As someone who’s been listening to music since before I could talk, I’m always thrilled when I come across an artist whose music surprises me in a way nobody else’s has before. Heavy Hearts are a five-piece pop punk band from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario whose sound sits just north of hardcore and a little bit east of pop punk. "Vexed" is about being played the fool by someone, about giving someone the benefit of the doubt and watching them disappoint you anyway, but still being a little bit hung up on it. The riff at the start pulls you in, playing for four eight-counts before the rest of the band comes in. It's a song that's easy to put on repeat. The band works so well together, all so good at what they do, that it's impossible not to love this song.
I got to catch up with Justin Glatt, vocalist and guitarist of the band, and talk about everything from influences to Kinder buenos ahead of the release of "Vexed."
How would you describe your music to anyone who’s never heard you guys before?
It’s better than our band name.
What kind of music did you listen to growing up/who do you feel influenced you the most?
All of us have pretty different tastes musically, but for me personally, bands like Thrice and Glassjaw played a big role influencing how I look at songwriting and listen to music. They were bands that constantly changed and reinvented their style.
When was the first time you really realized music was what you wanted to eat/sleep/breathe for the rest of your life?
I started playing guitar when I was 12 and was really into Linkin Park at that age. I’d constantly watch a live in Texas show they’d put out and all it made me want to do was play live.
I’ve spent the last two weeks listening to next to nothing but your entire discography, and one thing I noticed was that your older releases are very sonically different from your more recent releases, especially “Vexed.” How have you avoided stagnancy in your career? How have you pushed yourselves to grow as artists?
None of us ever want to be in a kind of band where we release the same kind of record twice. I feel like it’d be difficult to stay interested if we weren’t constantly trying to change up our sound or improve our songwriting. There can be a lot of nerves attached to putting out something that people might not expect but that’s one of the most exciting parts of being in a band.
What’s your most unconventional tour must-have?
Maybe not the most unconventional but Joey and I always buy Kinder Bueno for each each other and I’d be lost without it.
Your favorite city you’ve ever played? Your favorite venue?
We had a really great response when we played Langen in Germany. We’d never played there before but people were wearing some of our old merch and singing along. And there’s a venue in London, Ontario called Rum Runners. We all love that place and the shows there are always unreal.
What’s your dream tour lineup, either to play or to attend?
Everyone’s answer would be different but it’d be sweet to play with Foxing, The 1975 & Deftones.
Heavy Hearts can be found on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. They have a couple shows coming up - a headliner at Less Than Level in Oakville, ON on the 21st of February, and will be supporting Chastity this Sunday the 19th at Warehouse Concert Hall in St. Catharine's - and this is only the beginning of magnificent releases for this band.
"Vexed" can be streamed anywhere you listen to music now.
Comments