Lzzy Hale Talks New Music, Queer Fans, And The Evolution Of Halestorm

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Hard rock has not historically been an easy place for queer women to see themselves reflected. Lzzy Hale has spent much of her career working within and against that reality. As the frontwoman of Halestorm, she built her reputation through relentless touring, technical skill, and an onstage presence that left little room for doubt.

Since publicly coming out as bisexual in 2022, Hale’s role in the genre has shifted in subtle but meaningful ways. Her audience has grown more visibly diverse, with women and LGBTQ+ fans increasingly claiming space at Halestorm shows and in the conversations that follow them. That visibility has positioned Hale as a point of connection for fans navigating their own identities.

GO caught up with Hale to talk about creative exertion, music as connection, and the personal terrain behind Everest, Halestorm’s latest album. She reflects candidly on visibility as something earned through honesty rather than intention, and on the complicated responsibility of being seen in a space that is still learning how to make room.

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GO: Since coming out—almost accidentally, during an AMA—you’ve become one of the most visible bi women in hard rock. Looking back now, how do you understand your role as a queer artist in a genre that hasn’t always made space for women or LGBTQ+ fans?

Lzzy Hale: I have always prided myself on living my life unapologetically, and being bi was always a part of that mission. My coming out was a reflection of that comfort I felt in living and telling my truth. That, inadvertently, became the ultimate lesson. And instead of worrying whether or not there is a space for you, you create your own space, and you find your tribe of people who applaud you for it instead of telling you to tone it down or hide who you are. My role, as I see it…is leading by example and always with love.

Halestorm’s crowds have become increasingly diverse, with more women and queer fans showing up front and center. How has that shift changed the way you experience your own shows?

It’s less of a shift and more about witnessing the rock show ultimately becoming what it’s always meant to be. I am so proud to see our shows now as a sanctuary for the misunderstood, the downtrodden, the weirdos, the freaks. We exalt what makes us different, and we wear our scars like badges of honor. I see fans finding each other and becoming life-long friends; I see people falling in love. We are giving them a space to feel empowered and then re-enter the outside world with faith in themselves and trusting their inner North Star.

You often hear deeply personal stories from fans—some asking for coming-out advice, others sharing parts of themselves they’ve never told anyone. What conversations or moments have stayed with you?

I had a conversation with a young trans man who had not found the strength at the time to tell his parents. I felt the weight that this poor boy was carrying. He wanted so badly the freedom to tell his parents, whom he loved dearly, who he really was, but was terrified that they would react poorly, and the cost of coming out would shake the foundation that he needs to navigate his life. Which is the greater cost? Living a lie to coddle the close-minded feelings of others? Walking on eggshells for the rest of your days? Living in fear that someone will discover your truth? Or deciding to put yourself first and giving yourself a chance to pursue happiness? Yes, you might lose people in your life, but the ones who stay and cheer you on are the real ones who want to see you shine. 

Later, I saw that same man at a meet and greet, and he told me he had decided to come out, and his parents not only understood and accepted his truth, but they became his biggest champions and were fiercely proud of him as he began his journey.  He had lost some extended family and some ‘friends’, but had also found his people who gave him a safe space to be himself and follow his dreams. I was so happy for him that it brought me to tears. I love a happy ending. And I was so honored that he felt safe enough with me to tell me his deepest desires and fears.

You’ve described your latest single, “Like a Woman Can,” as “Venus asking Mars to meet her in the middle during a bisexual awakening.” What parts of bi identity or desire were important for you to capture in that song?

I was channeling how lucky I am to be in a relationship with a man who understands me and lets me live my truth. I was also thinking of so many of the young women and men who I know that are having a hard time having the “by the way, I’m bi” conversation with the person they love. It’s a complicated fire that requires constant conversation and trust to feed it. This includes hard talks about jealous feelings, creating boundaries, and what you need to feel loved by one another.  Every bi individual has their own spectrum. It is unique to them, their needs, their fantasies, and the lines they will or won’t cross.  When I came out to my partner, I was worried about all the things that would change. Would he still look at me in the same way? Would he feel threatened? I felt like I needed to protect him from the crazy, beautiful, complicated mess that is ME. But what I learned is that he fell in love with me because of all the things I am and all the things I’m not. And now we get to admire beautiful women together, turns out we have the same type. Ha! And being able to live as my truest self alongside the person I love is the greatest gift I can give to both me and also to him. I showed him that he was my safe space: I love him and trust him enough to show him every side of me and know that he will love me unconditionally. And that is the ultimate showing of love.

On Everest, are there lyrics or musical decisions that were shaped by your queerness in ways listeners might not immediately notice?

The first line in ‘I Gave You Everything’ is: “I’m falling back together, or am I falling apart“…and to me, that encapsulates the feeling of deciding to come out and show the world all of your colors. Some things will fall from you, and others will fall into you and shape who you are becoming.

There’s another line from “Shiver”: “It’s the end of the end, but I’ll never leave. I can’t give you up and stay in one piece.’” This line is about that gray purgatory that we are all in, either deciding to break up with our former selves to become our true selves, or breaking up with a friend or family member who is roadblocking you in your transition. Either way, something has to die so that life has room to grow.

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The album leans heavily into the metaphor of “the climb.” What personal or creative mountain were you climbing during this period?

In total, brutal honesty, I lost my mind writing and finishing this album. I was digging deep into my psyche, into places that I never go without a flashlight. I faced a lot of my insecurities, imposter syndrome, and watched my fears climb like shadows on the wall. I let it take me. I wasn’t sleeping, I was over caffeinated, over stimulated by all of my racing intrusive thoughts and high on the exhaustion. This album is a real-time battle of my personal collection of monsters. But at the same time, it was an olive branch to those misunderstood beasts in my mind. I hugged my demons, and through this process, learned to love all the parts of me, even the parts that are hellions.

As a band, we ended up getting closer. I really enjoyed the time spent with my best friends. My gang. The boys in Halestorm know me better than anyone, and even after doing this together over 20 years… we found space for each other and a renewed love for what we do together.

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Everest charted around the world, from Japan to Switzerland to hitting #1 on the UK Rock & Metal Album chart. Has being more open about your identity changed the way international audiences connect with you?

It’s all about that human connection. And it’s only become more and more fulfilling. The inspiration comes full circle. By me, as host to the party, owning my weird….it inspires others to do the same, and in turn, I am surrounded by people just like me, and the inner child in me does not feel so alone in this world. It’s a truly beautiful dream come true to travel the world in celebration of all our differences, and in the end, realizing we are all the same in so many ways.

You were the only woman on the bill at Ozzy Osbourne’s final show—an iconic, male-heavy environment. What did it feel like to stand in that moment as both a woman in rock and a queer artist?

When I took the stage, all of the ladies got on shoulders and made themselves seen. I thought about being a 13-year-old girl who loved Black Sabbath and Ozzy, how alone I felt back then. And in this moment at Back To The Beginning, I was surrounded by women just like me. Women of all ages, all sizes, queer women, straight women…all together celebrating themselves and the music that chose them. We flew each other banners in holy wars…and we held each other and feasted in the halls of kings and queens that day.

Rock has such a long history tied to the male gaze. Do you think about how you subvert or rewrite that dynamic when you’re performing?

I have never dressed or carried myself for anyone’s gaze but the one I give myself in the mirror. I’ve been the sexpot, I’ve been the biker bitch, I’ve been the tomboy, I’ve adorned myself in hair extensions and wicked makeup, I’ve rocked a few mullets and cut my hair short. I embrace the phases I go through when I want my insides to reflect on the outside. I write my own script. And yeah, I get a lot of people riled up or very upset with my look changes….but that is only a small percentage of the people that follow me…the vast majority of my freak family see themselves in me, and cheer me on in my undying quest to live every fantasy that I embody.

You made history as Gibson Guitar’s first female brand ambassador. What did that milestone mean for you personally, and what do you hope it meant for the girls and queer guitarists watching?

Personally, it felt like years of being misunderstood and generally unrecognized as a guitar player melting off my shoulders. And what I witnessed was so many young girls looking at me like a lighthouse…a beacon of hope. Just by deciding to stand tall and not give up in the face of misogyny regarding women as guitarists, I gave so many women permission to pursue their dreams. And all of those young ones have inspired me to be a better musician as well. What a beautiful thing.

Whether you intended to or not, you’ve become a role model—to women in rock, to young queer fans, to guitarists who didn’t see themselves represented until you came along. How do you hold that responsibility? Does it feel like a weight, or more like fuel?

It can sometimes feel like both fuel and a weight. But I remind myself constantly of this one thing: That to be yourself, your perfect, imperfect self…means that you surrender only to what you believe is right and good. In whatever you do, there will be people who don’t like it, or do…but the only thing that matters is that you are proud of yourself.

You’ve been candid about mental health while avoiding glamorizing the struggle. How has that openness shaped your connection with fans who see you as both a rock star and a lifeline?

I firmly believe that if you are living and trying to survive in this world, you need to be aware of your mental health, and we all need to be smashing the stigma that prevents so many from reaching out for help when they need it. We go to a dentist for our teeth, we go to a physical doctor when our bodies are sick, and we need to make it easier for people to find and afford therapists and doctors when our minds are sick, when we are lost in our own brains, when we have questions that need professional answers to navigate life. My openness has deepened my connection with fans, and I only hope that my candidness about my own mental health will show others that it’s ok to not be ok, and it’s vital to ask for help when you need it.

Finally, you’ve hinted at a major U.S. tour coming in 2026. How are you imagining that next chapter? Are there ideas or themes you’re excited to bring specifically for your LGBTQ+ audience?

This is a very exciting time for us. We are playing better than we ever have, and our performances have only continued to bloom and evolve. I look forward to witnessing our LGBTQ+ fans feeling seen. Sometimes it’s a specific line or a song, but when I can lock eyes with someone and see the magic in their face, both of us cheering each other on, knowing that we are perfect as we are in that moment and right where we are meant to be…that is the ultimate gift.

Keep up with the latest from Halestorm via their website or @halestormrocks on Instagram.