Hvshi

Rising pop punk star HVSHI has announced his forthcoming EP, beautiful, broken, due out December 15th. Of the EP, HVSHI has stated, “It’s okay to be broken and there is still beauty in that. That you’re always beautiful no matter what you’ve been through. That you have the strength and power to keep goin.” Originally the solo project of Shaden Nugent, it has grown to include Davey Banks as well. I had the opportunity to chat with HVSHI this week about the EP, and more!

MSM: For anyone who may not have heard of HVSHI yet, how would you explain your sound, and why should they check you out?

We'd like to think of our sound as a whirlwind of pop-punk, blues, and hip hop while drawing inspiration from the mid-west emo movement. Besides the immense energy and passion we bring to our live show, our music encompasses a spirit of life, youth, and relatability as we share our experiences.

MSM: Who are some of your biggest influences and how have they helped to shape your sound?

That's a real hard one... we listen to everything! Joan Jett, Everclear, Kid Cudi, Lil Lotus, Green Day, Wiz Khalifa, Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Nirvana... there's way too many. Haha.

MSM: How do you approach the songwriting process, and from where do you draw inspiration?

Honestly, the songwriting process is as simple as discussing whatever is weighing on the heart/mind at the moment and jamming some guitar until we have something we want to start recording. It's nice living with your bandmate so the music happens naturally. We draw most our inspiration for our songs from this human experience.

MSM: You have announced your latest EP. Can you talk about the creative process behind it, and any themes or messages that you are hoping to convey?

This EP, beautiful, broken, really developed over a matter of a few years. There was a lot of hammer and go 10 hour days and building studios in our apartments and hotel rooms. The main feel of the project is young love and learning to grow and move on from things you never expected to. From losing lovers to deaths of loved ones, all the while touring and finding new heights, the world can be a beautiful but horrific place and you have to dig deep and find yourself.

MSM: Do you have a favorite song or lyric from the forthcoming EP?

One of our favorites is BWYT or "Boxing With Your Tongue" for sure. We wrote the song in a cabin in L.A. Sha wrote the lyrics while quite literally in the middle of trying to patch a failed long-lost love over the phone (didn't work).

MSM: What are your goals for your music career, and where do you see yourself in five years?

Our goals are to keep making music that we love and enjoy. We want to keep growing, do bigger tours and festivals, and get our songs on the charts. Looking forward to gaining some maturity in ourselves and the industry in the coming years.

MSM: Are there any artists that you’d recommend that people may not have heard of?

Big shoutouts to some music we love and know is Rio Wiley, Crimmins, this Modern, Johnny Franco, Electric Pussycats, Sorry X, KRXS, Diva Bleach, and Sundressed. Also big shoutout on our project to Mike Snoody (Snoody Productions), Austin Jones, Thaddeus Hornung, Chase Warren, Chris Crimmins, and Thary for all the hard work you put into this project with us.

MSM: What else are you passionate about besides music?

Sha truly enjoys drift cars although we don't have money or time to actually do the build that he dreams of... he also likes skateboarding, moto, and hanging with his brothers/family.

Dave's main pleasures are reading, watching old movies about history, and being out in the wilderness.

MSM: What’s a fun fact that people may not know about you?

Sha's fun fact: He actually skipped 7th grade and graduated highschool with his Associate's Degree (before losing his mind).

Dave's: He is obsessed with dinosaurs and knows almost every species.. also has massive Lord of the Rings figurine battle setup.

MSM: Is there anything else that you’d like to share with your fans?

Lastly, we would just like to mostly thank our fans so much for showing up, supporting, streaming our music, and buying our merch. You guys are the absolute best and the only reason we even get to do any of this and keep us on the road doing shows. We love you and can't wait to meet all of you out there on tour someday! - Melanie Mae Bryan

The future is looking bright for Hvshi. With an upcoming EP release to mark the moment, they’re headed well on their way to making a name for themselves. Made up of Shaden Nugent and Davey Banks, Hvshi is a pop punk band sharing their origins from both Washington State and Arizona, giving them a fun and eclectic pop punk sound. With a new EP ‘Beautiful, Broken’ coming out on Dec. 15 and a few tours just around the corner, I was able to sit down with Shaden and Davey to chat about the band and what’s to come next.
This was such a fun interview to do because both Davey and Shaden are incredibly bubbly and so down to earth. As a way to get to know them, I asked about fun tour memories and must-haves while on tour. For most people, phone chargers are a must have but Davey made sure to note that having a Tolkien book is a must have for him. He also shared a funny tour memory of him falling asleep at Venice Beach, one of his favorite places, and even had Shaden bent over laughing at the memory of their manager finding him after he woke up.


While the two are quick to laugh or bring up a funny story, they’re still some of the most self aware musicians I’ve met. Throughout the entire interview, Shaden and Davey both mentioned their family multiple times and how great it is to have a family that supports them. Shaden mentioned the passing of his father and how that impacted him. But he was quick to bring up the young fan they brought on stage because she also lost her father recently. He mentioned that was an incredibly emotional moment for him and how impactful that moment was for him and how that was a cherished memory for him.
Shaden brought up his dad several times throughout the interview, one of the most common threads was his dad blaring music to wake him up as he was growing up. We talked about what music they listened to growing up and which bands influenced their own and they couldn’t name enough bands. Although the common thread was UK Rock (honestly, same), they mentioned so many bands ranging from 80’s bands, country, current hits music, and so many others. During this conversation, I was treated to both Shaden and Davey breaking out in, what I have to assume was, their best Elvis impression while they sang a bit of The King’s song ‘Suspicious Minds.’ Which was, without a doubt, quite a treat for me. While they may internally channel The King’s energy, there’s no denying how they resemble Motley Crue and they mentioned how often that gets point out to them. While they don’t mind the resemblance at all, they are proud of the separation they’ve recently had from the party lifestyle since they’ve stopped drinking.
Throughout the interview, the sober aspects of their future was a recurring topic. We talked about how much fun they’re having at shows and on tours while getting the added benefit of remembering it afterwards. While they’re not showcasing their lack of drinking publicly or trying to get attention for or because of it, they did say they are speaking up about it to hold themselves accountable. While they’re content if they decided to find a happy medium and start drinking again, the move from party-hard early twenties musicians to them now is notable even with how they talk about their upcoming EP and tours.

While they had shared memories of their previous tours, there was a lot of filling in blanks and gaps in the stories. Then when talking about their new EP and upcoming tours, it was great to see such pride and ownership coming from both Shaden and Davey. When talking about the EP they were both incredibly proud of the work they put into the EP and the people they got to work with. I’m big on people lifting others up and Shaden is right along with me. He shouted several bands and people out so many times throughout the interview I had him send a list to make sure I got them all covered. Shaden made sure to shout out Ghostheart, Thaddeus, Lasko (Chase Warren), and Mike Snoody for being such big parts of making this EP. He also wanted to make sure to shout outs to Rio Wiley, This Modern, Crimmins, Electric Pussycats, and Austin Jones.
Over the entire interview, both Davey and Shaden shared how important this EP is to them. It was so great getting to chat with them about this and seeing their passion. From seeing how important family is to them, to talking about their influences, support system, bands they’ve worked with, and how excited they are for their upcoming EP and tour, it was a pleasure getting to know more about these two. I’m excited to listen to their EP, out Dec 15, and see them on their East Coast tour in early 2024, and other tours to follow. We should all be excited to see what Hvshi has in store from here on out. - Olivia Rozinski

Welcome to Hvshi’s world, where music transcends boundaries and touches souls. In this captivating interview with krazyfi, Hvshi, the independent artist from Arizona and Washington, shares his remarkable journey, challenges faced, and the experiences gained through numerous events and tours. Aspiring independent artists will find valuable advice and insights from Hvshi’s wisdom. Get ready to be inspired by his recent release, “Know the Code,” featuring Dizzy Wright. Hvshi’s dedication to creating good music that resonates with people’s hearts is evident in every note he produces. Join us on this incredible musical odyssey and discover the power of Hvshi’s artistry. Subscribe now for more enchanting melodies and stay tuned for his upcoming projects!

Watch full interview video below - krazyfinds

Up and coming Longview based artist Hvshi has dropped a new project titled WAKE UP, a seven-track EP that effectively showcases his vocals while fusing many different genres together at the same time. While we’ve seen a multitude of songs released within the past year, this is the first full-length project that we have seen from him.

The most notable aspect about Hvshi’s EP WAKE UP is the variance of genres and influences that we hear throughout. While the entire project encompasses the hip-hop sound, we also encounter songs that incorporate R&B, soul, trap, and boom bap styles as well. The diversity of both sounds and genres presented throughout immediately sets WAKE UP apart from many other hip-hop releases that we see locally and in the mainstream community.

From listening start to finish, Hvshi presents thoughtful and introspective lyrics that are met with the delivery of abrasive and memorable punchlines. While he generally has an array of messages and topics showcased throughout, a common theme is the work ethic that he maintains with his music and the outlook he has with it. An example of this can be seen in his song “OWN 2” when he says “They just get lost in their pride/Running all day through the night.”

This translation of this messaging is felt instantly due to the melodic yet hard delivery that we see through all seven tracks. While Hvshi can mostly be heard singing, we can also hear more rhythmically based flows as well.

From the first few listens, one of the standout tracks includes “YEAH YEAH” which showcases thrilling synth work that provides a more upbeat vibe. Other notable tracks include trap-based “BATTING PRACTICE” and boom-bap inspired “WAKE UP.”

To put it simply, Hvshi is an artist that you don’t want to sleep on due to the versatility that we hear vocally and instrumentally. The combination of different genres and production mixed with relatable and thoughtful lyrics is a highly refreshing aspect that can be heard throughout all of his music. - Respect My Region

In early April, Longview hip-hop artist Hvshi was getting ready for his first hometown show after a tour around the country with Indianapolis rapper Mark Battles. But after an abrupt cancellation by Battles, Hvshi’s homecoming was sidelined.

Now, this Saturday (May 26) at Stageworks Northwest Theatre, Hvshi will not only get to perform at the Longview show he was promised — he is headlining.

“This kind of makes it awaited, because you know, we waited to do it,” Hvshi, 19, said of his show. “I just hope that all the support comes through and (the show) gets to be as big as we dreamt up.”

According to Andrew Kiggins, Hvshi’s manager and owner of Longview-based Greenhouse Promotions, Battles’ West Coast shows were cancelled due to his label, prominent Atlanta-based company Quality Control (which has superstars Migos and Lil Yachty on its roster) and its desire to have Battles perform more shows in the South.

“It was kind of rough … but it’s just industry stuff,” Hvshi said of the cancellation. “He’s going through his stuff and dealing with his label, I’m trying to deal with our side of things. It’s a lot of pressure.”

Hvshi is prepping for a big summer beyond just his headlining show: His first music video is expected to drop this weekend as well, and “The WakeUp” EP will follow a week or two later.

Following on the homecoming theme, the video for the single “WakeUp” was shot on Commerce Avenue last week. Hvshi said the video reminisces on him and his friends growing up and goofing around in Longview’s downtown.

“I’ve always loved Commerce for some reason,” he said. “It’s like the main street in our town, and our town’s not huge. I used to live right on 16th (Avenue), so me and my friend would come down here, mess around, walk into thrift stores, stop at Lynn’s (Ice Cream) and get lunch.”

Hvshi and Kiggins, who is also from Longview, are always on the lookout for local settings for videos. During Hvshi’s interview with The Daily News, he and Kiggins noticed Tildon’s Barber Shop on Commerce and gushed about how its old-school atmosphere would be perfect for filming.

“You see, inspiration comes from anywhere,” Kiggins said.

Saturday’s show will also feature many other local artists backed by Greenhouse, including local high school rappers Yhung N.A. and Saige, who attend Kelso and R.A. Long high schools, respectively.

Hvshi said he’s excited to see the performances from the up-and-comers, particularly Yhung N.A., his little brother.

“He’s been doing pretty good in the high schools, getting that buzz going,” Hvshi said of Yhung N.A. “There’s a couple dope artists coming up through here.”

Kiggins said he hopes that with Hvshi and his contemporaries, a hip-hop hotbed can begin to blossom in an area which, besides inspiring the name of a classic Green Day single, hasn’t had much influence on modern music.

“We’re about to build this Longview scene, man,” he said. “Longview doesn’t have a music scene in general, but hip-hop is so popular with the youth.”

Hvshi said beyond his show Saturday, the new video and the EP, fans should prepare themselves for more music.

“Just be ready,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of things in the works the past couple months, but we’ve been quiet and grinding.” - TDN News

Longview, WA recording artist Hvshi has dropped a late summer heater titled “Yeah Yeah” and it’s clocking some views.

The hook on this record is pretty catchy. With the counter creeping towards fifteen thousand views in a few days, it’s clear a few people have been hooked. The feel on the verses draws some inspiration from classic hip-hop sing song vibes while the hook brings out a touch of EDM-pop influenced production. Listen below! - Respect My Region