Heavy Hearts talk latest single, upcoming album, music taste, and more-- exclusive interview

Heavy Hearts is a five-piece band from Canada who recently released their single “Safe Bet” and will drop their upcoming album later this year. The band pulls from all sorts of emo and alternative influences to create beautiful and honest pieces of music. Check out their single “Safe Bet” here.

All Punked Up caught up with Justin Glatt, vocalist/guitarist of Heavy Hearts to talk about the band's latest single, upcoming album, their current music tastes, and more.

Check out our interview below. Be sure to follow Heavy Hearts on Instagram and Spotify!

Q: Take us through the writing process for “Safe Bet.” How were things similar or different from the last time you wrote and recorded music?

Justin: The original demo for “Safe Bet” was called Closing Time. The idea came out early on in the writing process but got shelved quickly and wasn’t really touched again until we hit the studio. The instrumentation is a little more lighthearted than songs we’ve done in the past so we weren’t really sure how to finish the track or if it would even make the final record. We ended up piecing together parts from other unused demos to finally finish the song which is something we’ve never really done before.

Q: You’ve mentioned that “Safe Bet” is the closest thing to a love song you’ve ever had, and it tells a longer story when paired with another track on the upcoming LP. What kind of story do they create together? Where did you get the inspiration to pair these songs?

Justin: “Safe Bet” is a love song, but the track that pairs with it peels away the reality that “Safe Bet” has created and tells a different view of the same story. I was having a hard time trying to come up with lyrics for the second song so I just wrote whatever came to mind without any real direction. The more the song came together the more I realized that it was about the same thing as “Safe Bet” but from an opposite perspective.

Q: How is the LP coming along?

Justin: The LP’s been done for a long time now. We’ve been sitting on it for about 2 years, but it’s coming out very soon and we can’t wait for everyone to hear it.

Q: If you could describe the upcoming record in one word or phrase, how would you describe it and why?

Justin: If I had to describe the record in one word I’d call it erratic. No two songs on it sound similar, and we really made sure to push ourselves creatively and try things we haven’t done before. Neither “Vexed” nor “Safe Bet” are accurate representations of what the record sounds like as a whole.

Q: What artists have you been listening to lately?

Justin: Been listening to the new Phoebe Bridgers track a lot as well as the new Code Orange record. The 1975, The Japanese House and Eden have been in regular rotation as well.

Q: What artists do you look up to for inspiration?

Justin: I’ve always respected Thrice as a band, and looked up to them whenever I’m writing songs. None of their records ever sounded the same and they always pushed themselves creatively.

Q: What are some goals you have for your band over the next few months and years?

Justin: We’re all really proud of this new record and want to make sure it reaches as many people as possible. We hope to get back out on the road when possible and get these new songs out to as many people as we can. I’m excited to start writing again as well. I have no idea what direction the songwriting will go in but that’s the most exciting part of being in this band.

Q: If you had to play a different genre of music other than rock, what genre could you see yourselves pursuing and why?

Justin: I think if we were ever to not be a rock band I could see us trying maybe being a pop band and relying less on guitars and more so on synths. We’ll see what happens.

Q: Is there anything else you want to say to your fans or All Punked Up readers?

Justin: The worlds in a weird spot right now. Please be safe, stay home if you can and hopefully everything will be back to normal soon.