Hands Like Houses x Normandie – “Hurts Like Hell” Is Pure Beautiful Chaos
You ever hear a song and it just drags you back into something you thought you were done with? That’s Hurts Like Hell. This isn’t one of those tracks you just throw on in the background—it grabs you by the chest and drags you through every emotion you’ve been trying to ignore.
Released in December 2024, this collaboration between Hands Like Houses and Normandie is more than just two bands linking up. It’s two worlds crashing into each other—one loud, messy, honest explosion of pain and passion.
It’s the sound of holding on too tight to something you know is bad for you, but deep down, you still need it. That toxic connection. That emotional addiction. It wrecks you, but for some twisted reason, it also reminds you you’re alive. That’s what this feels like.
The energy here is different. Both bands brought their A-game. The vocals hit hard—trading off like two sides of the same breakdown. One voice pulls you into the fire, the other reminds you that you never left. There’s urgency in every line, but the sound isn’t chaotic for the sake of it. It’s structured. Clean. Like they knew exactly how far to push before it breaks.
This track lives on MESO, the warmer, more emotional half of HLH’s double album ATMOSPHERICS. If EKTOS was the storm, MESO is the fire. Hurts Like Hell sits right at the center of it all—loud, raw, vulnerable, and fully aware of the damage it’s doing.
Big shoutout to the team behind this too. Co-produced by Callan Orr and Philip Strand, engineered by Callan, Philip, and Benjamin Woolner, mixed by Philip, and mastered by Grant Berry at Fader Mastering. Every layer, every tone, every second of silence in between the noise—it all hits with purpose. Nothing here feels accidental.
And let’s talk about Josh Raven. This is his first official release as the new frontman for Hands Like Houses, and man delivered. No hesitation, no warming up—he jumped right in and left his mark. His voice fits the sound like it was made for it. If anyone doubted the transition, this track shuts that down instantly. This isn’t a band trying to hold on to the past. This is a band evolving.
The video? Visuals by Chris Zagas at Neck Up Collective. Just as intense, just as expressive. It captures the emotional pull of the song without trying to explain it. It’s not about clarity—it’s about feeling.
Best way to describe Hurts Like Hell? A toxic dependency that somehow makes you feel something primal and real. The pain is undeniable, but the high is addictive. It’s the kind of thing you know will ruin you, but you run toward it anyway—because walking away feels worse.
This is the song you put on when you’re in that space. When you’re wrecked but not done. When it’s loud in your head and quiet everywhere else.
Go watch the official video:
Hurts Like Hell – Official Music Video
Stream it everywhere:
Stream Here
More from Hands Like Houses:
YouTube Channel
Merch & Tour Info
Normandie IG
This isn’t just a banger. It’s a release. Turn it up. Let it hurt. Then run it back. Some pain just hits different.