London pop-rockers Heel to release Stranger Just The Same
Supercharged by this hardwired urge for musical catharsis, Heel have spent last year tirelessly touring their self-titled debut release, cementing an international fan base in the process. And that’s not just social media metrics talking; despite still being an upcoming name, Heel - completed by guitarist Dan, bassist Yuta and drummer Tom - saw their 2013 touring schedule incorporate a successful headline tour of Japan. “We seem to get on really well over there; they love the solos and the virtuoso stuff just as much as they love our melodic vocals and the youthful energy Maggie brings,” explains Dan. “More than anywhere else we’ve played so far, they really love to see a powerful 22 year-old girl taking charge of an audience. Japanese people have a very different relationship with the music they love. It’s like they feel more connected to it and will go to greater lengths to experience it. When they’re at a show, they’re 100% into the band. Plenty of cheering, no talking, and all eyes on the stage from the first note to the last. It’s an awesome vibe.”
Temporarily hanging out their touring britches in early 2014 to focus on creating a follow-up release, Heel found themselves once again working alongside SikTh vocalist-cum-producer Justin Hill to create sophomore E.P, ’Stranger Just The Same’. “Justin always describes us as “Retro” cos we write all our stuff together with a guitar, a pen, and a pad, and then work it out as a group, before we ever involve the machines,” laughs Maggie. “We believe that reliance on technology slows you down creatively. We want to be thinking about where we want to go with a song artistically, not get bogged down in all the production stuff that will inevitably come later on anyway.”
Another quagmire Heel are looking to avoid is the female fronted pop-rock tag; the London quartet are eager to be appreciated on their own veritable array of merits than any umbrella gender/genre pool. “Yes, we have a young female singer, but she doesn’t sing like Hayley Williams or Avril Lavigne, and we don’t strictly play like a metal influenced backing band,” says Dan; “To be honest we sit around creaming ourselves over pop singers like Fergie and Kelly Clarkson: chicks who do a shit load of different things with their voice while still having their own identity. We’re just four unique musicians who come together and make music we all love and want to play.”
“We love bands like Paramore and Tonight Alive, and really respect the music they make and what they’ve achieved,” continues Maggie. “They are definitely keeping the female fronted bands going, but there have always been strong women in Rock. Think of all the awesome acts like Hole, Skunk Anansie, The Cranberries, Blondie, Roxette, The Pretenders, Fleetwood Mac… People just seem to love an arse kicking chick with a sick band behind her.”
‘Stranger Just The Same’ will be released July 28th, 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment