Hazia

Anchorage is a city known for its large musicians collective. If you’re a musician who plays in bands around town, chances are you know somebody who knows somebody. So it’s no surprise that Hāzia, a newcomer to the Anchorage music scene, is a supergroup of musicians who are all familiar faces. Hāzia is comprised of Andy Tholberg on guitar and vocals; Dan Zawodny on guitar; Billy Tango on bass synth and Casio; Cody Jones on lead synth; and Greg Geddes on drums.
The band’s odyssey began in early 2015 with Andy Tholberg, of whom Hāzia is the brainchild. Their earliest demo, still accessible on Bandcamp, was composed solely by Tholberg and showcased the vision he had for Hāzia before meeting the rest of the band. It didn’t take long for chemistry to click between the fivesome, however. “We wrote 'Here We Go' during out first practice,” Tango says. “It was the first time we had ever played together.”
In Zawodny’s own words, the beginning of Hāzia was “kismet.” Tango admitted that he’d never had an experience like it before, where a group of musicians got together in one room and immediately “vibed” with one another. “It was just a combination of good musicianship and like minds and we never really had to talk about what we were going to sound like,” Zawodny says.
The band was quick to come together musically, and their sound elevated even further when Tango switched from bass guitar to bass synth. “I told him to bring his synth to practice one day,” Tholberg says. “Mostly because I wanted to play it.”
Now, four months later, their sound is heavier, a little less pop and a little more rock. “It was kind of natural that the sound got bigger,” Zawodny explains. “With two guitars and the switch from bass guitar to bass synth, as well as Greg [Geddes] on drums, it was natural that we had a more expansive sound then we were first expecting.”
“It’s one of those things were it almost seems like on paper it shouldn’t work because you’ve got these heavy, borderline depressing rock songs,” Tango says. “And then I start playing all this keyboard stuff that’s like Missing Persons and Duran Duran.” Zawodny gives ample credit to the fact that the five musicians all come from different musical backgrounds and have different musical inspirations. “I think there’s definitely middle ground where we all enjoy melody, we all enjoy a certain amount of weight and heaviness to a song,” he says.
During a Thursday band practice in a small guesthouse behind an Eagle River home, Hāzia shows off their incredible stage presence. Watching the five men perform together is hypnotic. There’s such ease between them, an appearance of total confidence in their abilities. With some bands it’s easy to feel like each member is off in their own little world, adding their part to the sound but still distinctly separate; with Hāzia, the instruments flow together seamlessly. It’s hard to figure out where one guitar part ends and another begins, or when it’s Jones or Tango playing synth.
While Hāzia is friendly and admittedly a little goofy, it’s all business during practice. Often, they flow from one song into another with no more than a brief sentence from one member deciding which song they should practice next. At one point, there’s a brief silence in which Tango, with a chuckle, admits that he’s not sure what they should practice next. “We have this problem every time we practice,” Jones explains.
It’s true what they say, though; practice does make perfect. In the short time the five men have been together as a band, Hāzia has become well known for putting on a good show. When told of their captivating stage presence, the boys of Hāzia become extremely modest. Where exactly does that stage presence come from? “There was no conversation like, ‘Alright, this is how we’re going to act onstage,’” Zawodny explains. Jokingly, Tango adds, “I have it super easy; I just have to stand there and look super intense. Just do like the Vince Clarke thing and we’re good.”
Most recently, the band has been in the studio recording a debut album. The plan for the album is to have about 11 tracks, but it’s a long and arduous process that’s also extremely expensive. When it’s all said and done the band hopes to have the album out in late spring or early summer next year. “We’d like to do CDs, get it pressed for vinyl and possibly even do thumbdrives for digital downloads,” Zawodny explains.
Meanwhile, as they wait for everything in their debut to be mixed down and polished up, the band plans on keeping busy. “We’re gonna write more, practice more and keep looking forward toward the second [album],” Tholberg says. That, and doing what they do best: putting on a damn good live show. - Anchorage Press