Artist: Hearts Under Fire
Genre: Punk/Rock
Location: Surrey, England, UK
Label Type: Major
Record Label: My Major Company
Website: http://www.heartsunderfire.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/HEARTSUNDERFIRE
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/heartsunderfire
All-female punk rockers, Hearts Under Fire currently consist of members Mary O’ Regan, Lexi Clark, Nicky Day and the newly appointed Kat Upton. Since their formation in 2005, the band has undergone multiple line-up changes, proving to be quite unsettling. As mentioned just now, the new member of the group is Kat Upton; she replaces the recently departed lead guitarist Steph Farrow. Rhythm guitarist Nicky Day is another who wasn’t in the original line-up, but one person who was, is former lead singer Sian Sanderson. She has since left the band, meaning that as well as change in personnel, the girls have also had to shift around the roles within the band, and so Mary O’ Regan was elected to fill the void left by Sanderson and become the new lead vocalist. Aside from performing the vocal duties, O’ Regan is also the band's bassist, a combination quite unusual to see in the music industry. In terms of backing vocals, the whole band have tended contribute in the past, and it will be interesting to see if this trend continues in catering for the introduction of Upton.
Their music style seems to revolve around melodies on a hard rock base, a brand which has become more prominent and evident in the last year or two, and in particular since the changing of lead vocalists. As a broad genre, you would place HUF in the punk rock bracket, but you could also be excused for describing them as pop-punk. The quartet prides themselves on their passion and hard work, whilst providing plenty of guts and determination. Their gang vocals set them apart from most bands, as does their unrivalled energy, particularly so in the case of drummer, Lexi Clark. Moreover, their tempo in general takes a pretty fast pace whilst they also incorporate hard-rocking driving guitar riffs exemplified by their rawness and honest approach. HUF’s music clearly portrays a diverse array of influences, an attribute which has seen them perform in such festivals as Sonisphere, Download and T in the Park amongst others.
With regards to the bands discography, their only release to date is the EP titled, Letters, which came out in May last year.
Undoubtedly their best track is the 2nd of the 4 track offering, ‘It’s Not Me, It’s You’. As well as being a red-head front woman of a punk rock band, O’ Regan’s vocals also draw comparisons to the magnificent Hayley Williams. Her vocals demonstrate a key component of HUF in the form of passion, while the backing vocals from the rest of the gang give it that support, with the two approaches complimenting each other well. The song itself follows a basic punk rock structure with a catchy chorus executed quite superbly with the drums providing a characteristic upbeat tempo. The melody and energy are evident throughout, and all in all it makes for a really top notch punk rock song.
Possibly the next best track on the record is ‘Animals’, with its catchy melodies and quick tempos backed up by plenty of guile and vigour. However, this song, and indeed the other two on the record, ‘Liquid Luck’ and ‘Light My Way’, are not as well executed as the previously mentioned ‘It’s Not Me, It’s You’, as they simply possess generic punk rock sounds and structures.
All things considered, the pace and power on this record are balanced well, but perhaps the aggression evident on occasions could come to the forefront a little more, as well as the distinctive gang vocals. On a positive note, ‘It’s Not Me, It’s You’ really is one of my favourite punk rock songs of the modern era and the EP should be recognised for this brilliance.
Of late, the band has gone for a slight change of direction and has tweaked the sound a little bit. If they continue this good work and keep to a consistent line-up providing some stability, then by simply just developing on the good foundations they have already established, they could quite possibly experience a successful future in the music industry.
The band are currently shooting a video for ‘Liquid Luck’ as well as working on their debut album, and will be playing four UK shows supporting My Passion towards the end of this month. So if you can, check them out, and/or even invest in them by clicking here. In the meantime this is the video for the majestic, ‘It’s Not Me, It’s You'.
