Interview | Heavy Lungs

Words | Greta k Taylor

Photography | Greta K Taylor

@soundwaveszine

Our top tracks :

-Blood Brother

-Stutter

-Unfaithful One

A couple months back we interviewed up and coming band Heavy Lungs, who continue to climb the ranks and stir up the scene.

With a successful Glastonbury performance now under their belts, multiple tours with the likes of their good friends Idlesand the band’s latest EP ‘Straight to CD’ gaining attention and success, Heavy Lungs could be your new favourite loud band.

When asked about the bands growth and their recent recognition, frontman Danny Nedelko says “It’s been very surreal, very eventful and exciting. It’s been very pleasant.”

Heavy Lungs are a band that are slowly rising from the underground scene with tracks such as ‘Blood Brother’ being an audience favourite, it’s not hard to see why a band with such gravitas as Heavy Lungs have started to build a wider fan base.

Which leads us on to their Glastonbury performance. With the band playing this year’s Scum stage, a stage specially curated and dedicated to heavy music. Playing alongside the likes of The Damned, Idles and Gourja, Heavy Lungs did not dilute themselves for the festival performance, delivering the kind of performance that makes you want to run straight into the pit, with no fear.

When speaking on Glastonbury and how they got to that point Nedelko says “There’s actually a really funny story about that. When we formed the band, I got all the guys together and stuff, George has been going to Glastonbury for like years, every year.  When I was putting on this show and I thought it was a good show for us to play, I asked him would you consider it (missing Glastonbury)."

He continues.

" So he decided to actually not go to Glastonbury and play this first gig. I remember talking to you (turns to fellow band member James) and saying like, I really hope George decides this is worth it, because George has been in bands before. But yeah, pretty much two years later since our first show we’ll be playing Glastonbury."

With James adding “yeah it will be our two-year mark! It has that sentimental value.”

Heavy Lungs are a band with a very distinctive sound, a weird musical cake mix of grit, noise and anger.

When asked on how the band refined their sound Danny says “Rip off all the bands that you like, mix it up enough for people not to trace it exactly” with James adding “Just rip everybody off, but in a foreign accent.”

Danny continues “I think we all like varied stuff and we all bring our differences” James says “I think the main thing is that we’re still figuring it out and everything’s happening so fast we don’t really know what we’re doing (with the sound). We’re just enjoying it and people seem to like it.”

Heavy lungs go hand in hand with their friends Idles, a band that have also just played Glastonbury and recently sold out a show at Alexandra Palace in less than 24hrs. With both bands having written tracks to signify their friendships; Heavy lungs with the track ‘Blood Brother’ and Idles with the track ‘Danny Nedelko’.

Speaking on the topic Danny says “well, I’ve known Joe (Joe Talbot of Idles) for years, so this is before. Joe  told me he was going to write the song ‘Danny Nedelko’ about two years ago and I told him, well I am going to write a song about you. We’ve actually had ‘Blood Brother’ being in our set for like the second gig, but it kind of kept changing so we didn’t record it. Then they obviously recorded their one and we’ve done it."

This is a band that we’re told, by our all-seeing and knowing oracle, that has a lot in store for the future. Speaking on future projects Nedelko adds “Something is coming, stay tuned for hopefully later this year." James follows with “Yeah, we’ve been writing a lot, but it’s a mystery.”

We couldn’t end the interview without asking both James and Danny how they wanted to end it, Danny begins to sing “Cut my life into pieces, this is my last interview.”

A big thanks to the band for letting us quickly steal them away, while they waited for food after a long drive from Liverpool to Leicester. That's dedication to the art in itself.

Heavy Lungs are a band that you can’t afford to sleep on. Stay tuned.

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