What are your names?
Jeff Stuart – lead vocals/rhythm guitar
Gavin Dunn – lead guitar/backing vocals
Dwayne Martineau – keys/guitar/backing vocals
Christopher Quesnel – bass
Brad Tebble – drums
Lindsay Pratt – backing vocals
What is the band’s name?
The Hearts
How did you come up with the band’s name?
It was a long time ago, so we don’t recall all the details, other than to say, it made it to the top of the ‘short-list’ because we felt it had a really classic/timeless sounding vibe to it.
What is your genre of music?
Indie-folk, Americana, Roots Rock
Give us a little bio about you.
The Hearts deliver unforgettable melodies and moody harmonies that resonate at dive bars, soft seat theatres, and music festivals alike. Their heartfelt Indie-folk/Americana songs are beautifully backlit by dreamy textures and earthy grooves. They’re revered for delivering an exciting live show where they trade, layer, and cohere splendidly – mixing equal parts glitter and grit. Their many creative explorations and adventures include indie chart-topping releases, music featured in MTV and HBO productions, award nominations, and performances at popular festivals in Canada and abroad including SXSW, Edmonton Folk Fest, Calgary Folk Fest, Interstellar Rodeo, and many more. The latest landmark for The Hearts, is the completion of their fifth studio album, which is set to be released November 8th, 2024. It promises the charming melodic melancholic swagger that you’ve come to love and expect from this sonic six-pack. “elegant, sophisticated, daring, and brilliantly creative, but more than anything, from the heart.” CKUA Radio
What made you go into music?
Music has been a part of our lives ever since we can remember. Each of us have been huge music fans since childhood. We all started listening to music and going to shows at a young age, and we all started playing instruments and joining bands in our early teen years. Making music with friends is something we’re all naturally drawn to.
Who are your influences?
There are a wide range of influences spanning different genres and eras among a group of six individuals. A few of the ‘classic’ and more familiar artists that we (more or less) have a mutual appreciation for include T.Rex, The Jayhawks, Lucinda Williams, Otis Redding, Willie Nelson, Gram Parsons, Talking Heads, The Band, Neil Young, Bill Withers, Big Star, Harry Nilsson, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, and many more.
Are you signed?
No, but we are signed-UP to rock and roll!!
You released your latest Single ‘The Long Goodbye’, tell us more about the single and the meaning behind the song.
This song was built around a chord progression and form composed by band member Dwayne Martineau (keys). We chose it as the first single because it ties together many of the musical themes that you’ll hear throughout the album, as well as many of the recurring lyrical concepts – how fragments of the larger story get lost over time, how details of memories (much like details of dreams) fade but remain as feelings, and what we humans must be missing out on amidst our inevitably unavailing quest for permanence. The imagery of El Dorado (referenced in the opening verse) represents an ancient fabled place of riches and opportunity. Visions of such a place have held up over time, as a concept that people wish to cling to, or perhaps return to, though there’s no way of knowing whether it actually existed in the first place. As people, we do that with our own memories or interpretations of what certain points in our past were like. We envision gilded periods in our personal histories that we strive to hold onto or recreate. In doing so, we lose sight of ourselves (and the things standing right in front of us) along the way.
Describe the track in two words.
Seventies vibes
What was the writing and recording process like?
We typically start with an outline of a song that someone brings in (typically Jeff or Dwayne) and we workshop it together to find the feel and the groove. We used to write more in the studio, which resulted in records that we had to learn how to recreate live. Now, we’re writing more organically and trying to make recordings that capture what we do live.
Who did you work with on the single?
We wrote and arranged it ourselves. Our very talented friend Emily Bachynski (who is a songwriter, musician, and sound engineer) helped us record it, Nashville based engineer/producer Sean Sullivan mixed it, and then Justin Perkins at Mystery Room Mastering
Will we see a music video for ‘The Long Goodbye’? Tell us more about the creative process and making of it.
Yes, the video is on our YouTube
The video was developed and directed by Dwayne Martineau (who plays keys, co-wrote the song, and is also an accomplished visual artist). In his words… For me, visuals are all about creating a mood and a mindset to feel what the music is saying. The imagery of the band inside the distorted mirror was inspired by the song’s refrain of “I don’t recognize myself” and the record’s themes of impermanence and shifting identity. I don’t think we work with narrative storytelling so much as vignettes— connecting emotional bullet points the way memories connect moments and feelings. It gives people space to find their own meaning. Putting all that into practice has landed us on an aesthetic that feels like timeless summertime memories of looking at the world through dirty sunglasses.
Can we expect an Album or EP and If so, what can we expect form it?
Yes, our album ‘Traces’ will be available on all the streamers on November 8th. All the songs fit within a similar pocket as The Long Goodbye. It is a heavily Americana/Indie-Folk influenced record with some dreamy or atmospheric overtones. Lots of big grooves, sweeping melodies, and pretty harmonies.
Do you have any live shows coming up?
November 1, 2024 – Album release show w/ SHAELA MILLER – Owl Acoustic Lounge, Lethbridge, AB
November 2, 2024 – Album release show w/SHAELA MILLER – Ironwood Stage & Grill, Calgary, AB
November 10, 2024 – Album release show w/SHAELA MILLER – Ritchie Community Hall, Edmonton, AB
Let us know where we can get tickets if so.
The Hearts – Shows
What else can we expect in 2024?
We’re planning to release more videos, do more touring, and work toward some festivals for the following year.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
In a cabin in the woods making a record.
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
“Calmer than you are.” – Walter Sobchak
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
If you mean, 5 things you cannot (as in must not) forget to bring to a gig you’re playing, that could include, gear, stage clothes, guitar picks, merchandise, bass player.
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
Facebook
The Hearts (@theheartscanada) • Instagram photos and videos
Traces | The Hearts (bandcamp.com)
