Skinny jeans, tight leather jackets, electronic music, and an appreciation of American culture.

These are all defining components of The Hellp. Formed in 2015 by Noah Dillon, and Chandler Lucy, the band has had a slow but steady rise into the mainstream consciousness. Formed from a desire to be in a cool band before they die, outwardly the project may seem to have little substance.

Concealed behind their unapologetic demeanor, and excessive partying lies a complex and eclectic sound that is a breath of fresh air in a contemporary musical landscape often categorized by trends and corporate influence. With influences ranging all the way from Crystal Castles to Bruce Bringsteen the band has crafted a unique sound that could equally be enjoyed in a club, or the vast expanse of the American midwest. Their song SSX features country inspired vocals paired with energetic synths creating a song that sounds both fresh and familiar.

Another song, Colorado, while lacking the country inspired vocals, is a celebration of Colorado, where Noah grew up. The band's music is not just limited to themes of the American midwest, a large amount of their discography contains songs with harder hitting more energetic synths accompanied by lyrics about youth, change, and identity. Songs like Tu Tu Neurotic,  Meant2be, Rllynice, Caustic, and Ether all feature aggressive synths, bass and unique vocal deliveries, making the bands music fresh and interesting to listen to each time.

The Landscape of Music

Equally important as their music, the Hellps music videos are also just as central to their identity as their sound. Before starting The Hellp, Noah was a celebrated photographer, creating an art collective named Hot Mess with model Luka Sabbat. The Hellps music  videos are incredibly distinct and recognisable, with the band often creating extended cuts of their songs to accompany their videos. In their video for caustic, the band scraps the ending half of the original song in favor of a remixed version that ends up complimenting the video extremely well. Similarly the band chose to add an extra three minutes to their song SSX so that it is able to properly  accompany the music video. It's apparent that Chandler puts a lot of work into these remixes, as they are often comparable in quality, or better than the original song. It shows and unwavering commitment and dedication to their vision that is not present in many other artists. Noah also manages to create a unique and intriguing story for each video, a concept extremely refreshing in a landscape of music videos that is often filled with loosely connected shots of artists simply dancing or partying to their own music.

The Contemporary Music Zeitgeist

Above all, The Hellp is authentic, the way they dress, act, and create all screams sincerity and a desire to propagate a vision that is true to them and not the industry. The proliferation of social media, trends, and outreach of corporations has led to a music industry that feels anything but authentic. With artists dressing in the most trendy clothes, and trying to make the next song to go viral on social media, it's refreshing to see a band doing exactly the opposite. Skinny jeans, Country music, and slow concise music videos are some of the things an artist trying to go viral might want to avoid. Embracing these things is ultimately what makes The Hellp so intriguing, it's rare to see artists who are so uncompromising on their vision in the contemporary music zeitgeist, but it's exactly what makes The Help so interesting. From their humble beginnings in empty college classrooms, to being booked at London fashion week after parties, The Hellp has always remained genuine and authentic and that is what makes them great.