Exclusive Interview with 'PINK FILMS'

Adam Hailstone, a producer and guitarist, is the brain behind Pink Films. Adam was born and raised in the Winchester area, and his music-loving father fostered his interest in bands like Fleetwood Mac and Pink Floyd. Adam, a former member of several regionally popular bands, began his career playing in small venues and intimate sold-out shows in Shoreditch and Tooting, London. Adam started to create his own brand of music using the mobile app GarageBand, which is a blend of surf-rock and synth-based music. There was never any intention of ever making this music available to the public, but a lot of his work uses lush bass lines and wavy melodies to comprehend and explore his feelings of social isolation and anxiety that comes from the inevitable recognition of one’s own trauma. Adam was a deeply private person who always preferred to blend in, concentrating on the creation rather than the performance of his art.
Over the course of two years, he wrote the FROM THE TOP FLOOR EP in his tiny spare bedroom in Brighton. It includes references to tributes, love, and loss. The name of the apartment refers to the fact that it is on the top floor of two other residences. He aimed to convey an energetic yet emotional vibe. Check out the EP and the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?

PINK FILMS: I come from the Winchester area and basically started music when I was fifteen or so. I played in some bands which achieved local success and a few sold out shows in London. After the bands went their separate ways I moved to Brighton to pursue my degree. During Lockdown I decided to pursue my solo project, all of which was composed and recorded by myself in my flat.

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

PINK FILMS: Primarily I had guitar lessons as a teenager but didn’t find them very helpful and ended up teaching myself how to play using tutorials and watching others play online. I have trained myself to pick up most songs by ear after listening a few times which is my party trick!

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘PINK FILMS’?

PINK FILMS: My dad had an eclectic music collection when I was growing up, that he had gained from many years of DJing in the ‘80s and his general love of music. My earliest memories of music was Michael Jackson and Fleetwood Mac – though Fleetwood Mac has informed my music more! I would consider my strongest influences to be Stevie Nicks, Matt Corby, and Tim McEwan of The Midnight for his production skills.

Pink Films was inspired by a mini skateboarding video entitled La Ville Rose, meaning the pink town. I love movies and I am often inspired by their scores.

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

PINK FILMS: My sound is very varied as I am inspired by many genres and sounds, but I try to place emphasis on synths and strong guitar-led melodies whilst maintaining an underlying and intriguing drum-lines. I have been described as indie alternative, dream-pop, and shoegaze, though I would never catagorise myself that way – which just shows how subjective music can be.

5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as INDIE?
**PINK FILMS**:
I think everyone goes through a phase of emulation, especially as a teenager. For example, when I was fifteen I wanted nothing more than to look like Luke Pritchard of the Kooks. By teaching myself songs by ear I became a stronger guitar player with a better understanding of how to construct a song and melody. Playing in the bands I created with friends gave me an insight into the industry with its benefits and challenges, as well as how to work collaboratively. I fell in love with the aesthetics and visuals of music and always wanted to create music that conjured an image in someone’s mind, whether it was what I had pictured or something of their own.

6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative and entertainment?

PINK FILMS:

I don’t mean to be political in my work, I just love to write and create music. My lyrics are generally based on my own life, losses and experiences. Music can definitely be used in a positive way, and I definitely try to create something that touches on issues that are relevant to me, such as overconsumption of media or body image issues created by online insecurities. I want my music to make people feel good and I am far more focused on the entertainment aspect and production, which is what I seek out in music.

7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfilment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

PINK FILMS:

I prefer the creation to the release of music – watching people stream my EP or waiting on reviews is the least fun part of the process! I am so proud of this record and all the work and effort put in because I never thought I would be in this position two years ago – not just that people are enjoying it, but merely the fact of completion and my own personal achievement, which is most important to me.

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

PINK FILMS:

Every song starts differently. I don’t have a particular order; sometimes I am inspired by something that happened to me that day, sometimes inspired by a guitar riff or drum beat I’ve made up, and I then run with it and see where it takes me. Sometimes it comes out terrible! But sometimes I can create something that feels worth pursuing. I have so many unfinished tracks on my computer and phone! The best thing about recording your own music is that you can record parts and bounce them down, listen to them outside of your studio or bedroom, and come at it from different directions. You can definitely get sucked in to one moment or aspect and add too much, overloading the track. I find that stepping back allows me to look at the bigger picture of where I think my music is going. I sit on the beach in Brighton or in a coffee shop to look back over the track.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

PINK FILMS: My dad passed away two years ago. It was very sudden and it really knocked me on my head. A lot of the EP is inspired by him. The interlude ‘1965’ is an instrumental song I wrote for my dad and it’s his birth year.

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

PINK FILMS: Completing this six track EP has been the highlight of my music journey so far. I had a few CDs made and it felt bizarre to hold something in my hand that I had created for myself. Thank you so much.