lzzy hale halestorm | Marie Claire UK

We caught up with Lzzy Hale backstage at Download Festival 2016 - and grilled about her tips for killing in your career….

Let's set the scene.

We're backstage at Download Festival 2016. It's pouring - and the entire festival site has turned into a mud-laden bog. Lzzy Hale - singer/songwriter/frontwoman of the rock band Halestorm is fresh offstage after her bands epic set. She should be chilling out somewhere. And taking it easy. Having a brew even. Except she's not - she's back on stage for an impromptu duet with the band Disturbed. After that, however, we literally pinned her down to find out how she does it, what motivates her and if we can steal any of her rock god tips for our own benefit. That's not too selfish, is it? Nah - we didn't think so. So, here are her tips for killing it in your career. Over to Lzzy….

WORK HARD

In my opinion the biggest misconception is that women are just there for eye candy and if they have any success it's assumed that they didn't have to work as hard. The truth is that they had to work twice as hard!

ANSWER TO YOURSELF

I pride myself in putting blinders on to anyone's opinion of me, negative or positive and I focus on being the best me I know I can be, so the biggest challenges I face are living up to the standards I hold myself to – you’re the only person you need to answer to.

Lzzy winning a Metal Hammer Golden God Award 2016

RISE ABOVE THE BS

I’ve had plenty of sexist comments. They've ranged from snarky comments like "take it off" and "show us your boobs", to more subtle approaches like just assuming I'm a groupie or just a vibe you get from some people that are not even bothering to listen to you talk cuz you are a girl. But I've always used these situations to my advantage. I go onstage, and do my thing, and usually get apologies from the naysayers after.

LIVE FOR TODAY

If I could give myself any advice I’d go back to 2006, ten years ago. That was our first major national tour ever and it was a magical time. Honestly... I would just reassure me to keep doing what I'm doing. I wouldn't change a damn thing.

THINK TALENT, NOT GENDER

I would like to encourage girls to stop thinking about being a girl. It's not a matter of gender, it's a matter of talent. Work hard at your craft so that when opportunities arrive you go in knowing you can kill it! For musicians specifically, play everywhere and anywhere there are people. Don't get discouraged in the low times... it's about the journey.

DITCH THE COMPARISON

It's important not to get caught up in comparing yourself to others. Be unapologetically yourself. That is the definition of Rock n Roll

GET A MANTRA

Or steal mine – “The greatest risk is never taking the Biggest one.”

HAVE AN ICON

Tom Keifer from the band Cinderella is mine - he's a living legend and the reason I started rocking.

Lzzy with her bandmates on stage at Download Festival 2016.

KNOW WHO YOUR ALIES ARE

My band mates. Joe, Josh, and Arejay are my family. They keep me sane on my darkest days and insane on my happiest!

LOVE WHAT YOU DO

And I really do. I’m literally travelling the world, doing what I love, with the people I love! I'm living the dream – and I never forget it!

Loved this? Tweet Lzzy , check out Halestorm's tour dates and check out the highlights from Download Festival 2016 here

Anita is an award-winning journalist with over 15 years of experience on some of the UK’s biggest magazines. She explores beauty culture and questions the power that pretty privilege has over our lives, and has written a book on it called UGLY: Giving Us Back Our Beauty Standards (2023, Blink), which was serialised by The Guardian and Independent and featured by Vogue, Elle, and many more