Guelph duo nominated for Hamilton Music Awards’ Pop Recording of the Year
Hello Harvard, comprised of Guelph’s Andrew Bontempo and Johnny Pomykacz, has been nominated for Pop Recording of the Year by Hamilton Music Awards.
Hello Harvard released the track “Trappers” almost a year ago, cleverly breaking their way into the headphones of many U of G listeners. The track’s heavy swing drumline, combined with Bontempo’s ultra-pop vocals, makes for an exciting listen. One cannot listen to “Trappers” without feeling the need to tap their feet.
“In My Head,” on the other hand, is an older track that showcases Bontempo’s acoustic skills. “In My Head” brings to light Bontempo’s pop/punk inspired vocals.
“You’re Mine” and “Falling Fast” are two new tracks that have not yet been released by the duo; however, I had the opportunity to give them a listen. Let me tell you, “You’re Mine” might just be my new morning wake-up jam. Bontempo has always been inspired by Blink 182, and this inspiration is clear in these two not-yet-released recordings.
D.S.: What was your inspiration behind the track “Falling Fast?”
A.B.: The track was inspired by a lot of things. I’ve always wanted to make a really upbeat song that just made people smile when they listen to it. Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of pop tracks, which has shifted my focus on a lot more melody-driven guitar riffs and vocal lines. As for inspiration behind the story line, I believe everyone, at some point in their life, can say they have fallen fast for someone. I know I have. I really wanted this song to paint that picture. I wanted to capture the image that you would do anything for that person no matter where they were in the world.
D.S.: How has it been being a student and coming out with a new EP? Are there challenges? Are some days more difficult than others?
A.B.: I’m not gonna lie. It’s hard. It’s always tough to balance everything from music, school to friends. I had a lot of these songs already written, so now the hard part is just recording them and making them sound sick. I think the biggest challenges for me are trying to balance friendships and music. If I’m not working on school-work, I’m pretty focused on getting the EP finished. But for sure, some days are a lot harder than others. It’s always tough being a fulltime student here at the university while simultaneously trying to make it as a musician.
D.S.: What is it like being nominated for the Hamilton Music Awards for Pop Recording of the Year?
A.B.: It’s such an amazing feeling. Just even being considered for any award is a great feeling. I’m just really happy for the nomination by the HMA’s and alongside some big names.
D.S.: What vision do you have for your upcoming EP?
A.B.: This is my first real EP. I mean in grade 12 I put a collection of songs out and called it an EP but, this time, I want it to be different. A lot of these songs were written at different times so you may hear some different sounds in each track. But my true vision for this EP is to finally put Hello Harvard on the music map. I’ve been writing these songs over a couple of years and, now that the EP is almost done, [I have a] really good feeling and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for it.
D.S.: When did you decide to make Hello Harvard a duo? When did you decide to make that transition from an independent artist to a two-person band?
A.B.: Good question. I made the decision when Johnny (the Guitarist) kept begging me to be in the band (I’m just kidding). Hello Harvard I feel is more a pop driven band, so I felt that if I went solo, I would be competing with the Ed Sheeran’s of the world. Being a duo, I feel like we have some sort of uniqueness to our band. Johnny and I are great together. I like to think we bicker like a married couple. Anyway, Johnny has been a great addition to Hello Harvard so far, and I’m really excited for what the future holds.
D.S.: Are there performances lined up for this coming year? Maybe the summer? Or a mini-tour?
We’ve been looking into playing some summer festivals and potentially partner up with some local groups along the way. I’m really hoping we get a chance to play The Festival of Friends this summer.