Ahead of the launch of PÝR the bands second EP we check in with Perth’s Heytesburg to have chat about the inspiration behind the new EP, working with Matt Gio and where the name Heytesburg came from as well as their plans for the future.
PÝR is being launched at the Rosemount Hotel on Saturday 24th March with support from The Shallows, The Osiris Corporation and The Ron Pollard Quintet
How did the band come together and where did the name Heytesburg come from?
The band formed in about 2008 after the dissolution of a former project. Over the past few years, we’ve just been jamming and working on a sound that we could call our own, whilst forming a complete lineup. Its taken quite a few years but I think its been worth it to have a style of music that we can really call our own.
As for the name Heytesburg, there’s a road in Subiaco called Heytesbury Street. So we kind of stole that and changed it a bit to make it sound more ominous. I think it suits the style of the band. Kind of conveys an ominous feel without erring towards any sort of genre naming convention.
Who do you consider to be your main influences as a band?
I suppose in terms of influences, we’re more inspired by sounds and ideas rather than actual bands. Our songwriting comes more from having a particular set of sounds and combining them into tangible ideas that work and flow together. I suppose that way, rather than having an entire set of songs that all sound the same, we give each song its own unique character and structure. So every song sounds like it was written by the same band but still retains its individuality.
But I suppose if we had to list influences, our staples would probably be Pink Floyd, Sigur Ros, Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead and so on and so forth.
How has the reaction to the debut EP From The River I Come… been?
Its been ok, we got lots of good reviews and lots of good feedback. I suppose it was more of a bridging EP though, to kind of get our name out there and let people know what we’re about. We’re kind of hoping thats this new one really builds on our profile and puts us out there even further. But I suppose we’ll have to see how it goes.
What was the inspiration behind the new EP PÝR?
The idea with this new EP was to do something very different to the last one. We really wanted to present a different facet of the band to the whole Eastern/world music type approach of the last EP. And we had a lot of people who really dug the industrial stylings of some of the songs in our live set. So we pretty much just selected our more industrial songs and tried to work them so that the EP flowed together musically. Its a pretty intuitive process I guess, but I think the finished product really came together well in the end.
How was the recording process, was there anything you did differently this time round?
Recording was good. We went in with Matt Gio from Couch Studios this time around. One of the things that really grabbed us about him when we sat down and talked to him before recording was that he always try’s to find “the band’s style and sound” rather than try and record every band the same way. I think that was important for us, as we have some pretty unique stylings and approaches to the music we make. And I think he did a really good job of bringing them out and enhancing them on the record. He also helped out a lot in producing the songs; throwing out ideas and getting us to try things differently. So when you listen to the finished product, you can hear at least one idea (and probably more) on each song that he contributed.
Are there plans in the works to release a full length in the future?
Of course, but only time will tell when that comes around. I think the next plan is to record a double A-side single and release that in the lead up to an eventual album release.
Anything exciting planned for the release shows?
Yeah we’ve got a few things planned; an interesting cover will be thrown in at some point. We’ve also got a few new songs that we’re preping for the show. One sounds really cool actually; like a futuristic cyberpunk sound track for a film. Its a little bit different from what we usually do but I think it really adds another dynamic or aspect to our already multi layered set. So yeah, should be interesting to road test that live as it could take us in interesting song writing directions in the future.
Any plans to take the band over East?
We’re looking into it. Hopefully fingers crossed towards the end of this year but its logistically and financially challenging because we use a lot of effects and rack equipment. We’ll see how it goes and how the EP is received nationally before we make a decision.
What does 2012 have in store for Heytesburg?
Got a small tour booked in April after the main launch and we’re doing an interesting experimental showcase for WAMi week in May. So some good stuff to look forward to. Beyond that I cant say…
———-
