It’s pretty safe to say that 2020 just sucks. That isn’t stopping Half Past Two’s momentum though. Not only is the Southern California nine-piece ska band keeping busy with posting videos galore on their YouTube page of covers and other fun musical collaborations, but they also self-released a brand new EP called Something Blue. So, even though it’s tough out there right how, Half Past Two’s special blend of ska music, will go a long way to make your day a little brighter.
Formed in the mid-2000s, Half Past Two has been a staple in the Southern California ska scene. Sharing the stage with a veritable who’s who of ska’s biggest hitters, when not in quarantine, Half Past Two can be found on some of the biggest stages across California, including headline at Orange County staples like the Chain Reaction and The House of Blues.
Recently, lead singer Tara Hahn and guitarist / back-up vocalist Max Beckman took some time out of their day to discuss the new EP, the best part about being in a ska band, and the importance of representation in music.
I was reading a Hard Times article today that talked about teleporting to an alternate dimension where Trump isn’t president, but then teleporting back because ska was cool there. What is it about ska that it gets such a bad rep?
Max: I think the ‘bad rep’ ska has with many people comes down to a fundamental misunderstanding of our scene, specifically that we’re in on the joke! Ska is fun, danceable music and always has been. We enjoy poking fun at ourselves and our scene as much as anyone else.
Is it hard being a ska band these days? Was it easier when you first started out?
Tara: It’s easier to be a band and it’s easier to be a ska band. We started a long time ago, 2006. Ska was not hot and we were very young. We’ve been around long enough to have been through some stuff, 14 years! Now, we just do what we want, when we want. We have the resources and no one to tell us no.
And in the last couple of years, ska has become less of a dirty word. You’ll find so many new, quality ska bands, and there are a lot of new, eager fans.
Max: It’s nice to have a network of these new and new-ish ska bands all over the country (and world) and we’ve done our best to hook up with these bands during the whole pandemic. It helps everyone to share each other’s music, videos, etc. and our collaborations with these other bands have gotten ska fans super excited.
There aren’t many female-fronted bands in the independent music scene – ska or otherwise, which has never really made sense to me. Why do you think that is?
Tara: So many reasons. The obvious one is that the music industry isn’t kind to women, in general. And my personal experience is that women are expected to quit, for a job, for a spouse or a family, or whatever.
But also, I think we just don’t notice how many women are actually on stage or in a session. Often the vocalists are celebrated but not a drummer, or a guitarist, or a saxophonist. I’d argue their representation is as important as a front person’s.
This summer sees the release of your new EP, Something Blue, that features a new version of the song “Lyin’ Eyes.” What made you want to revisit it like you did?
Tara: “Lyin’ Eyes” has always been one of most popular songs, but we’ve changed since we first released it in 2007. The new version is more mature, it’s polished. It sounds like we’ve played it hundreds of times, haha. We saw the chance to update and release it again better than before and we took it; now, the song is perfect.
Listening to your whole catalog of music, there’s lots of influences, but the EP is a bit more honed into a more traditional ska sound. Is that what fans can expect more of in the future, or will you still have some of that same Third Wave ska punk edge to you?
Max: Something I’ve prided ourselves on from the beginning is incorporating many different styles of ska into our songs while still sounding like us. It’s an easy shorthand for us to say we’re a ‘ska-punk’ band (which we are) but from the beginning we’ve incorporated reggae, traditional ska, 2-tone, surf music, etc. into various songs. We’re currently working on a full length album and, while we’re definitely aiming to get some ska-punk bangers out there, the stylistic diversity isn’t going away and we’ll definitely work in some more traditional songs.
This time of year, “So Cal Summer” would be getting folks stoked for a great few months. It’s a bit different this year though. How is So Cal Summer 2020 going for you so far?
Tara: We’re making the best of a bad situation by staying busy as possible. We had always planned on releasing Something Blue one single at a time like we did, but it didn’t seem like enough to keep people excited… and we were bored, haha! Any idea that one of us has, we try it. We’ve released 12+ music videos since 2020 began, and we’re writing new music. It’s difficult not to be able to rehearse and hang out like we used to but it’s not forever, though it feels like it right now!
What’s the best way for fans to support you during these unprecedented times?
Max: As silly as it always sounds saying it, just following us on social media, favoriting and adding our songs to playlists on Spotify, subscribe to our YouTube channel, etc. make a huge difference. It’s not about posting big numbers, it just shows that there’s people out there that care and want to hear from us. And the more people that do these things, the more people will hear our music. We’re a ska band, we’re not in this for the money, we just want people to hear and enjoy our music. That’s what it’s all about.
On your new EP, you also covered a Beatles track. What made you pick “I Will?”
Tara: I learned the song in high school, so I knew it really well and it stuck with me. Max and I do acoustic ska covers on our YouTube channel and we wanted to try The Beatles, I just immediately thought of “I Will.” Then when the band was talking about the cover we wanted to include on Something Blue (we always have a cover, we love them), we thought it would be a good fit for the sound we were going for with the new EP. It’s fun and it’s sweet, and I really look forward to playing that one live in the future.
Are there any other covers on the horizon?
Tara: Totally! Always. The next cover is a collaboration we’re doing with our friend Amy Gabba. I’m not sure when it’s going to be coming out or if I’m not to talk about it. But it will be awesome, she’s so cool and she has got a great voice, and I’m excited to work together.
What is it about being in a band that brings you the most joy?
Max: So much! The camaraderie the nine of us share, hearing from fans all over the world…it’s the whole thing. I spent some time NOT being in a band and that’s not for me haha.
For the uninitiated, describe Half Past Two in ten words or less.
Max: A buddy of mine (who used to play sax in Rx Bandits) after listening to us for the first time described us like this: “Original, yet nostalgic. Poppy, but not sickeningly bubblegum, and not off-puttingly snarky.” OK that’s eleven words but indulge me!
What’s the first thing you’re going to do when the dust settles and the world is back to normal?
Max: Hopefully play a huge show for our album release!
Any last words?
Max: Stay safe, stay healthy, and please wear a mask.
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