From Welwyn Garden City, hardcore quartet Heights are certainly not newbies. Their debut full length ‘Dead Ends’ received significant critical acclaim, successfully propelling them into a combination of festival appearances and high-profile support slots. They carefully injected their own highly crafted balls-to-the-wall hardcore into a scene that definitely needs something less identikit.
Fast forward two years and the band teeter towards the release of album number two. This time the band present themselves differently – the album points toward mainstream commerciality but is filled with experimentation and nuances that keep it unique.
Heights have reinvented themselves. Built upon traditional hardcore foundations, they have pulled in prominent melodies to add scope to their sound. Stepping away from the usual boorish structures, there is a new level of eloquence throughout the new material. Have a quick listen below to ‘Eleven Eyes,’ taken from their upcoming album.
‘Old Lies for Young Lives’ is the result of a well-documented turbulent year. “I can safely say it does feel like an entirely new band,” says recently shifted frontman Alex Monty. “That doesn’t mean there wasn’t a logical and progressive evolution into the sound that we’ve got now though.”
‘Logical’ is a modest description of their shift from one album to the next. The loss of former frontman and lyricist Thomas Debaere meant a fairly illogical development to their overall sound. Perhaps the logical path would have been to continue with the style on ‘Dead Ends’.
Monty explains that this direction was never on the band’s map. “A lot of the tracks we wrote just started feeling monotonous and the creativity and the vibe wasn’t there at all,” he describes when we ask about writing their sophomore release. “We wrote maybe three albums worth of material, and we were still struggling to piece together even ten tracks that we were happy with and able to call an album.”
It must have been frustrating. Debaere, as the original frontman, had lost the passion and drive to take Heights to the next level. Continuing to endure the same style wasn’t something Monty and his fellow band mates desired. Sometimes a band’s evolution isn’t obvious from the outside, but it’s not just about shared personality – it’s about shared creativity.
“I think sometimes problems can be worked on, and they can be fixed, but I’m sure you know what it’s like when you’re in a relationship and the girl you’re with does something that you just can’t ignore… at the end of the day you know that if you’re making her something that she’s not, then maybe it’s not meant to be. Maybe there’s a better girl for you out there.”
Comparing band life to a relationship is apt. This isn’t just a day in the office – it’s a lifestyle. From waking up in the morning, to writing tracks, to hours on the road and live performances, the motivation has to remain in place. And what’s more, these motivations have got to be shared across the board.
“You can’t half arse Heights”, says Monty assuredly. “Heights would not exist today if we had not made that change. The line-up change for us, and the decision we made, was one that we made for ourselves to remain in a positive and creative environment that we could be in for years.”
It wasn’t easy for the band to make these drastic changes. Criticism from fans and friends was rife, many feeling that Heights were looking into ways of pushing into the mainstream. The resulting sound on ‘Old Lies for Young Lives’ may unintentionally support that argument, but Monty is quick to put it into perspective. “Would I want to be in a band that I hated but everyone else loved, or a band I loved but split opinion amongst listeners? Definitely the latter!”
Being in the public eye only intensifies the controversy. After Thomas left Heights, Monty stepped into the frontman role, taking on the majority of vocal duties on the new record. This move is not unprecedented – only recently We Are The Ocean guitarist Liam Cromby was propelled into the spotlight following the departure of Dan Brown.
Bands are often defined by their frontman, and sometimes a lasting legacy can damage a new direction. But Monty is quick to dismiss this. “I think the whole sense of a hierarchy in a band is totally misinformed and ridiculous. A vocalist is no more important than any other member.”Moving to the centre stage clearly wasn’t fulfilling a long-held desire for the spotlight, but rather a task he has admirably taken on to ensure the continuation of the band.
He also acknowledges the additional pressure that can be placed on vocalists. “Being a vocalist is definitely a different role to fill, mostly because of expectations. There’s a lot of pressure on you to perform.”
This perspective keeps him humble about Heights achievements over the last year, from supporting Architects at their sold out Garage show in London to playing a packed out room at last year’s Ghostfest. When combined with inevitable shifts in their songwriting structure, the context of ‘Old Lies for Young Lives’ is easier to understand.
“We all wanted to experiment more, and add more melodic tones and greater dynamic jumps in the album,” explains Monty. “We experimented and progressed but we stayed true to Heights and made something that will still kick off live where it needs to.”
The new sound is a combination of the creativity of the band members and their shared experiences. Whether the development was conscious or natural isn’t relevant. Instead, think of this as the album the band were always going to make. The struggles Heights have faced made this album possible, an album they truly love.
If this turbulence and upheaval play a part in every band’s career, Heights are showing us there’s plenty to be learned. For starters, don’t get carried away with what’s happening online.
“The internet really doesn’t convey an accurate picture of what’s going on. If you have 10 people that ‘like’ you on Facebook but [thousands] of people come to your shows every night, then you’re in a big band. I think people have lost sight of that recently.”
Heights have learned to love what they do. Monty argues that the most vital part of musicianship is doing what is right for the band, no matter how tough. “For your peace of mind and sanity, you have to do what is right before it becomes too late. As long as you can confidently say you believe what you did was right, everything else will follow.”
For a relatively young band, Monty, Dean Richardson, Tom Green and Tom Hutton have survived an unusual amount of disruption, with significant line-up changes and the criticism that goes alongside.
However the last twelve months have given them perspective, and a new-found dedication to just be who they are and create the music they want. If they keep up this confidence and conviction, Heights are destined for success.
BEN TIPPLE