The Hails Expand Their Debut Album With 'What's Your Motive (Deluxe)'

The Hails expand upon their debut album with the release of What's Your Motive (Deluxe). Further waxing their penchant for well-polished experimentation and all-consuming storytelling, the deluxe album features two new tracks, fan-favorite “Stay,” and a remix of “Fiona” by Magic City Hippies.

Originally released in September of 2023, the band's debut record is an orbit of grief and reconciliation over growing pains, both individually and with each other. The two new tracks “Swat the Sun” and “All the Leaves” are tender cuts that fit the album's progressively zooming out view of what happens when you break the cycle of complacency, but with an even more exposed point of view. 

“‘Swat the Sun' was a track that appeared to me right after we played Okeechobee Fest in 2022,” shares bandleader Robbie Kingsley. “On the way back home from the festival, I was irritated about the hot, Florida sun blasting through my window and I uttered to everyone in the car, ‘I wish I could swat the sun.' It sounds insane but that's actually what happened. Immediately after I blurted it out, I told Franco that it sounded like a cool lyric, so I wrote it in my phone to save for later. I woke up the next morning with a melody in my head so I grabbed a guitar and figured out the chords as fast as I could in fear of losing what I woke up humming.”

He continues, “In a way, it was the song that actually helped craft the narrative for the album. Most of the songs on the record were completed by the time I wrote ‘Swat the Sun,' but the line ‘don't leave the light on that we rely on' really struck a chord with me in my life at that point. The waves of complacency were heavy on my mind and I was trying to break out of it desperately. This song felt like a major step forward in my own personal music journey and the album felt like a massive step forward for us as a band. Including ‘Swat the Sun' and ‘All the Leaves' feels like a perfect bow on the beautiful box that ‘What's Your Motive' has been for us.”

Ahead of the deluxe release, the band made this announcement with a live session of their most streamed song to date, “Stay” — a staple of the band's catalog since formation. Prior to that, The Hails unveiled the designs for their vinyl pre-order in collaboration with New Cosmos Records. Within days, all three vinyl variants were sold out.

Kicking off tonight in Houston, The Hails are back on the road for the second leg of their headline tour. This run sees The Hails supported by California garage rock band Foxtide and Georgia indie-pop outfit Hotel Fiction. Most recently announced, The Hails will team up with their longtime friends in flipturn for a couple Florida shows in April, and then make their Governors Ball debut in June. All tour info can be found here and below.

UPCOMING TOUR DATES

February 1 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall ^

February 2 - Dallas, TX - Club Dada ^

February 3 - Austin, TX - Mohawk (Inside) ^ (SOLD OUT)

February 7 - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar ^

February 8 - San Diego, CA - Voodoo Room at House of Blues ^ (SOLD OUT)

February 9 - Los Angeles, CA - Moroccan Lounge ^ (SOLD OUT)

February 11 - San Francisco, CA - Brick and Mortar ^

February 13 - Portland, OR - Mission Theater ^

February 14 - Seattle, WA - Barboza ^

February 16 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court ^

February 17 - Denver, CO - Lost Lake ^

February 20 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry*

February 21- Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club*

February 23 - Indianapolis, IN - Hi Fi*

February 24 - Columbus, OH - The Basement*

February 27 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle Back Room*

April 13 - Jacksonville, FL - on sale Friday

April 25 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Revolution Live #

April 26 - St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus Live #

June 4 - Charleston, SC - on sale Friday

June 5 - Charlotte, NC - on sale Friday

June 6 - Washington, DC - on sale Friday

June 9 - Flushing Meadows Corona Park, NY - Governors Ball 

^ with support from Foxtide

* with support from Hotel Fiction

# supporting flipturn

All tour info here.

photo by Luke Rogers

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