From Dio to Sleep Token: The icons who inspired Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale

Halestorm leader, guitar hero, all-round cool customer – Lzzy Hale is iconic. But who does she look up to? Australian punks, a man in a mask, and the greatest heavy metal singer who ever lived, of course.

These are Lzzy’s biggest inspirations…

“When I was going through a depressive, imposter syndrome state I was introduced to Amyl And The Sniffers. Amy’s music, her words – it’s almost a stream of consciousness poetry – really impacted me and saved me. I’d listen to [2024 single] Big Dreams every time I got sad or insecure and it would break me out of that funk. I’ve never met her, but I hope to because I’m sure we’d have a lot of fun.”

“I got to meet Courtney in New York fairly recently for a round table discussion about women in metal, along with Lacuna Coil’s Cristina Scabbia – who is also wonderful. Oh my gosh, my heart! I love them both, and I think Courtney has a very sensible head on her shoulders. I think she’s going to end up a legend in this business – she’s not gonna let anyone squish her out of it. She’s so talented and seems to be able to take on anything, making it look as if she’s not even trying. It’s so beautiful to watch.”

“I was sceptical about Sleep Token at first, because sometimes young bands seem to be trying too hard. But their song Caramel blew my mind – I heard his soul. It’s seeping out of the song. He’s telling his truth about the pressure he’s under. It made me want to sit down and talk to this guy. When you listen to music properly, people can tell if you mean what you’re saying. He simultaneously shows vulnerability and strength. He means what he says, and he’s using music to try to work through it.”

“We supported Heaven & Hell at what ended up being their last show [in New Jersey on August 29, 2009]. Ronnie looked up at me in my heels – he was quite a short guy, bless him – and said he’d come out to our vehicle after their meet-and-greet to chat with us. So, we watch him hang out, sign and talk to everybody for ages, and then he comes out and sits next to me. He says: ‘Lzzy, you will not remember all the people you meet or all the venues you play, but they will remember meeting you for the rest of their lives. You have to make it good for every single one of them.’ I took that as the great advice that it is, and I’ve tried to stay true to it. Looking back, it strikes me that he made that moment for me. He made something happen for me that I will never forget. On top of all that, he was one of the greatest singers of all time.”

“I had an epiphany recently when we went to see Pink Floyd’s Live At Pompeii [1972 concert film]. It was life-affirming. Gilmour is the kind of player that creates music right from the heart and right to the fingers. Plus, he had a vision that he did not waver from. They were doing this cool stuff that people were more than welcome to be a part of, but the point was, they were going to do it anyway. It inspired us to say exactly what we want to say and play exactly what we want to play on our new record.”

Halestorm play London Stadium with Iron Maiden on June 28, and Birmingham with Black Sabbath on July 5, before their own headline tour in November – get your tickets here. This feature originally appeared in the summer 2025 issue of Kerrang!.

Read this next:

• “It’s equal parts epic, great songwriting, and completely unhinged”: Inside Halestorm’s new album Everest
• The rise of Halestorm, as told through their most important gigs
• Lzzy Hale: “Someone might love me and another person might hate my guts, but all that matters is what I think of me”