Interview: Wildheart

Wildheart is a Brisbane based melodic hardcore band. Having released their third latest five track EP
‘We Are’ in August 2018, Wildheart are showing no signs of slowing momentum as they push their music
to its limit.
‘We Are’ was released on August 31st

at #2 on the iTunes Metal chart, #39 on the overall iTunes chart.
Prior to its official release, their first single We Are premiered on KillYourStereo.com being cited as a
‘fresher, larger re-introduction to the(ir) sound and intent…’, achieving #6 on the Triple J Unearthed Metal
chart, as well as #3 on the Indigenous chart to rave reviews from curators.
This release is the follow up to several singles release since their DIY-recorded and produced, freshman
EP ‘1000 Days’ in early 2015. Whilst not reflective in their studio releases, Wildheart have slowly yet
surely carved themselves a position as a heavy, emotional outfit that demands the attention of punters
through their relentless live performances.

Wildheart performed BIGSOUND 2018; have seen regular playtime across various well known platforms
such as Triple-J’s b-category rotation and Spotify’s ‘Homegrown and Heavy’ playlist; have played
alongside heavyweight acts including Casey (UK), Listener (US), Belle Haven, Bare Bones, Young
Lions, Deadlights, and Dregg; as well as undertaking several independent east-coast tours.
Wildheart are proud advocates of an open conversation surrounding mental health and discrimination, and
have performed in support of multiple not-for-profit organisations including Beyond Blue, Support
Act/The Black Dog Foundation, and Sea Shepherd. Check out the band’s latest video below!

We caught up with the band as they talked about their latest release and more!

So how has your latest album/EP gone so far with fans then?

The response to our latest EP has been awesome! We’ve received a lot of positive feedback on it from friends and fans alike. This is the first time we’ve done a digital pre-order for a release, and we were over the moon that a lot of people really jumped on that and picked a copy up, which helped us chart with it at #2 on the iTunes Metal chart and #39 on the overall iTunes chart. It’s also been great to see people coming out to shows and singing the words back to us for new songs taken from the EP that we’ve added into our live setlist.

Tell us something about the release no one knows?

I guess it’s not something no one knows, but as I had surgery late last year during the writing process, a lot of the drum parts Adam and I sat down and wrote out on my practice pad as I couldn’t play on a full drum kit during the first few months of writing the EP.

If you could work with any band on a new song, who would it be and why?

There’s so many amazing bands out there you could choose from, but I’d really love to engage in the writing process with the band “Napoleon”. They’re a progressive metalcore band from the United Kingdom and have just realised a new song titled ‘Ignite’, and to be honest every new song they put out just tops the previous one. I’d love to just sit down in a room with them and share ideas and write music.

How has your latest single been received?

The first single taken from our EP ‘We Are’ premiered on KillYourStereo.com, and was cited as a ‘fresher, larger re-introduction to their sound and intent…’, achieving #6 on the Triple J Unearthed Metal chart, as well as #3 on the Indigenous chart to rave reviews from curators. The track has also been include in Triple J’s b-category playlisting, and multiple prolific playlists on Spotify such as “Homegrown + Heavy” and “Metal Maniacs”.

Can you tell us about the meaning behind the track?

‘We Are’ is all about standing up for what you believe in and holding others accountable. We have always been a band who discusses important social issues in our lyrics, but with this EP I really feel that we’ve brought that message/s to the forefront. This song looks at the problems we face in society today in a way that we acknowledge that there is in fact a problem. Hopefully something in here resonates with people like it does for us, knowing that you’re not alone out there can make all the difference. Wildheart are proud advocates of an open conversation surrounding mental health and discrimination and have performed in support of multiple not-for-profit organisations including Beyond Blue, Support Act/The Black Dog Foundation, and Sea Shepherd.

What tours do you have coming up, and what can you tell us about them?

We will be announcing our hometown EP release shortly, which will be happening in Brisbane mid-November with a stack of really amazing bands joining us. We will then be traveling along the East Coast in celebration of the release of the EP, and that will all be announced on our Facebook page in the coming weeks.

What venue are you most looking forward to playing the most, and why?

I’m really looking forward to playing at Black Bear Lodge in Brisbane this week. I played this venue a few years ago in another band I was performing in, but the space is really cool and I really like what the organizers have done with the space.

What else can we expect from in 2018?

We still have a few more surprises left for fans this year, including a new music video and a few more exciting show announcements. My best advice would be to keep checking back on our Facebook page for details, and if you haven’t already, you can listen to the EP now over on Spotify.