscuriosity. It’s old-school-meets-new-school-meets-skipping-class.
Q: What is your creative process like?
A: It starts with introducing a song I’ve written (the founding chord structure and the words) to the band. Once it hits our practice room, nothing is off the table, and given our diverse musical backgrounds, tastes and preferences, something refreshing (for us at least) is always around the corner.
Q: The album is a fun rock album from beginning to end. That being said deeper themes lie beneath the surface? Can you talk about that?
A: In short, Obscuriosity celebrates the outlier. Set the tone - get your own.
Q: The band has only been together for about a year. How has the chemistry developed since its inception?
A: What started out as “we are bandmates, and we all have quirks that need getting used to” has become “I love your idea for this song as much as I love that thing you do that bothers me.” And musically, it’s showing more and more. This album is a milestone, but the songs we’ll be releasing in the next few months bear witness to the melting pot that H2H has kept its sights on.
Q: What else should we know about Have To Have?
A: You have to have it.
A: In short, Obscuriosity celebrates the outlier. Set the tone - get your own.
Q: The band has only been together for about a year. How has the chemistry developed since its inception?
A: What started out as “we are bandmates, and we all have quirks that need getting used to” has become “I love your idea for this song as much as I love that thing you do that bothers me.” And musically, it’s showing more and more. This album is a milestone, but the songs we’ll be releasing in the next few months bear witness to the melting pot that H2H has kept its sights on.
Q: What else should we know about Have To Have?
A: You have to have it.