Present yourself to the readers
Hi everyone, this is Stef from Hearts & Hand Grenades!
What’s the story for TURNING TO ASHES ?
It’s our debut album and consists of 8 tracks that we are very proud of. We set out to create something that represents us as a group and I think we achieved that here. We are very much a hard rock band but we all bring different elements of rock to the table so we don’t like to settle in one “sound” for the band. We chose these tracks to represent a variety of styles that we all love. There’s punky elements, upbeat driving tempos, and then a mix of rock ballad sounds. It’s a wild roller coaster of peaks and valleys for the listeners.
Who composes ?...How does it work in the band ?
Mike and I typical come up with the rhythm parts and lyrics before we bring the songs to the rest of the band. Then we add in the drums and lead lines to tweak the sound until it all feels right. It’s a nice collaborative effort to get to the final product so it’s very much a creative process that everyone is involved in.
Who writes the texts ?..What are they talking about ?..How does inspiration come ?
I write the lyrics for the tracks and they touch on a lot of emotion based elements. They’re not so much about specific events or experiences but on relatable topics that I think everyone has dealt with at some point in their lives. For example, Nothing Left is about ending a toxic relationship and I Hide is about lonelyness and isolation.
Why the name HEARTS & HAND GRENADES ?
We put a lot of thought into the band name and ultimately settled on H&HG because it had a nice contrast. We can float between something solemn and serious sounding but then float to some heavy and harder songs.
In studio, what was the atmosphere for your album ?...etc.…
The studio experiences have been great. We collectively share ideas and input throughout the recording process. It’s of course about getting the sound and subtleties we want but also about sharing ideas.
How does it work for the design of the CD ? and why this title ?
The design for the album was by Jeff Balance, and he was great to work with. We gave him an idea of what we were looking for and he ran with it and just kicked ass on the artwork. We chose Turning To Ashes for the album title because that song is about needing to make a decision and not looking back. And being our debut album we figured it was fitting because as we start putting ourselves out there is really is a giant leap into the unknown.
How was the shooting of the clip TURNING TO ASHES ? and why this choice ?
The video shoot for Turning To Ashes was a lot of fun. We chose to shoot on location in the City of Buffalo so that was great to be able to do, and the rest was done at the studio at Promoting Buffalo. The atmosphere is always casual and light with those guys so it makes for an easy shoot and great experience.
With Management and booking, how do you work ? And with whom ?
Mike handles the management role for the band so he gets to have those conversations but he basically brings the gig opportunities to the band and we then make decisions as a group.
What are your projects ?
We are currently working on our second album in the studio do that has been out main focus. That album is set to release in the fall and we also have some info coming soon for an upcoming tour do stayed tuned for that!
What do you expect from the future ?
Our plans right now are just to get out and tour as soon as we can. We never really got to properly promote Turning To Ashes upon it’s release due to COVID restrictions but we will be getting out there very soon !
What's your motto ?
Personally, I find myself saying “life is short”. I try not to miss an opportunity that I might regret not taking later.
Website to remember
www.heartsandhandgrenades.com
What would you like to say to the readers ?
Be sure to check us out on all the socials and our website. We have some exciting things coming in the very near future and we want you all along for the ride with us!
Thanks for the upkeep
Hugues B.
