NJF TeamRight from the land of Queen Elizabeth we met a a new band from London created in 2014. Through our speakers an indie music flows led by a soft voice guiding us towards a dream world. Four boys and a girl have stood out from the new generations of bands eager to conquer the indie music around the world. They already touched American ground and want more.
We invite you to read along and learn about them from Anna, the lead singer.
Tell us about the origin of the band? How did it all begin?
We started as a proper band in 2014 in New Cross, London. I’d been writing some songs the year before but I’d just left them as demos. James and I had been in another band and found ourselves in the summer of 2013 in one of those quiet periods of transition. We started talking about doing something with those songs; starting a band which would be a monument to all the things we loved about music when we started. In that sense, one of the overriding themes of Heavy Heart is about growing up (perhaps not completely willingly).
What`s behind the name of Heavy Heart? Do you have a “heavy heart”?
Yes! I really do. Even when things are good. It’s a bad habit. I guess we could have called the band Malcontent instead. The name seemed to work as a personal moniker which fit my character, and also described the music – something fragile and melancholy but with guitars and drums and feedback too, from time to time.
How would you describe your music style?
It’s sometimes dreamy but sometimes it drives. It’s melancholy and nostalgic. It’s definitely a rock band – to me that’s guitars, drums, melody and not too much else.
What artists have inspired you?
It’s hard to say. The influence for Heavy Heart was more about the way those bands made us feel when we were kids; trying to get back to that rush of excitement, that sense of discovery and of belonging to something. Everyone who loves music remembers the first time they felt that. So in a way it’s not important who they were, but more what they meant to us at the time.
What would be your favourite place to get inspired for songwriting.
Often at a gig watching a great band and thinking: “I wish I’d written that”. Then rushing home to try and do it better and not always succeeding. On the train is another good place but in reality I normally sit on my bed and play guitar until something interesting drops out of the ether.
What is your preferred Heavy Heart song? And why?
I like them all, but I’m especially fond of the first song I wrote, ‘Another Wave’, which set the bar for the rest of the songs. It’s relentless and driving yet somehow still retains some delicacy – I’m proud of that. And the most recent one, ‘Time Will Stand Still’, which I hope will set the bar for the next batch of songs.
What has been the biggest challenge so far?
Everything, when you’ve got my way of looking at things. And nothing at all, when you put it in perspective. Sometimes just tuning my guitar is the biggest challenge of all.
What has been the best moment lived by the band so far?
A drag-queen disco pool party on the top of a New York City skyscraper was pretty good. And playing in Valencia at MBC Fest was wonderful. Doing this interview is pretty great as well – any time you get to be self-indulgent and talk about your music like this is nice.
Recently, you released your first video, Time Will Stand Still. Tell us about the idea for the video & the concept behind it.
The story of the video starts with me and the band at the funfair (it ended up being filmed at Coney Island in New York when we were there for CMJ). I notice a heart-shaped balloon (not so heavy) somewhere in the distance and run off after it, losing my friends. They start looking for me, but I’m getting more and more lost amongst the rollercoasters and attractions, chasing this balloon. Eventually I catch up with the girl who’s holding the balloon, but when she turns around… she’s me! The rest of the band arrive but they walk off with my doppelgänger instead of me, leaving me trapped forever in the fairground. Then it all starts over again.
The song is about trying to catch a moment of stillness in the relentless flow of time, about finding a moment and crystallising it somehow. I like the idea of chasing this thing which is always just out of reach, of following your heart, and losing yourself to it. I wanted the fairground to represent something classical, like the underworld, Hades, Limbo…
It was filmed while you guys were performing in the US. What was it like to play there? Was it the first time?
It was our first time in the US as a band, and it was as overwhelming and exciting as we’d dreamt. It went by like a whirlwind, so I hope we can go back soon.
What did you like the most about the whole experience?
For a UK band, I guess playing in New York is one of those rites of passage which makes you feel like it’s all real. We had a couple of great shows and tried to breathe in as much of the music history there as we could.
Which are the next projects for Heavy Heart?
We’ve just released our new single ‘Time Will Stand Still’ this week, and we’ve set ourselves the slightly daunting challenge of releasing a new song every month in 2016. So we’ll see you in a few weeks with another one!
What do you prefer:
The Big Ben or The Empire State Building?
I’m a London girl, so it has to be Big Ben.
Hamburguers or Fish & Chips?
Fish & chips – but they have to be proper thick chips, not skinny ‘fries’.
America or Europe?
There’s room in my heart for both. And so much still to explore.
A dream?
Nothing really – I’m enjoying being awake right now.
Thank you very much for your time & we wish you lots of luck!
Visit Heavy Heart & listen to their music at Soundcloud.