Hello Mary

New York’s own Hello Mary opened the second day of Best Friends Forever Fest 2024 with a set of songs off their new album “Emita Ox”. 

The band formed when the members were in high school, and since then have gone on to play shows with bands like American Football, Silversun Pickups, Julie, and Dinosaur Jr. Hello Mary is currently on a headline tour with more upcoming dates in the U.S. following a string of dates in the U.K. earlier this year.

Hello Mary has established a sound that expertly weaves together all of their influences and individuality. I was lucky enough to catch their set, and even luckier to get to sit down and talk with the members. 

Michaela: Ok, could you guys just introduce yourselves and what you do in the band?

Stella: Yeah! I’m Stella, I play drums and I sing in the band

Mikaela: I’m Mikaela, I play bass and synth.

Helena: I’m Helena, I play guitar and sing

Michaela: Thank you! And Stella, I know it's your birthday, so I got you all a gift. I got you guys some Vegas socks. You guys can fight over which pair you want. 

Stella: That’s so sweet!

Mikaela: This is perfect because I just ran out of socks. 

Michaela: Oh good! Do you have any other plans for your birthday other than playing the fest?

Stella: Yes! There's a lot of bands that I want to see. I want to see Unwound really badly. Built to Spill, Jawbox, Mannequin Pussy, We might pop over and see them. But yeah, it’s gonna be fun. 

Michaela: Do you guys have other bands that you're excited to see today or tomorrow? I don’t know if you're staying…

Mikaela: We’re not staying, but I think every band today I’d be down to see. It's such a good lineup but especially Built to Spill, I've never seen them. 

Helena: Yeah, me too. I'm excited to see Unwound and Sunny Day (Real Estate) and Built to Spill.

Michaela: I feel like today is stacked.

Helena: Yeah, it really is. We got the best day.

Stella: Yeah we did. On my birthday!

Michaela: Your guys' set was awesome. I loved hearing some songs from the new album, it’s been out for, like, a month now. Has the release and rollout process changed any of the songs for you either just having an audience of listeners or playing them live?

Stella: Yeah, we certainly play the songs differently than they are on the album because, you know, live is a whole different thing and we have to figure out how to recreate the sounds with just three people as opposed to having multiple layers and a piano player. It's like, Mikaela’s playing all the piano parts and it just takes a lot to orchestrate that. 

We’ve also had fun sort of playing around with the form of songs and making them longer or shorter, adding different instruments that weren’t in the recordings. So yeah, it has kind of changed things, but in a good way.

Michaela: And I'm curious, Is there a story or any inspiration behind the name of the album (Emita Ox)

Mikaela: It was sort of random. I think it’s just something that’s fun to say primarily. That was the deciding factor I would say. Really satisfying words.

Michaela: Do you all have a favorite song that you get to play live?

Helena: Mine is 0%

Mikaela: Mine is also 0%

Stella: Same

Michaela: That’s the one that you’re screaming on, right?

Stella: Indeed

Michaela: That one’s fun to watch, too. And I know you guys have been playing together forever, or since you were younger, and have seen each other through shifting tastes and influences. Do you guys have any musical ground that you haven't covered that you're itching to get into?

Mikaela: That’s a cool question. I don’t know. I feel like we shift around so much I wouldn't be surprised….anything could happen.

Stella: I agree. I feel like everything we’ve put out has kind of changed. It could be three different bands between the albums. Obviously the self-titled and the ginger EP are more aligned. Obviously, it’s still Hello Mary, but it definitely feels like it’s changing and I think [when we release] the next record that’s going to happen even more and I’m excited to get into that.

Michaela: If you guys had to put together your own “Hello Mary Music Festival” with your own lineup of artists, who would you want on there?

Stella: PJ Harvey for me, and Bjork.

Mikaela: Can it be living or dead?

Michaela: Yeah!

Mikaela: The Beatles.

Helena: Radiohead, Nirvana, Portishead, Black Midi…

Mikaela: Jockstrap.

Helena: Blur, Oasis…

Mikaela : Shellac, Big Black…

Michaela: A wide range.

Helena: … and maybe like Beyonce? The Blue Man Group!

Mikaela: The Blue Man Group…wait…

Stella: The Blue Man Group needs to headline. We were maybe gonna go to The Blue Man Group today, but it didn't work out. 

Michaela: The Eagles are playing the Sphere, you could go see the Eagles.

Mikaela: Holy shit.

Stella: We could see the Eagles for my birthday…imagine if you guys were like “Hey here's tickets to the Eagles”

Mikaela: I love the Sphere though, I really want to see it. I think it’s really cool

*enter Lily Rutherford*

Lily: Dude, have you driven past it? 

Stella: Yes, I think so

Mikaela: Yeah

Lily: Did you see the giant cheeseburger on it?

Michaela: Yeah, there was a Big Mac just projected on the sphere.

Mikaela: I love that… so weird.

You can keep up with Hello Mary on the band’s Website, Instagram, and Spotify.