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Spotlight On Hearts & Mines
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FRONTED BY AFGHANISTAN veteran Matt Luloff, the Ottawa-based band Hearts & Mines know how to pack a ...FRONTED BY AFGHANISTAN veteran Matt Luloff, the Ottawa-based band Hearts & Mines know how to pack a punch. Fellow band members Rob Hanlon, Jason Watts, and Michaël Pineault accompany Luloff as he sings about his tumultuous time serving in the army. While the musical content may seem dark, the band’s sharp riffs and clean vocal harmonies provide perfect concurrence to the powerful and politically charged lyrics, all written by Luloff. Their heartfelt live shows, as well as Luloff’s undeniably charming stage presence, give Hearts & Mines the edge to break through into mainstream, with 2011 hopefully being the kick-start to a promising career.
The band’s untitled upcoming album will be released May 24, but in the meantime, Hearts & Mines will keep busy with a number of shows in the upcoming months. They are playing the Live Lounge on Feb. 18, and will also be featured on CHUO’s Sounds of the 613 on Jan. 10, at 11 p.m.
Sounds like: If Matthew Good had fought in a war
Check them out: New website, heartsandmines.com and Myspace page, myspace.com/heartsandmines
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Buying Shots for Hearts&Mines at Rancho Relaxo 13 01 2011
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Hearts&Mines is an alternative rock band based out of Ottawa. They made the trip from the Nation’s c...Hearts&Mines is an alternative rock band based out of Ottawa. They made the trip from the Nation’s capital and put on an impressive set, full of energy and enthusiasm. Frontman Matt Luloff has quite a powerful voice, with a certain pop-friendly sound that seems radio-ready. He’s backed by great harmonies from Jason Watts (drums), Rob Hanlon (bass) and Michaël Pineault (keys). Each member contributes to the loud, driven set. Listening carefully to the lyrics, many of the songs refer to war, as the band name may allude. Luloff doesn’t just have a good imagination when it comes to lyrics, though; he was actually in Afghanistan and writes about his own experiences. This translates well, as there is honesty in Luloff’s stage presence, seeming to sing with passion and sincere appreciation for the moment.
Hearts&Mines only formed in 2009 but had a big 2010, having released an EP, Pictures of Silence, and competed in Live 88.5’s Big Money Shot, walking away with $5,000. The band is looking to release a full-length this year and I’m looking forward to what Hearts&Mines has in store next. Luloff’s experiences may be what capture your attention, but their engaging sound is what will keep you interested.
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Former soldier sings about what he knows
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Matthew Luloff experienced more during his eight months in Afghanistan than he had in his previous 2...Matthew Luloff experienced more during his eight months in Afghanistan than he had in his previous 24 years in Ottawa.
While stationed in Khandahar with the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry in 2008, Luloff saw his share of horrors. There was the time his friend Cpl. Andrew Grenon was killed in action.
“It completely changed my life,” Luloff says between classes at Carleton University, where he’s studying public policy.
“I was optimistic about being there when my tour began. I thought we could change lives there, but lost enthusiasm for the mission when my friends began dying.”
As if that wasn’t discouraging enough, his morale dwindled when he learned that support for the mission in Canada and Afghanistan was weak.
“An Afghan told me the answer was for the allied forces to leave and take the Taliban with them.”
Risking your life for a cause no one is sure of is a stress many soldiers on the frontline struggle with. Some more successfully than others. Eventually, the 25-year-old corporal found that writing songs about his experiences in Afghanistan was the best way to decompress. It was cathartic. Not only did the songs ease the stress, but they were better than anything Luloff had written with his four previous bands.
Early 2009 and back in Ottawa, Luloff and his new band Hearts & Mines — with Grant MacIntyre, Jason Watts and Josh Drazilov — lay down Luloff’s Afghanistan songs on their first EP Pictures on Silence, which will be released digitally next week on iTunes.
“I felt compelled to give a voice to the voiceless. In an industry saturated with third party perspectives, the mission of the band is to bring sincerity and authenticity to national and global political discourse,” Luloff says with military precision that goes well with the ferocious power pop.
“Lots of bands like Green Day sing anti-war songs, but do they know what it’s really like? If you’re going to listen to someone sing about war, hopefully, they know what they’re talking about.”
Hardly. Pop musicians have been writing loud anti-war songs since Vietnam in the 1960s, but few of them, if any, had anything more to say than give peace a chance. Luloff thinks Hearts & Mines is contributing something more tangible to the dialogue of whether we should be in Afghanistan or not.
Real experience.
“You can change the channel if you don’t like what you see. They can’t. I was there for eight months. I can’t imagine what it’s like to live there.”
But it’s experience that’s changed Luloff for good, made him more determined to take a stand in his politics, and his music.
“Most of my generation are stuck in virtual reality.
It’s frustrating coming back and reintegrating with society because I find I’m more driven, focused, and less likely to get caught up in bull----.”
denis.armstrong@sunmedia.ca
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Afghan War Vet: Inspiring Change Through Music
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Hearts & Mines is an emerging Canadian band with an eclectic sound which combines unique genres into...Hearts & Mines is an emerging Canadian band with an eclectic sound which combines unique genres into authentic blends of alternative rock.
Since early 2009, the band has performed countless concerts, released their EP Pictures on Silence, appeared on several television shows, and made the cut to compete in the Ottawa radio station Live 88.5’s: Big Money Shot Contest.
The band was inspired by Ret. Corporal Matthew Luloff’s experience as a soldier in the Canadian Forces – deployed to Afghanistan. Canada’s role in the conflict has been a controversial issue for many Canadians.
As a combat soldier and political activist, Luloff has at times challenged the status quo on issues of morals, principles, and politics. As a friend of Luloff, I am well aware of his ability to weave deep prose capable of inspiring anyone to question their beliefs.
I sat down with Luloff, who along with Hearts & Mines, will compete in Round 1 of the Live 88.5's: Big Money Shot on May 28.
Riaz Sidi – BiasViewer: Hearts & Mines was formed after you returned from Afghanistan but when I talked to your bandmate Ryan Moore, he suggested he would never have joined ‘a war band’. How do you avoid being put in a box or labelled despite your story or your desire to bring awareness to changing the political landscape?
Ret. Corporal Matthew Luloff – Hearts & Mines: Ryan is correct. We are not a “war band.” We are neither for or against the current missions. I am able to separate my own opinion from what we wish to promote, which, honestly, is doubt. H&M is about asking questions. Why do we accept everything we are told as fact? Why do we still call the wars in the middle east the War on Terror when we know we cannot be at war with a concept or something intangible. We want people to ask questions and look for their own answers, not take the ones crafted for them.
Sidi: How do your bandmates complement that?
Luloff: First and foremost, we are an intelligent group of gentlemen interested in different areas. Grant occupies himself with questions of history – while technology and design interest Ryan and Jason respectively. We are all knowledge seekers encouraging others to do the same.
Sidi: To what do you attribute your early success?
Luloff: Really? Determination. Maybe the fact that everyone is afraid to ask me the hard questions about having been a soldier and they are looking for answers in the music.
Sidi: How do you plan to keep your music fresh?
Luloff: Because the search for knowledge ends only in more questions, we are sure not to run out of material.
Sidi: What are you doing to prepare for the Live 88.5 Big Money Shot? And when is your show?
Luloff: We have been busy with our stage show and dynamics, practicing twice a week. We are on at 9:50 p.m. sharp May 28th!
Sidi: Thank you for taking the time to sit down with me.
Luloff: It was great talking to you – and I just want to thank our friends, family, fans, and followers for their ongoing support for Hearts & Mines!
Check out the band’s official website and MySpace for the latest news and updates. You can also follow the band on Twitter and their Facebook fan page.
I will be following up with Luloff to ask the hard questions into his experiences as a soldier and for updates on the band.
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Hearts&Mines – Find Your Way
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Ottawa’s Hearts&Mines is set to release Find Your Way, their debut full-length album. This 4-piece i...Ottawa’s Hearts&Mines is set to release Find Your Way, their debut full-length album. This 4-piece is comprised of Matt Luloff (vocals, guitar), Jason Watts (drums, vocals), Rob Hanlon (bass, vocals), and Michaël Pineault (keys, vocals). Together, these fellas have put together a solid full-length debut, really honing in on a particular sound that they have grasped well.
The opener, “Echo,” is a strong start with Luloff’s vocals setting the tone for the rest of the 10-song album. Throughout the album, it is evident that the band has a firm grasp on their pop sensibilities, as the songs are quite catchy. They have a radio-friendly alternative rock sound, with Luloff possessing a certain radio-ready familiarity to his vocals. Songs like “Echo,” “Snakes and Ladders” and “Wrong” sound like they belong on the radio. While the sound itself is not particularly unique, Luloff brings something quite unique to the table. The lyrics he pens often allude to a life full of experiences that few people will ever encounter, as Luloff actually went to Afghanistan, which their war-influenced band name may hint.
Although Luloff’s voice is at the forefront of Hearts&Mines’ sound, the effort from all the members is evident. The harmonies that start off “Wrong” make for an attention-grabbing beginning, but they’re heard throughout the album, as each member lends their voice. The hard-hitting drums courtesy of Watts in “Another World” really steal the show on that tune, while Pineault’s work on keys stand out on “Capsize to Baptize” and the big album closer “The Mutiny.” Overall, the album is consistent in strength and it’s certainly a debut to be proud of.
Hearts&Mines will be celebrating the release of Find Your Way at Live Lounge in their hometown of Ottawa on May 22nd. The official release date is May 24th.
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Hearts & Mines CD release!
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Hearts & Mines from Ottawa Ontario is set to release their newest CD titled "Find your Way" They wer...Hearts & Mines from Ottawa Ontario is set to release their newest CD titled "Find your Way" They were nice enough to let me do the cover art for em. Check it out:
If you want to pick up your very own copy it will be available May 24th on all major digital sites including iTunes, Rhapsody, Amazon and Zune.
You gotta buy it to solve it. The other half of the maze is on the back side.
Check out the band webpage at http://www.heartsandmines.com
supersonic
