Hollywood Undead brought the party to Budapest in more ways than one on November 24, stepping up as last-minute headliners at Barba Negra after Falling in Reverse cancelled their show. True to their reputation, Johnny 3 Tears and Charlie Scene showcased their hilarious personalities during our pre-show interview. They had us laughing from start to finish, proving they’re just as fun off-stage as they are in their music, while sharing insights into their love for fans, their connection to Budapest, and what’s next for the band.

(text: Daniella Kiss · photo: Travis Shinn)

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Hollywood Undead has evolved significantly over the years. How do you feel the band’s sound and message have changed since your first album, Swan Songs?

Johnny: „Our lives have changed a lot, and our songs have evolved with them, but I don’t think our message has really changed. We still write about life, and as our lives change, the content naturally shifts too. But at the end of the day, we’re still just trying to make good music, no matter what.”

Your music touches on a wide range of themes, from partying to deeply personal struggles. How do you balance these contrasting elements in your songwriting?

Johnny: „Charlie wants to do more party songs, and I want to do more sad songs, so we meet somewhere in the middle. We try to balance it out, especially for live shows, because we want people to have a good time. And, you know, we still love to party a lot, but we’ve also dealt with severe depression, so we need both.”

Charlie: „The depressing songs are my favorite, but they don’t come off as well live. Party songs are fun as hell to record and perform.”

Johnny: „Exactly. No one wants to sit there and cry at a show—well, maybe they do, but not for us. (laughs)”

Hollywood Undead has collaborated with several artists over the years. Which collaboration stands out the most for you, and why?

Johnny: „Jelly Roll. We had a lot of fun times with him.”

Charlie: „Yeah, we’ve done two songs together; one’s already out, and the other is coming soon. Honestly, we like the new one even more. It’s really gonna be a great song, better than the first one.”

Johnny: „We’ve worked with a lot of amazing artists, like Be Real, Tech N9ne, and Zero, but Jelly Roll stands out the most, because he gave us free cocaine—oops, I mean free Red Bulls. (laughs)”

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Congrats on the release of your new single, Hollywood Forever. The song has been described as a tribute to your fans. What inspired you to create something so meaningful for them?

Charlie: „It started as a conversation in the studio. We were working with new producers, talking about our career—from where we started to where we are now—and one of them suggested writing a song about our journey. Then it turned into a “thank you” to the fans, a way to tell the story of Hollywood Undead while giving them the credit they deserve. We couldn’t think of a band that’s done something like this before. It felt perfect for us because our fans are so hardcore, and we figured it would mean a lot to them.”

Johnny: „Our fans always tell us how much the music means to them, which is incredible to hear, but I don’t think they realize how much they’ve done for us. Without them, I don’t know where we’d be—probably not in a good place. Or maybe better, fuck them! (laughs) No, just kidding. Seriously though, I think we’d all be in a much worse situation in our lives if we didn’t have that relationship with the fans, so it was time to turn the tables and thank them. None of this music would exist without them.”

The redesigned masks for Hollywood Forever look amazing. How did the new design come together, and how do you feel they enhance your artistic identity?

Johnny: „We work with a guy named Jerry Constantine; he’s won Academy Awards and designs all the monsters in horror movies. We throw ideas at him, and he brings them to life. He’s the real genius behind it, we’re just along for the ride. I think imagery is such a big part of music. Seeing a band like Slipknot live never gets old because their visual impact is so strong. I’ve seen those guys 20 times, and they still blow my mind. So, it’s a big part of the art. Masks have been used for thousands of years in performance, from Greek theater to Japanese culture, and even in war to intimidate. They look cool and add to the performance. Also, if we don’t wear them, the girls just go too crazy—and the guys as well. (laughs)”

Charlie: „Yeah, because there are like five Brad Pitts on stage. (laughs)”

Johnny: „Exactly. The crowd would go nuts! But seriously, we wear masks because of the visual impact. They’re an artistic tool that matches the music. Plus, they just look badass. At the end of the day, that’s really it.”

The band’s style often includes provocative themes. How do you decide where to draw the line, or is there no line for Hollywood Undead?

Johnny: „There are no lines. (laughs) For a while, people tried to impose lines on us, like with the whole woke stuff, but we don’t like that. I wouldn’t say anything disgusting in a song, but that’s because I wouldn’t say it in conversation either. I feel if you can say something in a conversation, you should be able to say it in a song. People like Eminem and other rappers have said way worse things than us, so I don’t think we’re nearly as bad. I believe that art is supposed to express the subconscious, so it shouldn’t be limited by what’s acceptable to say, because it shouldn’t even be limited by what you think it should be. Art is the extraordinary, the things we can’t quite capture with words. So, music is supposed to be important and go beyond everyday life. We still listen to songs that came out 70 years ago because they had that impact, and that’s what we aim for. Granted, it may not happen, but I love the idea that 50 years from now, when we’re dead, some kid might like our music. That’s so cool to me.”

If you could go back to the beginning of Hollywood Undead, what advice would you give your younger self?

Johnny: „Don’t waste money. Don’t do so many drugs—maybe just on weekends. (laughs) Oh, and invest in crypto. Honestly, I probably wouldn’t change much, because you have to mess up to learn what’s really important. If anything, I’d tell myself to trust people less. The music industry is full of rotten individuals that we trusted and shouldn’t have. These people would come to your birthdays, meet your kids, and then stab you in the back. We made a lot of mistakes, but they all taught us something, so I wouldn’t take them back.”

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„Hearing fans say things like “you saved my life” is amazing. Hearing that our music has helped people that much is the best.”

Fans often credit Hollywood Undead with helping them through tough times. How does it feel to have that kind of impact?

Johnny: „That’s the best part.”

Charlie: „Yeah, hearing fans say things like “you saved my life” is amazing. Hearing that our music has helped people that much is the best. Most of the time, we write for ourselves about our lives or experiences—and the fact that it resonates so deeply with others is an incredible bonus.”

Johnny: „When I was younger, music helped me through a lot of hard times. To be that for someone else now is the ultimate reward. I’d take that over a number-one single any day.

There’s nothing better than impacting people that way.”

Has the songwriting process changed now that you know how much your music can impact people?

Johnny: „No, the songwriting hasn’t changed. The most important quality of music is honesty, and if you start trying to make it for specific purposes, I think it loses the magic.”

Charlie: „Making music is selfish in a way when it comes to that. You write a song for yourself, and people tend to have similar struggles, whether it’s love, loss, or the death of someone close.”

Johnny: „Most people’s problems are typically very similar. So, if you write a song about something like losing a loved one, there are millions of others who are going through the same thing. In a way, you’re helping them inadvertently. That’s what I think is so cool about it. We’re not psychiatrists—we don’t know what we’re doing either—but somehow, our problems end up helping someone else with theirs. I think that’s special, because I wouldn’t know how to help someone on purpose. So, it’s pretty amazing that we can help them by accident.”

What are your plans for the future? Can fans expect a full album following this single?

Johnny: „We’re coming out with new music. More singles are coming soon, not sure when exactly, but probably early next year, and eventually, a new album. We’re also going on tour in the spring in the U.S. with Tech N9ne, but we’ve got other plans too. We’ll continue to work, I guess. I mean, what else should we do? (laughs)”

Charlie: „The new music is exciting because it’s different. I think this might be our most unique album yet. It’s more mature—well, maybe not mature, but definitely better written and more professional. After 20 years, we’ve finally gotten good at this. (laughs)”

Johnny: „Yeah, like with anything you do over and over again, you improve over time, and then you get worse at it, so you kind of have a curve. Eventually, we’ll hit a point where we start sucking, and that’s when we’ll know it’s time to quit and take up golf or something. But for now, we’re still climbing. In fact, our songs are better than we’ve ever done, so we’re actually peaking in our opinion.”

Finally, you’ve played in Hungary before. Do you have any memorable experiences from here, or did you get the chance to explore Budapest at all?

Charlie: „We just came back from the labyrinth at Buda Castle; it was my third time doing it. Budapest is our favorite city to walk around and explore. This city is really awesome.”

Johnny: „It’s a bit annoying because it’s more crowded than it used to be now that everyone’s discovered it. But still, Budapest and Prague are the two prettiest cities in Europe to me, and honestly, Budapest takes the top spot. We always go up to the castle and hang out, and do the vampire stuff. So, we love it here. The shows here are awesome too. I think we played here five or six times.”

Charlie: „Once we had three days off here, so we really got to experience the city and take our time to do the touristy stuff, which was great.”

Johnny: „People here are also super friendly. A lot of places in Europe, people hate tourists and aren’t as nice, but here they are. The quality of life must be better here because everyone seems happier and more polite—great vibes all around.”

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