YMZ: We are speaking with , Francois Goudreault Jr from the new pop/punk band Hello Kelly. Let’s start with an introduction, who are Hello Kelly?

Hello Kelly: Hello Kelly started more or less as a solo project in Spring 2004, when I recorded the first EP – but from the beginning, Hello Kelly was conceived as a BAND, and after several changes, the line-up has finally solidifed. I play guitar and sing lead vocals; James Watts plays bass; Adam Arkell plays acoustic guitar and synths; and Kane Bender plays drums. It’s a big blessing to have this team playing the music I write because they bring so much more life to it than I could ever imagine.

YMZ: What’s the meaning behind the name?

Hello Kelly: “Kelly” represents the type of girl who comes to rock shows whenever she can, and really has an awesome time. She’s really confident and cool if you’d meet her for the first time, but when you look deeper, “Kelly” has her own insecurities and isn’t actually so sure about who she is. In a time when the world shoves so much garbage down our throats, Hello Kelly is trying to get Kelly wake up, define her own beliefs, and change the world however she can. The name “Kelly” came from a girl I know in high school – she personifies this character perfectly, and actually suggested the name to me. At first i thought it was dumb, but I guess it grew on me.

YMZ: You have just released a brand new song for the holiday’s titled “It’s Beginning To Smell A lot Like Christmas”. Can you tell us what Christmas means to you, and what exactly does Christmas smell like?

Hello Kelly: Christmas to me is so super special. As a kid I would always travel up to Northern Ontario and visit with family. My aunts and uncles would sit around the piano, and jam on banjoes, accordians and guitars. I remember the smells of my grandma’s house, the amazing dinners, and crisp snowy air. When I wrote this Christmas song, I really wanted to capture all of these memories and somehow communicate them to the listener.

I really like the bridge part about sitting by the fire and drinking cocoa, because a part of traditional French music is writing songs about what we are GOING to do when the party starts, and that’s what the bridge does. As for what Christmas smells like, there comes a time in mid-October when suddenly everything smells like Christmas – I hope somebody agrees with me.

YMZ: “The Time To Make It Good” is the title of your song on Launch, can you tell us about the inspiration for the song?

Hello Kelly: There are a lot of inspirations for this song. I was reminded of the children’s story “The Little Engine that Could” one day,and I thought that it would be really fun to write a song about it. There are lots of references to trains and railways, and there are even sections musically that sound like an actual train. More than that though, I wrote it at a time in my life when I was really trying to find the strength and energy to keep moving – to stay motivated and not settle for mediocre.

So it’s just like the little Engine says: “I think I can, I think I can.” A lesser known fact is that the main guitar riff was inspired by an old rock song by Jerry Doucette. Ask your parents if they remember “Mama, Let Him Play”, and they might laugh and experience some modern day nostalgia of their own.

YMZ: Where can people hear more from Hello Kelly?

Hello Kelly: Whenever there is music to be heard, new or old, people will always hear it first on our website http://www.hellokellyonline.com or any of our two sister sites http://www.purevolume.com/hellokelly, or http://www.myspace.com/hellokelly. If you go to myspace.com, make sure you join the fun there.

YMZ: What are your goals as a new artist?

Hello Kelly: There are a lot of artists trying to break through right now, and it’s obviously super super hard to do that. The best we can do is write amazing songs, and put on killer shows and wait for things to happen.

It’s my belief that if you truly are good, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have a chance at success. From the beginning, Hello Kelly has been committed to being professional in everything we do, and it’s incredible how quickly things have picked up. At this point, our goal is just to continue drawing attention to our energy, and the message behind our original sound. Lots has happened in a short time, and hopefully we continue to be blessed with success.

YMZ: How does your faith impact your music?

Hello Kelly: There is a strong spiritual element in our music, because faith is important to every single member of Hello Kelly – specifically a faith in Jesus Christ. When we write our songs, we put effort into making them accessible to everybody – people from any faith or religion. Because we’re not about promoting a religion, we’re about putting our experiences out there and maybe these songs will help somebody expand their horizons, ask questions, or change their perceptions.

YMZ: What are a few of your favorite things?

Hello Kelly: Lots of things. Before every show, we stop at A&W before we leave our hometown. After we play shows, our favourite place to eat is Boston Pizza, or Mel’s Diner in Kitchener – they’re open all night and serve up killer waffles. We can often be found munching on gummy worms at practices too.

YMZ: What’s does the New Year Hold for Hello Kelly?

Hello Kelly: We are looking at releasing a new EP in the new year, containing three songs that have never been heard on CD before. We also plan to be touring LOTS of Canada, and maybe some of the States. People should just keep their eyes open, because Hello Kelly is going to be crazy busy and you won’t want to miss it!!

YMZ: Any last words that you would like to leave with?

Hello Kelly: We really appreciate everything that the Canadian industry and the Canadian fans have done for us already. We never could have imagined things shaping up this quickly. We want to ask you guys to keep in touch and keep coming out to shows and supporting the band – we appreciate it so much! Thanks guys – have a great Christmas, and enjoy the song!!

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