Sonic Hearts Foundation

Kamikaze Shoegaze: Sonic Hearts Foundation in interview

Rising Glasgow shredders Sonic Hearts Foundation tell us about their guerilla gigs, insane pedal arrays, and their new EP, Into Forever
FEATURE BY BRAM E. GIEBEN.
PUBLISHED 11 JUNE 2013
Sonic Hearts Foundation are a newly-minted Glasgow band who have already managed to turn a few heads with their intoxicating blend of shoegaze, indie and electronic influences, not to mention their maverick approach to gigs. Their most famous performance so far ended with the band being cheered on by homeless junkies and Pete Doherty fans while being chased out of the Barras by police and angry shop owners, resulting in a hefty fine from the Procurator Fiscal.

“It was a bit kamikaze,” says singer and guitarist Anthony Henderson, describing the guerilla gig. “We just thought, 'Let's do something big, something with an impact.' So the idea came to play to a huge crowd of people as they were coming out of a gig...” They settled on entertaining Pete Doherty fans, renting a PA and generator and setting up in clandestine fashion on the roof of News & Booze, opposite the Barrowlands. When the crowd came out, the boys turned up their amps and started playing. “It just went mental,” Henderson continues.

“Now, looking back, when you think about Pete Doherty fans and how crazy they all are... Most of them are from Bathgate.” His bandmates burst into laughter. “They all jumped up on the building, and it actually started to damage the roof.” Ant nearly panicked: “It was moving while we played! I was shitting myself,” he admits. The Pete Doherty fans decided to swarm the band's impromptu stage, and began moshing.

“They were jumping about that far from the edge,” says Brian, holding up his hand to indicate a span of about a foot. “We thought we were going to get done for murder.” Thomas 'Tam' Crawford, Brian's brother and the band's drummer, pipes up: “Tell him about the guy from the Barras.” Brian starts laughing again. “The polis got us down – we all came down when the polis showed up. They were saying 'Get all your gear in the van.' We thought they meant the back of the polis van. We were like that, 'Nae danger!' But the guy was like, 'Have you not got a van?' So we got the stuff in the back of the motor and got away before they changed their minds. Then this guy from the Barras came round with a clipboard saying 'You've broken my roof!' He was going mental, saying, 'I want your names!' We told him we had permission, and he was like 'Naw youse havenae!'”

Brian goes on to explain that the tenants of a homeless shelter next door also joined the audience: “There were all these junkies leaning out the windows, throwing out towels and egging us on. We'd been crawling about on the roof and there were puddles, so we were pure soaking. They were throwing us towels to dry ourselves off.” The band crease up again, clearly enjoying the memory of the chaotic gig more than they regret the eventual fine. Singer Anthony leans back with his arms folded, looking pleased with himself: “It was all quite anti-establishment, wasn't it?”

"WE'RE NOT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH BEING LABELLED POLITICAL" – ANTHONY HENDERSON
Although more than just a straightforward 'political' band, Sonic Hearts Foundation do claim to address the big issues in their lyrics – everything they write is about either “nature, time, death, or war,” according to Anthony. With early demo Decades containing samples from a speech by the Weatherman Underground, and tracks like USA and 1984, from their new EP Into Forever, dealing with the cold war and American imperialism, they are definitely a band who trade in serious subject matter, although they are keen to steer away from polemic. “Those themes are just things that organically appear in all of the songs – it's not something that we really try and emphasise,” says Anthony. “Some songs are about specific themes or situations, others are more abstract.” Tam agrees: “We always try and leave space for the listener to interpret it in their own way. That's what keeps music interesting. They fit the song into their own life, or fit their own interpretation over it.”

Quite rightly, the band are aware that this marks them out from the glut of indie guitar bands swamping the UK music scene: “Nothing's ever as specific as you might find in the lyrics of a twee indie band – you know, a guy meets a girl, or whatever,” says Anthony. “We're not uncomfortable with being labelled political.”

The band have known each other since childhood – Tam and Brian grew up in Glasgow's Ruchill, Anthony in Maryhill, and Connor Dixon, the band's bassist, is from Cumbernauld – although, he says, “that's not even worth mentioning,” causing the band to erupt with laughter again. Their friendship was solidified by trips to T in the Park together as teenagers, with Connor joining the band last year to add some bass weight. The secret to their success as a unit is a diverse stew of influences, with each band member bringing their own taste to bear on their parts: the bands they name-check are My Bloody Valentine, Glasvegas, Wild Beasts and The Horrors, and on the electronic side, Kraftwerk, Gary Numan and The Chemical Brothers.

The result is a layered, complex sound that can swing from pulsing electronic loops to soaring vocal acrobatics and post-punk drums to echoing, reverb-drenched guitar textures, often in the space of one song. “When we record, I have always wanted to make it sound as full as possible, without it being too over the top,” explains Brian. “On our first recordings, now, when we listen back, it feels like we maybe tried to do too much. We've tried to scale it back a little bit, strip it down. But we still want it to sound layered.”

Anthony agrees that with Into Forever, the band have gotten much closer to their original vision for their music. “We're trying to create a bit of depth on the tracks, and make it interesting for ourselves,” he explains. “Some of the stuff that we love, it has all of these interesting noises here and there, which make it more interesting than just your standard guitar band. We're always trying to add stuff into the recording that might not be used live, and vice versa as well.”



The rhythm section of the band addresses those electronic influences: “We use a lot of loops – digitally-triggered samples,” explains Tam. “We've been trying to integrate different pad noises and things like that, just to keep things interesting. It's an odd, experimental phase – we never started out thinking we were going to incorporate these kinds of sounds.” Nevertheless, the band have always had an experimental bent, especially when it comes to live performance: “We did a single launch last year, and at that point we had two different sets, I think there were like 8 or 9 songs in each set,” says Anthony. “We integrated all of the songs together, continuously. So we had the song structures, and all of the different parts, but then we had other sounds and loops and effects which integrated it all.”

The band all “tinker” with music on their own, but it is only when they play together when they feel they have created something unique. “It doesn't really sound like Sonic Hearts Foundation when it's just one person's input – it becomes our sound when everybody starts to play their own part,” Tam explains. “If you just heard Brian's guitar part, it would just sound like him. It's when I put in my drums, and Anthony puts in his guitar part and vocals, and Connor plays his bass – that's when it sounds like us.”

Brian's guitar work is central to the band – when the band supported Team Ghost earlier in the year, the audience got a chance to gaze in awe at one of the most gigantic, complex pedal arrays they had ever seen. Nicknamed 'Bertha the Board,' and described by Connor as “a spaceship,” it's the secret behind Sonic Hearts Foundation's dense and textured guitar sound. “Aye, Bertha,” says Brian. The look in his eyes is one of deep affection. “That's her name. I'm just trying to figure out if there's anything else I can fit on it...” The other band members are less enraptured: “It was spawned in hell!” Connor offers. It looks less like a Satanic device, however, than a spaceship, despite the fact that Brian claims he has “never seen Star Wars.”

“Before I started driving, I used to carry all my pedals in a big holdall,” Brian explains. “It was a nightmare – it took me 40 minutes to set up when we were rehearsing. Just a big line of pedals, man. So eventually, I had to get a board. At first I had a home-made one, but I wanted one I could actually carry about. Not that you can really carry Bertha about...” Anthony clarifies Bertha's role in the band: “We just don't really like to limit ourselves. Collecting all those pedals was about seeing how far we could get, how far we could push it. To get beyond the parameters of what a band can do with the same old effects.”

This extends to the visual side of the show as well. “We try and keep it as interesting as possible for the audience; as interesting as it is for us,” explains Anthony. “We like to try and have as many songs as possible, so we can mix it up a bit.” By his count, the band are sitting on a stack of about 35 tracks at the moment. “It's so we can make every gig different. We try and make it as visually interesting as possible – we like to have smoke machines, strobe lights, projectors.”

Anthony also describes a gig at the Glasgow Art Club, where the band got to play on a Quadrophonic system worth £160,000. “We were playing in between the speakers. A lot of people didn't get it, we hoped they'd come and dance between us.” This ambition to play unique gigs makes them a natural fit for larger venues: “We'd like to play bigger venues – it's not so much the capacity we're bothered about, it's more about having space for our sound,” Anthony explains. “Especially with Brian's guitar – it's such a big sound. It doesn't really get projected perfectly in a small room.”



Tam names Stereo as their favourite Glasgow venue, simply because of the size of the stage. Connor recalls a less well-situated gig at Edinburgh's Banshee Labyrinth: “My first gig with the band, in May last year, we were supporting Duke Spirit at King Tut's. Because it was my first gig, we set up a gig the night before in Edinburgh, as a kind of test run to see if it worked alright. The stage was that small that Thomas had to put his drumkit backwards. People were coming up to him and saying how cool it was. But honestly, it was the only way we were going to fit on the stage!” Brian chimes in: “At least you were on the stage, I was standing on the floor!”

In terms of their plans for the future, the band have one more EP and a clutch of singles and videos lined up to drop before the end of the year – hopefully this will lead them to bigger venues, bigger stages, and bigger crowds, although it may be hard to top that highly illegal Pete Doherty after-show. They plan to gig regularly, and keep things ticking over online: “Having content on Facebook and so on will pull in new people, but if people bring their mates to our gigs, and that's the first time they've heard us, I think it paints a better picture of what we're like,” says Tam. Anthony adds: “These days, music is so disposable. People get bored so quickly that you have to make sure you do keep releasing things regularly, because people just forget about you. If you constantly have stuff coming out, they are more likely to come and see you live. There are thousands of bands in all the cities across Scotland, so we're just trying to give as much as possible to try and make us stand out from the rest.”

With their intriguing lyrical themes, their densely sculpted neo-shoegaze sound, and with two feet planted firmly in the classic indie rock camp, this gang of wilful experimentalists are an interesting proposition, their music offering flashes of Killing Joke-style industrial drums, weaving, shimmering MBV-esque guitars and anthemic, meaningful lyrics. And as singer Anthony confirms, they've got plenty of confidence, too. Asked who their allies or influences in the Glasgow scene might be, he smiles confidently. “I honestly don't think there's any band in Glasgow that sounds like us,” he says. - The Skinny Magazine

Sonic Hearts Foundation – Into Forever

4/5 stars
SINGLE REVIEW BY ILYA KURYAKIN.
PUBLISHED 14 JUNE 2013
Glasgow's Sonic Hearts Foundation claim to have three album's worth of material under their collective belt, and it shows – from the opening electronic pulses of the EP's final and most impressive track, 1984, there is a brash confidence on show that belies the band's collective youth.

As the peak of their four-track debut, 1984 is a thrilling proposition – the audible rock and roll sneer of Anthony Henderson adding weight to the tightly-controlled drums, insisitent post-punk bass, reverb-heavy guitar lines and throbbing synths. The effect achieved is not dissimilar to France's Team Ghost, although the emphasis on fuzzed-out shoegaze dynamics is shifted slightly towards more conventional indie and pop. There are hints of Crocodiles-era Echo & The Bunnymen's epic, bipolar swagger, and the rhythm section's pedal-assisted momentum can't help but recall Killing Joke.

But for such a young band, these influences are distant, received second hand (if consciously absorbed at all). The band's stated heroes include Wild Beasts and The Horrors; two bands who have managed to draw on rich traditions of rock, indie and post-punk, and reconfigure them into a slick, more commercially viable package, without sacrificing their integrity, and while wearing these influences on their sleeeves.

Sonic Hearts Foundation seem likely to be able to continue pulling off a similar trick – Azrael explores terrain familiar to Scots indie titans Frightened Rabbit, but the echoing reverb of the guitar lines give the track a more lived-in, timeless feel. Perhaps the most useful contemporary Glasgow band to compare them to would be Holy Esque, with whom they share a proto-Gothic sense of scale, a mesmerising vocalist, intricate guitar and drums, and a detached cool.

80s indie and shoegaze are also useful reference points – on Northern Lights, strong shoegaze and dream-pop flourishes broaden the scope of their sound, with echoes of Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine given an infectious indie polish. USA meanwhile, underscored with growling, Carpenter-esque synth and a muted, wailing siren, is a snarling hurricane of sloganeering vocals and soaring, ethereal guitar. Taken as a whole, Into Forever is an utterly convincing first salvo – as higher production values and bigger stages beckon, Sonic Hearts Foundation are a band to watch closely. - The Skinny Magazine

Artist’s Point Of View: ‘Afterlife’ – Sonic Hearts Foundation
by Kyle McCormick on 27 July 2014 in Features




Coming from Glasgow, and fancying myself as a big of a “music writer”, I’d like to think I know all the groovy and exciting going-ons in the city. But, how then you may ask, did I manage to miss the awesome Sonic Hearts Foundation before they were brought to my attention recently?

Regardless of the answer to that however, I know now, and I’m now spreading the word starting with the band’s awesome new single ‘Afterlife’. Following the debut EP ‘Into Forever’ last year, it is the first in a string of releases for the band, and will be officially released as a free download on 11th August.

The revealing and comprehensive words below are provided courtesy of Anthony Henderson, provider of vocals, guitars and keys into the Sonic Hearts Foundation mix. Whilst the quartet is still relatively young, the band are still capable to great musical prowess as is evident on this latest and captivating single ‘Afterlife’. But for now, I’ll let the music and Mr Henderson do the talking and convincing:



’Afterlife’ is a song in which I wanted to express a particular set of thoughts. Lyrically everything we do revolves around some main themes which include Time, Death, War and Nature. In this instance the lyric related to both Time and Death. Essentially the song is about mortality. The sentiment of it is nostalgic but yet hopefully optimistic. I really think a lot about the past, of the idea that people lived their lives in a time that is now gone. Their hopes, their dreams, their concerns and their feelings all meant as much to them now as ours do to us now, however the story of most people lives will never be known or remembered. Almost as if they never even existed. I think there is something to that, and thinking of this always reminds me that time is short and life is fleeting. So it was this idea that informed the concept of the song and we tried to add references to eternal concepts such as regret, spirituality and the circle of life to convey the meaning.

Hopefully these ideas come across in the song, but they have equally been conveyed in both the artwork and the video. This was a conscious decision. Video ideas are one thing that do not necessarily come easily to us but right from the very start I always knew this song would best be conveyed via old home movies. A picture tells a thousand words after all. We put the video together ourselves using a basic programme and some kindly donated footage. It's not the first time we've made our own music video and we tend to have a strong hand in everything we do. We're definitely purveyors of the DIY ethic!

In terms of the artwork imagery, this is something I feel is of particular significance. By chance I came across some old family photographs of a man I knew who has recently passed away. He was an elderly man who never had any remaining family members and lived a quiet and perhaps lonely life. His latter day were unfortunately fraught with sadness. I wanted to use his photos as a tribute almost but also because it is an authentic visual representation of the core idea begin the lyrics of the song. To come across these photos was down to chance really but it worked out well as all the elements related to the release have evolved naturally.

The writing of the song came very quickly, almost knee jerk! When we put it together in practice it came very easily. However the song lay dormant for a while as we had been feeling it was missing something. After some time though we revisited it and made some subtle instrumental changes which gave it a new lease of life.

Although the song is one of our simplest musically, it actually became quite strenuous in the recording process. The parts had to be tracked numerous times, the mixing went through a plethora of stages and the final mastering was not without complications. We actually sent the track off to America to a mastering engineer who had worked on albums by some fantastic artists including Arctic Monkeys and Sigur Rós. Unfortunately the results were not as we had hoped and in the end we reverted back to a more of a DIY approach which has actually worked out very well for us. - Shout 4 Music

New Band Spotlight: Sonic Hearts Foundation
April 28, 2012 Gareth Fraser 2012, New Band Spotlight, New Music, Sonic Hearts Foundation
Today I want to introduce a new band spotlight of a band local to us who we saw live in March, and have kept in touch with since.

Who are you and where do you hail from?
Sonic Hearts Foundation, Glasgow

Please introduce the band members
Anthony (guitar / vox/ Keys), Brian (Guitar/ Synth) Thomas (Drums), Conor (Bass)

How would you describe your sound?
Effects driven wall of sound with intense tribal like drumming, rhythmic bass lines and lyrics which represent modern times.

Who are your biggest influences?
Contemporary bands such as Twilight Sad, Mogwai, The Horrors but also bands like The Verve, My Bloody Valentine, Joy Division

Our readers will like your because…
We’re something a bit different from most of the Scottish bands kicking about at the minute. In terms of our live performances we try to keep it interesting by using simple but effective visuals. We try to stray away from usual venues for example our single launch will be taking place in an art gallery but not your normal stage set up….

What’s the best gig you’ve played so far?
Supporting The Duke Spirit at King Tuts in March…Or maybe our guerrilla rooftop performance after the Pete Doherty show at the Barras!!

What’s the bands greatest personal achievement to date?
Enjoying breakfast at home the morning after the rooftop performance rather than in a jail cell!! Ha!

Where can we get your music from?
You can get some free downloads from www.soundcloud.com/sonicheartsfoundation But we will be releasing our debut single “The Storm” on the 30th April and physical copies of the single can be purchased at our live shows from the 28th April (single launch night) onwards and can also be downloaded from iTunes, Amazon, Spotify from the 30th April

Where can people keep in touch and follow your movements?

Twitter: @shf_music
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/sonic-hearts-foundation/100863599970181
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/sonicheartsfoundation
Youtube : http://www.youtube.com/user/SHFmusic/videos - Music Scramble

Sonic Hearts Foundation – Afterlife
August 11, 2014 Gareth Fraser 2014, New Music, Sonic Hearts Foundation, Video No comments
We’ve loved Sonic Hearts Foundation for a long time here at Musicscramble, and today we have the release of their latest new track, ‘Afterlife’.

2013 saw the band release their debut EP Into Forever which was excellent. I’m glad to say that with ‘Afterlife’ they are set to win yet more attention as they assault the senses with their music, attitude and unrelenting drive.

The single continues to showcase their unique sound and approach; a uniqueness which made me stand up and listen the first time I saw them live. Their ferocious live assault is something which you need to see and continues to impress me with each performance I see.

Until you get the chance to witness their live show, the next best thing is for you to download ‘Afterlife’ for free from their Soundcloud page, and watch the video for ‘Afterlife’ below. - Music Scramble

WATCH | Sonic Hearts Foundation - 'Afterlife'
Single available August 11th as a free download
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Feature ⋅ Jeremy Daniel ⋅ July 22nd, 2014 ⋅ 1151 Views
Last Edited by: Chris MUG5 Maguire July 29th, 2014.

Sonic Hearts Foundation have something of a reputation for refusing to toe the line; a reputation reinforced by an impromptu guerrilla gig in 2012 which attracted two thousand people and resulted in the arrival of an incensed fleet of Glasgow’s police riot vans. Not even a hefty fine from the procurator fiscal could deter this band from following a musical quest that has marked them out as mavericks on Glasgow’s vibrant music scene.

2013 saw Sonic Hearts Foundation release their debut EP Into Forever. The four tracks, recorded in their home studio, showcase the band’s unique and unapologetic sound, containing elements of ambient noise, alt rock, eerie synth lines and even Krautrock. The lyrical content, centering around four central themes of time, nature, death and war gives an insight into the scale of the band’s worldview, one that belies their youth.

'Afterlife', a free download, is set to win the band yet more attention as they assault the senses with their music, attitude and unrelenting drive.

Read more at http://hangout.altsounds.com/features/166524-watch-sonic-hearts-foundation-afterlife.html#swMwgEGWR0saiZl7.99 - altsounds.com

Glasgow’s Sonic Hearts Foundation to Release New Single ‘Afterlife​


Sonic Hearts Foundation

Their new single

Afterlife



Release Date: 11th August 2014

Format: Free Digital Download

Play here

Download here

‘’This is a magnificent slab of noise, the band are Sonic Heart Foundation and I’m reminded of My Bloody Valentine, this track is like The Jesus and Mary Chain covering The Sisters of Mercy.’’ Scots Whay Hae

Sonic Hearts Foundation have something of a reputation for refusing to toe the line; a reputation reinforced by an impromptu guerrilla gig in 2012 which attracted two thousand people and resulted in the arrival of an incensed fleet of Glasgow’s police riot vans. Not even a hefty fine from the procurator fiscal could deter this band from following a musical quest that has marked them out as mavericks on Glasgow’s vibrant music scene.

2013 saw Sonic Hearts Foundation release their debut EP ‘Into Forever’. The four tracks, recorded in their home studio, showcase the band’s unique and unapologetic sound, containing elements of ambient noise, alt rock, eerie synth lines and even Krautrock. The lyrical content, centering around four central themes of Time, Nature, Death and War gives an insight into the scale of the band’s worldview, one that belies their youth.

‘Afterlife, a free download, is set to win the band yet more attention as they assault the senses with their music, attitude and unrelenting drive. - 360 Magazine

Team Ghost / Sonic Hearts Foundation @ Broadcast, 10 April

4/5 stars
LIVE REVIEW BY BRAM E. GIEBEN.
PUBLISHED 16 APRIL 2013
Despite the entire evening being beset with technical problems – vocals drift in and out, disappearing behind squalls of guitar feedback, and the overall mix is one-dimensional, a slab of sound rather than a wall – both bands manage to pull off convincing, muscular performances that shape the shoegaze template into sculptured, towering edifices of heavenly noise.

Glasgow's Sonic Hearts Foundation kick off proceedings, guitarist Brian Crawford stood in front of a pedal array the size of an Imperial Star Destroyer. Tracks from their forthcoming EP Into Forever are anchored by the powerful caterwaul of singer Anthony Henderson, his punk-rock sneer indebted as much to !!!'s Nic Offer as it is to Ian Brown or Joe Strummer. The music however is far from the standard indie punk-pop that is the stock-in-trade of so many Glasgow bands – 1984 pulses with looped synths, building towards an explosive climax; one track features a pedal effect on the bass that evokes dubstep and trap dynamics; while a culminative USA closes the set with doom-laden drums that recall early Killing Joke. There's a political heft to their lyrics, as suggested by the sampled Weatherman Underground speech on Decades.

The almost total lack of audible vocals throughout Team Ghost's superb set could have been a deal-breaker – fortunately the Frenchmen are performance veterans, and they adapt quickly, tearing through the vocal parts of highlights from their long-incubating debut LP Rituals as quickly as possible, and exploding into awesome riffage. Multi-instrumentalists, the band divide synth, guitar and vocal duties between ex-M83 founder member Nicolas Fromageau and synth wizard Benoit DeVilleneuve.

Dead Film Star is the poppiest moment, revelling in psychotropic synths and vocoder effects from De Villeneuve; Curtains and Somebody's Watching exude a dripping sexual tension; while the band's theme song, Team Ghost, is reconfigured as a six minute epic, full of hypnotic guitar textures and glacial synths. They play their hearts out, criss-crossing the stage to trade riffs and rock postures like the pros they undoubtedly are. They make the tiny venue reverberate and hum, filling it to bursting with their powerful stage presence. Two fantastic performances, marred but not spoiled by disappointing sound. - The Skinny

Sonic Hearts Foundation - Northern Lights

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk



Glasgow's Sonic Hearts Foundation have been on our radar since the release of their debut single last summer, although we have to admit they fell off it for a while as we had a long pause without hearing from them. The good news is that all is well in their camp and they will be releasing a new EP on June 10th, with single 'Northern Lights' acting as an enticing free gesture to lure you into sampling the whole EP. So from today (29th April) this song is available for you to download for naff all from the band's website.

That's something of a bargain really, as 'Northern Lights' is a step forward from their debut release and would be worth parting with your cash for. They've mastered the fine balance of big, booming anthem and discordant, lo-fi alternative pop/rock/shoegaze track. This is rich in atmosphere and flooded with thunderous drums and drawn-out guitars, the vocals shining through like the beam of a lighthouse through the thick fog of the music. It's sounding very big and very ambitious. An EP full of these should see them right. - The sound of confusion

Sonic Hearts Foundation - The Storm (single)






The Storm's (admittedly pretty cool) cover art
Let me start by saying that Sonic Hearts Foundation is one of the best band names I have heard in a long time. I mean what's in a name? Not much you'd think. But would you rather ask for a cd by 'Pectoralz', or 'Coldplay' (the former being their original, and slightly less crap name)? Anyway, I digress.

I got an e-mail last week from the guys from SHF asking if I'd have a listen to their latest single The Storm. Having never heard of them before, I didn't know what to expect (a reoccurring theme with music reviews). I assumed indie-rock, perhaps slightly moody and dissonant.


I don't believe in negative reviews, so I replied saying I would have a listen and if I liked what I heard, by all means I'd write a little bit.


A-side: The Storm
Upon putting A-side The Storm on, my first impression kinda fits. The track opens with dissonant synth before a wobbling whammy'd guitar cuts in, sounding close to the edge of feedback. A steady baseline and steady drums cut through, holding the chaos together. The entire lot is soaked in reverb, deliciously so. The second guitar is edgier, slicing into the overall sound. It works, and overall the track has a certain driving, soaring feel.

Then come the vocals from frontman Anthony Henderson. There's a definite Tom Meighan from Kasabian edge to his vocals. Unfortunately, however, they are a bit overshadowed by further lashings of reverb. Adds a nice dramatic overtone, but the vocals are just a bit low down in the mix for my liking.


The song crescendoes into a darker place about 3/4 of the way through, with distorted guitars and a more open feeling - almost brings to mind the classic rising parts of Tocata and Fugue - in a good way. The drums and bass are relentless but controlled throughout. They're also pretty original for a band of this ilk - There's no 'four to the floor vibe' going on here at all.


The intensity peaks towards the end, with a controlled mess of cymbals, what sounds like a bell on a guitar and some kind of radio sample. Delicious.


B-Side: Rolling Tide
On the flip side, Rolling Tide starts with a driving, bubbling bass. It's a more ethereal track, but still evidently in keeping with the band's style. Echoey, delayed guitars are the order of the day once again a la Editors or even early U2, a style which also comes through with big, solid 1980s drums from stickssmith Thomas Crawford. Some of the more sparkly guitar moments bring to mind the jangler arpeggios of The Smiths and The Cure perhaps.


Again, the tempo is decidedly downbeat, but certainly grooveable to. There's a real 3AM feel to the track, which is well constructed without being cliché. A real B-side treat.


In Conclusion

Is this track worth the space on your hard drive, and your £1.58 on iTunes? Certainly. It's two tracks of equal depth and quality. But only if ethereal indie-rock is your penchant. That's my one caveat. Either way, I look forward to catching them next time they are down Dundee way. - The Night Worker

Glasgow Attack with Sonic Hearts Foundation - An Interview


Glasgow ataca novamente.

A cidade que já deu ao mundo maravilhas e mais maravilhas novamente nos presenteia com um de seus rebentos que promete sacudir o submundo dos bons sons, Sonic Hearts Foundation é o nome do combo mezzo psicodélico shoegazer, mezzo class of 86, que me fez lembrar outra bela banda da nova geração o Exit Calm, principalmente pelos arranjos eloquentes e grandiosos chegando a lembrar o Verve na época do Nothern Soul.

O novo single dos caras é bem bem bom, a faixa Afterlife mostra bem o poder de ataque e se a mídia permitir certamente eles podem alçar vôos bem maiores.

Que assim seja....

***** Interview with Sonic Hearts Foundation *****




Q. When did Sonic Hearts Foundation starts, tell us about the history...
We started properly around 2011, spent a bit of time playing some gigs and finding our feet. It wasn't until 2012 when we released our first single, and got around to releasing our debut Ep ‘Into Forever’ last year. We’ve had a few setbacks along the way (We’re onto our fourth bass player!) but things are now at a fantastic point and we’re just eager to get on with releasing new music and spreading the word!

Q: Who are your influences?
We take influence from many places. In terms of other bands people like The Twilight Sad, The Horrors and Wild beasts definitely inspire us. Modern music in general has a big impact on us. There are so many talented artists around at the moment, ones who are creating their own sound, so its difficult not to be influenced by that!

Other things that influence us include guitar pedals, modern music technology, nature, politics, history visual artists, projectors and generally everyone out there making great art for its own sake.

Q. Made a list of 5 albuns of all time…
The Verve ‘Urban Hymths”
Radiohead ‘Ok Computer’
Sigur ros ‘Ágætis byrjun’
The Beatles ‘Revolver’
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club ‘BRMC

Q. How do you feel playing alive?
We enjoy playing live and we’re comfortable on stage. Depending on the gig and the crowd there may be varying levels of nerves but overall we are a band who do what we do best in a live setting.

Q. How do you describe Sonic Hearts Foundation sounds?
Its hard to pin our sound down. We’ve had people describe it as Psychedelic, ambient, shoe gaze and post rock but it would be fair to say it is quite an eclectic sound. Most important of all we feel its important for any band to have their own original sound. We’re always consciously trying to develop and try not to repeat ourselves too much so I think the result is that we have a collection of songs which are fairy diverse in a sense, but at the same time are unified together and always sound like us.

A good example of this is our debut Ep ‘Into Forever’ which we put out last year (Available for free download here: http://sonicheartsfoundation.bandcamp.com/album/into-forever) and as it was first release we chose 4 songs which did not necessarily sound the same but which showcased different aspects of our sound and actually worked very well together. That release was kind of an introduction to the band and we’re keen to delve a lot further with our upcoming releases.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
In the early days of the band we tried out a few different people and places for recording but since then its very much evolved into a DIY effort. Our first Ep was mostly done in our own home studio and we’ve been really busy over the last few months working on our upcoming releases.

The process is kind of a gradual one. We track everything individually and tend to spend a lot of time on the mixing stage. We’re experimental by nature so we like to use the studio sort of like an instrument. We’re always keen to explore new sounds new techniques and aim create something more sonically interesting than a basic live recording.

Generally the process begins with the tracking of the instruments, normally the Drums and Bass will be first to go down with guitars, keys and vocals last. Then we use the mixing process to layer the sound and see how far we can push things and how hard we can challenge ourselves in the recording.



Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
Theres so many fantastic new bands around that its hard to pick some, but off the top off my head…. There is a fantastic band from named Call to Mind. They’re also from Glasgow and have just released their debut album, they sound sort of like Sigur Ros. Also really enjoying Public Service Broadcasting and MONEY have amazing tunes!

Q: Which bands you love to made a cover version?
A cover version is something we have never done! To be honest its not something that has really crossed our minds. We love writing new songs and the problem we have is that there is not enough time in the day to explore all our own ideas let along thinking about someone else's songs! Maybe in the future though…

Q: What´s the plans for future....
We have a pretty full on release schedule planed for the forceable future, starting with ‘Afterlife which we release on August 11th as a free download. On top of this we plan to get out and gig as much as possible hopefully garnering a few new fans along the way and eventually at some point we hope to put out a full album which would be great!

Q: Any parting words?
Just to remind people to get on and download our new single on August 11th, its Free!

Also our debut Ep ‘Into Forever’ is also available for free download (We’re just such generous folk!) from https://soundcloud.com/sonicheartsfoundation

If you like our stuff give our facebook page a like and stay connected!
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Thanks guys

https://soundcloud.com/sonicheartsfoundation
http://sonicheartsfoundation.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/sonicheartsfoundationglasgow - The blog that celebrates itself in Brazil

Scottish shoe-gaze sensations, Sonic Hearts Foundation, released the Into Forever EP back in June, to much acclaim. It is a realisation of the recording potential hinted at with their debut single, The Storm, back at the start of the year.
By Kevin Bonfield
A bold and confident quartet of songs, sounding like a band which is comfortable in its own skin. Their sound may well fit the perceived genre of ‘shoe-gaze’. To be it seems to take the best of the attitude from the post punk era of ‘goth’. This is dipped delicately into some psychedelic and electronic treacle and smoothed over with lush and hypnotic dreamy-indie guitar.
Sonic Hearts Foundation 'Into Forever'Whilst definitely having a Scottish feel and the sound certainly hints at that North-Of-The-Border attitude, on occasions the vocals draw more on the spat anger of The Enemy or even the half-spoken narrative of Mike Skinner. It’s a winning combination and might just give Sonic Hearts Foundation head room above the crowd.
Appropriately mythically, Azrael opens the set. A haze of fantasy sets the tone. Somehow carrying off an edgy feel, whilst remaining distant and dreamy. Bass. Big bass. Big. Huge. Oh yes, smooth and deep thunder blending gloriously with the persistent, clipped percussion. The drums here are saved the wash of reverb elsewhere in the mix.
A winning combination of hazy sound and crisp definition, generating a relentless sway. Nothing is trying to dominate and the vocals are another layer of instrumentation. The words come on second or third listen. Just the way we like it.
The sounds, particularly the guitars are drenched in colour and echo, as if Mr Eno himself has been at the dials. This could easily sit on the soundtrack to Trainspotting.
The beauty to calm the beast comes by way of Northern Lights, a lament to soothe the soul. The rich, stereowide guitar provides a simple yet hypnotic melody which matches the deep trance of the rhythm section. Yet this is no electronic creation, these are still guitar led rock songs, albeit with the band’s take on sound creation and shoe-gazing sensibilities. This could be a Reverend and The Makers ballad performed by Glasvegas. Imagine that. Yum

The current single, USA is home to some extra layers of progressive, experimental aural landscapes. Electronic swirls are soon bulldozed aside by big and heavy bass hits thundering up through the floor. The low and deep bass and upfront, fully loaded drums set the scene – a bleak industrial hell. Then guitars. Oh Yeah! Gloriously uncomfortable and you won’t be adding it to your parents’ Christmas mixtape….
The reverb piles and piles and finally the vocals arrive – rich and distorted, dark and haunting and fighting for their space in the wall of sound. The bass thunders on, the drums thunder on and weird and fantasy sounds cross in and out. Indie boys will be checking their shoes that bit more intently.
The single has an accompanying video – a cross between a study in the workings of Sonic Hearts Foundation and flickered disturbing images. A rack of effects and a megaphone and you’re hooked. Occasionally breaking down into Nine Inch Nails – esque mayhem, it’s an invitation to get lost in a wall of progressive and poignant sound.

The EP closes with 1984, a more synthetic opening before gently stabbed guitars fire up the effects. Strings and simple percussion. Starting out as the understated sibling, this track builds and builds. And builds and builds. Yum. Again. Vocally Lydon doing RATM and you’re somewhere close.
Breakdowns give space for lyrics. If you took the Hadley out of White Lies, you’d be in these quieter passages, before the building starts again, finally becoming chaotic. Precise, high end guitars duelling with insistent, rapid fire cymbals drive the track to a blistering conclusion.
The EP is available via Bandcamp, the digital version being free to download.
Similarly, the single USA, which comes with an extra track, Zion, is available digitally with a ‘Name Your Price’ option.
Zion arrives all funky and groovy, more indie-pop, than psych-pop. Not that it abandons the soundscapes, it is just more driven. The bass is in charge here and that gives room for the guitars to be a little more sparse and suggestive. Instrumental breaks are all big and upfront from the bass.
There’s a dance feel to this track and something in the back of my mind is thinking Depeche Mode. Hey! This is a good thing. The sounds from afar become nearer and nearer as the song progress and something else in the back of my mind wants these guys to hand Zion over for a high energy remix.
What is reassuring is that the ‘live’ nature of the recording detracts in no way from the sound of Sonic Hearts Foundation. As I’ve said, it’s a very confident debut EP and has earned a place in many of my play lists.
Find the single and the EP on the band’s Bandcamp page
Connect with Sonic Hearts Foundation
www.sonicheartsfoundation.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/sonicheartsfoundationglasgow - Niji Magazine