Hellogoodbye to play for first time ever on Maui
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Headed by super talented musician Forrest Kline, the Los Angeles-based band Hellogoodbye will make its Maui debut at the Paia Bay Coffee & Bar on Dec. 20.
Having performed in Honolulu a few times, Kline says, "I've never even been to Maui. I'm really looking forward to it."
Some proceeds from the show will benefit a Christmas toy drive.
Hellogoodbye's most recent album, "S'only Natural," received rave reviews, with Heard praising, "the sexual groove of a funk odyssey," while Allmusic lauded: "It's a sound other people have done, but the sheer hookiness of the songs make them sound fresh."
And Medium noted: "Part disco, part funk, and still full of expertly crafted unsuspecting string arrangements 'S'only Natural,' offers up moments for grooving and pondering all the same."
"There are a lot of influences on there," says Kline. "I listen to everything now, and obviously Quincy Jones is the king, so I try to channel some of that."
Along with the funk, there's gorgeous classic '50s style ballads on the album like "Honeymoon (Forever)."
"That record represents both polarities," he adds. "That show's the two sides."
Having evolved over the years since their debut in 2001, Kline describes Hellogoodbye's sound as "definitely eclectic, somewhere between kind of a '60s sunshine baroque pop into more funk-based, sometimes electronic, funk-based. But it's usually one of those two things. I love Brian Wilson and I love Prince."
A multi-instrumentalist who played almost everything on the band's 2013 album, "Everything is Debatable," Kline will perform as a duo on Maui playing 'ukulele.
"It will be me and a drummer," he says. "I've gone from being like a classic three to four piece, expanding it up to like a six, seven, eight, nine pieces, and then back and forth doing solo, duo and a trio. I play guitar and keys and bass and drums, and this is going to be a 'ukulele gig. That's actually all I brought on this trip. I played the 'ukulele many times throughout the years. I put on an EP version of two records that are on 'ukulele. So I've always loved the instrument."
Starting his first band at Huntington Beach High School, this musical alchemist "grew up loving American oldies."
"I love doo-wop, love those melodies and I got pretty obsessed with that kind of stuff," he says. "Then I discovered punk, NOFX, Blink-182, The Vandals. I got a guitar at about 13, and since then it's just been music."
According to Allmusic, when Hellogoodbye initially formed, "they were quirky, fun-loving emo rockers from California," who "infused its playful brand of indie power pop with sugary sweetness, catchy dance beats, and enough energy to tire a group of 5-year-olds."
Releasing their debut album, "Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!," in 2006, they scored a hit with "Here (In Your Arms)." The Punk Site noted the album "is heavily synthesized, keyboard laden, pop-punk and most importantly, it's fun, entertaining, poppy, upbeat and catchy."
In late 2009, the band began posting covers on their website, including a version of John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" and the Beatles' "Do You Want to Know a Secret." They later released a cover of the Beach Boys' hit "Barbara Ann."
For their second album, "Would It Kill You?," the band shifted to a lush indie pop sound with Slant Magazine praising that "Hellogoodbye celebrates their conversion into pop masters by finally putting all the sweet and airy elements together into perfect cooperation."
Since "S'only Natural," Kline has released a few singles including the sublime "Stop Acting Like You Know More About the Internet Cafe Than Me."
"I've got more than a record now," he says. "I'm just kind of biding my time, putting it together, and we'll release that next year."
He also paid tribute to his idol Brian Wilson, recording a cover of the epic "God Only Knows."
"It did feel illegal," he says. "I did feel like, don't touch that. But I played it just for myself enough times, and I was like, may as well lay it down and put it out. But it is hallowed ground that I was treading very lightly on."
Hellogoodbye will perform at the Paia Bay Coffee & Bar at 8 p.m. Dec. 20. Tickets are $20 at eventbrite.com. Drop-off boxes will collect toys to be donated to local children.