Photo Credit Pharmadiver/Kim Hansen Photography
Metal Inside(r) Home Quarantine is Metal Insider’s new column during this time of isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We asked artists five questions on what’s been keeping them busy ranging from their favorite movies, food they’ve been eating, music they’ve been listening to and more. We caught up with Stabbing Westward frontman Christopher Hall as he’s been spending this time readjusting to recording music at his home studio and homeschooling his kids.
What have you been doing to pass time during Quarantine?
Homeschooling my 4- and 6-year-old boys. I never realized first grade was so hard. I’ve also been attempting to finish recording our new album in my little bedroom studio, but it’s been really difficult with no time alone. I get really uncomfortable singing when I know someone can hear me. I know that sounds strange. Clearly I love to sing in front of people on stage. But in my guest room I’m wearing headphones so no one can hear the music. Just Dad screaming like an insane person.
Have you been listening to any music or have any playlists worth checking out?
My current musical obsession is Gary Numan’s Savage album. It’s an amazing album and so appropriate for the times. It’s awe-inspiring to see him still making such great music decades after his first hits. It makes me hopeful that I can still have something valuable to offer.
A lot of people have been spending this time cooking including making their own bread, what food have you been prepping during this time?
At first we had to get pretty creative with whatever we had in our freezer. sometimes it felt like an episode of “Chopped.” What can I do with leftover crab cake appetizers, frozen ravioli and a can of gumbo? I’ve learned how to make Crème Brule, raspberry scones, and cocktails from whatever I have in the liquor pantry. I’m down to rum at this point and feeling very Jack Sparrow.
In terms of entertainment, what movies, TV shows, books, or games have been keeping you busy?
I feel like I should be binge watching some great Netflix shows, but by the time I get the kids to sleep it only leaves me a couple of hours to work on music. When I try to chill for the half-hour before I go to bed I usually just put on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” or “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” and even that stresses me out. Books have been my savior. I’m bouncing between “The Dresden Files”/Jim Butcher books and a bunch of “Jack Reacher”/Lee Child books I grabbed from the library the day they were closing. I pulled my Nintendo Wii out of the garage and my boys have been trying to conquer Lego Batman: The Videogame for the last two months. I can’t watch. I keep trying to grab the controls. The one kind of cool thing about the lockdown is that I’ve cut my phone screen time to under 10 minutes a day. That’s been amazingly liberating. My phone tells me my screen time is down 92% from two months ago when I would spend six hours falling down the rabbit hole.
What advice do you have for your fans in isolation during this time?
Just hang in there. We will all get through this together. Be kind. Be patient.
