Interview with H.E.A.T.

By Peter Andersson

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Before I met the six guys in H.E.A.T., I was invited to Sony’s headquarters in Stockholm to see a release of the new music video to the single Living On The Run and hear a short acoustic performance. In a few days, H.E.A.T. will release their new album called Address The Nation and they are in the process of promoting it.

I have been following these guys since the start and was anxious to meet them in person.

The nice and laid back mood at the Sony office was perfect before the interview, and with a beer in my hand, I and all six members of H.E.A.T. sat down in one of their meeting rooms.

The members of H.E.A.T.

Jona: I must say, this room, (describing the room for the interview at Sony’s office in Stockholm) big things have happened here, like H.E.A.T.’s first meeting with GAIN. Yeah, and this was the place where we were told that Erik was about to die.

Say what?

Jona: Yes, an artist, we mean. This was the place where they told us he was going to join H.E.A.T. Not being murdered, of course. [All laugh]

Dave: Yep, and this was the place where we decided the songs for the new album as well.

I see, so this room has been the place for a lot of history for you guys?

Everyone: Yep!

Jona: Yeah, but it’s also the place for a lot of anxiety!

Anxiety?

Jimmy: You know, in the walls. There have been some hard decisions that have been made here.

Jona: In Finland, every hard decision is being made in the sauna!

Crash: Why can’t you start that in Sweden?! I bet people will reach a decision faster anyway! [Laughter]

So, guys. For potential new fans, how would you describe your music?

Jona: Who starts?

Eric R: It could take a while, but if you have to describe it in two words it would be melodic hard rock.

Everyone: Yes, that’s about right.

Eric R: And to be even more specific, its hard rock that is easy to take in. Many people who think of hard rock might believe, “No way I’m listening to that.” But in our case, what we play, there are still traces of pop music in there. So it is melodies that are easier to embrace.

Dave: Yeah, and it’s based on the 80s hard rock era. Sound-wise that is.

Jona: That’s right, the grand hard rock era, with bands like Europe and such.

I see! But guys, between the years 2008 and 2010, a lot of things happened with H.E.A.T. You were elected “Best newcomers of the year”, you released the album “Freedom Rock”, you attended the Swedish finals for the Eurovision song contest, and H.E.A.T. toured a whole lot in Europe and Asia, and then…we didn’t hear that much from H.E.A.T. What were you up to?

Crash: We have been working on the album! Our manager stepped in and said, “Guys, to take this to a new level, you have to create an extremely good album.” And there are a lot of bands who perhaps don’t have that option, or that insight that it’s just not possible to release an album and then head out and tour, and then release another album and tour. The manager told us, “Write songs. That’s the only thing you guys are going to do now every hour of every day.” And then, after maybe three months, we went to the manager and said, “Hell, we wanna head out and tour now, aren’t we going to record the album?” He was like, [Crash shakes his head, describing that the manager didn’t agree] “No, it’s not the time”. And then, after three months again, we asked again to record the album, but he told us, “No, keep writing songs.” Then, when we had written songs for about a year, he gave us the go signal.

I bet that felt great?

Jona: Yeah! And after that, we met the label company, and started going through the songs that we have written and together with them started selecting songs.

Jimmy: Yep, and at that time, we had about forty songs that we had to screen and select the ten that now are on the album.