In Hearts Wake unleash potent album
Perhaps the most ambitious band in the polarising Australian metalcore scene, Byron Bay’s In Hearts Wake released the second half of their Earthwalker/Skydancer album series this month.
Recorded at the same time in 2013, last year’s Earthwalker was said to represent the feminine world while new album Skydancer, which recently debuted at No. 2 on the ARIA charts, was the masculine.
“I had an inclination of which song was going to be on which album because of the lyrics being more feminine or masculine,” singer Jake Taylor says from Brisbane.
Why didn’t they just release a double album? “Its potency is more effective when you release it in two parts. If you gave people 22 tracks they would find their favourite three but give them 11 and they’ll still find three,” Taylor explains.
“So it was a matter of the potency and also the message. We wanted each to have its own spotlight.”
In a genre criticised for sounding repetitive, lead single Breakaway stands out for reversing the traditional growled verse, melodic-chorus structure.
Taylor says trying to sing his screams helped create the hook.
“The mentality would be that, generally, the clean voice is more catchy because it can hold melody. We decided to switch it up and add a bit of pitch in the chorus and that helps set it apart — more of a pitched yell,” he laughs.
As with each album’s title, the lyrics reference indigenous cultures, particularly their link with nature.
“My mum’s American,” Taylor explains. “I spent a lot of time growing up around native cultures. We visited a few reservations, particularly in New Mexico, and I was fascinated by their connection with nature.”
Similarly, Taylor adopts a sincere socio-political stance. Given the band’s work with not-for-profit Local Futures and planting of 1379 native Australian trees last year, they walk the talk too.
“What the band wishes to impart is that money is such a powerful tool, and the business model is all on money,” he says. “It’s not based on 20 years, it’s based on the government term. It’s all on a quick turnaround scheme.
“There’s no future in that. We’re about finding sustainable, resourceful, renewable materials. Food is a big one — we spend so much getting it from country to country and not growing it in our own backyard, we’d like to see more community building.”
Skydancer is out now.In Hearts Wake play HQ Leederville on June 2 and Metropolis Fremantle on June 3. Tickets from Oztix.
