#2 - Heart Beach
#2 - Heart Beach
“There’s something very satisfying about a band that limits itself to a simple aesthetic and builds a world with what they have” (Rolling Stone)
Welcome to this week edition of Small Ears ! This time we had the opportunity to interview Claire McCarthy (bass/vocals) and Jonathon McCarthy (guitar/vocals) from the Heart Beach band.
Heart Beach dazzled critics in 2015 as the 10 Best Under The Radar Australian Releases of 2015 in the Rolling Stone magazine.
When did you start your band? What motivated you to start a musical career?
Jon: Heart Beach formed in 2013, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
We started the band because we were part of the Hobart music scene. It was pretty common to form a band in our friendship group. We would frequent venues where bands would play around that time (Trout, The Brisbane). It was an extension of our social life as well as an artistic project. The ‘Community’ compilations on Rough Skies Records capture some of the Hobart music from that time. I also personally wanted to play in a simpler 3 piece band as the previous bands were (unnecessarily) complex. The technical complexity / number of members of older bands didn’t sound good on the small stages we were playing.Claire: I agree with Jon on this one. Forming a band (or bands) was an even more rewarding way (for us anyhow) to participate in the Hobart music scene and it led to shows in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, the US, Canada and the UK and Ireland.
What genre of music do you play?
Jon: We play 9-5, girl guy, skuzz pop.
Claire: Also referred to as ocean pop. For a reference point I think Lo-Fi jangle pop sums it up. Maybe some post punk mixed in. Inspired by the Pixies, Beat Happening, and more generally the early 90s!
Is there an event, an artist or a band that inspired you?
Jon: There was a band in Hobart that inspired me. The Bad Luck Charms. One member then formed The Native Cats, both great bands.
Claire: We both went to Camp A Low Hum festival in New Zealand in 2012. I came home from that and started my first band. Heart Beach was the second. The range of sounds and performances at Camp made me realise anything was possible and valid and I wanted in.
Is your music your principal work? If not, what else are you doing?
Jon: The band doesn’t make any money. We make a loss every year. We have day jobs. I work in an office. The office work allows us to fund the band.
Claire: For a long while it was, especially for a couple of years in Canada (Vancouver - Montreal and shows everywhere in between). Now I mostly write and play in Pretty in Pink - lo-fi, post punk pop - not so different from HB but more focused on hyper real female vocals and double the guitar. I have a day job too!
Where do you perform most of the time? On which platform is your music available?
Jon: We perform in Melbourne these days. We have toured previously. Would love to play in France one day, we tried a while back, but we couldn’t get a gig. Music available, mainly for free from: Spotify, Bandcamp, YouTube, www.heartbeach.com.au, for vinyl try Spunk! Records or email us directly at heartpalmtree@gmail.com
Claire: Dive bars are our natural habitat and my preference. In Melbourne, we’re so lucky most venues are small but have excellent sound systems. Nothing like a cosy gig that sounds great, especially if the fire is going. Our music is on all the usual places. Look us up on Bandcamp for the full back catalogue. There are some music videos on YouTube too.
What are the songs you want to share with people that don’t know your music ?
Claire : well if you’re not prepared to listen to all of it … Joking! I’d say “Away”, “Holiday”, “Record”, “Counting”, “Best” and “Together” give a good snapshot of our sound over the years.
NB: All the songs above are also available on others platforms like Bandcamp or Apple Music
If you could recommend a small group or artist to people, which one would it be and why?
Jon: Claire and I also play in the bands Sudden Debt and Pretty in Pink.
Claire: I really like Daily Toll from Sydney and SCRAPS from Brisbane. Jon’s band Sudden Debt is pretty great too!
Do you want to add something ?
Claire: Thanks so much for the interview. I feel like streaming platforms make audiences invisible in a way these days. It’s always lovely to hear from listeners, particularly from across the globe!
What is your favorite title? Personally mines are “Summer” and “February”.
See you next Friday !
