Hellogoodbye

Orange County's hellogoodbye are all about having a good time. They love to rock n' roll, they love to dance, and their lead singer, Forrest Kline, loves being vegan. And who can blame him when there's so much awesome vegan food out there!

When Forrest recently decided that he needed to find a way to combine all three of these loves, he immediately knew that peta2.com was the place to go. He filled out the In a Band? page, and now we have this splendid interview to share with you!

Are there any animal issues that you feel strongly about?

Just that a life is not something to sacrifice for anyone's use.

How long have you been vegetarian?

It's been maybe two years.

Was there any one thing that made you go vegetarian?

I basically feel like it's so extremely possible to not eat living things in this age. It's so enjoyable, easy to do, and beneficial. It's selfish to sacrifice a life for your own pleasure.

Was it an easy transition for you—something that seemed to happen overnight—or did you struggle with it?

Well, I gave up red meat about four months before, just as a transition. Then I gave up meat altogether. Both were very, very, very easy transitions, even with my late-night eating habits and eating on the road.

Did you notice any positive changes physically or mentally after making the transition?

Well, I felt great before and after. I still feel great.

Do you discuss vegetarianism with friends and fans?

I've been wanting to make a semi-pro-vegetarian T-shirt for the band.

So what are some of your favorite vegetarian foods, other than avocados?

Eating vegetarian has really opened the door to all these foods I probably would never have tried before. I love mushrooms, especially portabella mushrooms. I love tofu dishes. I love fruits and smoothies and stuff, but who doesn't? I love friggin' carrot juice. If you're in Orange County, you have to eat at Native Foods in Costa Mesa, Taco Loco in Laguna, and Ian's Health Bar in Huntington Beach.

What would your message be to your fans about having compassion and getting involved?

There's virtually no reason to eat animals, and I can think of dozens of reasons to go veggie. You'll feel better about yourself physically and morally. There's a billion tasty vegetarian items and, like, only five different kinds of meat, so why not save a life and eat a plant!

What's your favorite thing about peta2?

I think there's a lot of animal rights energy in the music industry, among musicians and listeners. I think it's a great field for inspiration. Rock-and-rollers are typically young forward-thinkers, not the kind of people who think the Bible justifies eating animals and such.

Now that you've read what Forrest has to say, sign up for peta2 E-News so that you never miss out on cool contests from your favorite artists—such as the hellogoodbye contest that we recently had.