Heartsounds Gets Less Metal, More Melodic

The passive music listener can easily recognize punk music. Quick, driving rhythms, an undertone of chaos, and above all, a lot of fast emotional expression. The sound is as distinct as harmonica and lapsteel crooning out an old country tune or the synth-y blips bouncing out of electronica. But it takes an active music listener to take the next step and begin to differentiate between the sounds within a genre like punk, and find what makes each group unique. Groups like Fugazi, Minor Threat and Bad Religion all brought punk to the larger audience in the ‘80s and ‘90s, followed by more mainstream sensations like Green Day, and helped listeners begin to differentiate between styles like hardcore, pop-punk, post-punk and emo. It’s a strong community, full of diverse sounds and talented musicians like the Bay Area’s Heartsounds.

So, how do you describe Heartsounds’…sound?

“It’s faster and a little bit more going on than the punk you hear on the radio,” said Ben Murray, one of the guitarists and vocalists of Heartsounds.

The band started in 2009, with Ben Murray and Laura Nichol as the sole members. The duo wrote the first album, Until We Surrender, in Murray’s apartment. They began playing the material live, and shortly thereafter through the circuit of live shows and the punk community they met their future drummer Trey Derbes and bassist Kyle Camarillo (later replaced by Bobby Taul). Once formed as a full band, the foursome began touring frequently and started to gain momentum, which eventually led to being signed to Epitaph, who re-released the first album in 2010, along with their follow-up, Drifter, in 2011.The group gained popularity fast with their blend of metal-influenced technique and punk buoyant tempos, with both Murray and Nichol switching off singing lead; the sound of tight-knit electric guitar riffs seemingly scratching grooves in the airwaves for Murray and Nichol’s voices to flow evenly through.

“We’re a fast band… We play pretty fast, faster than most, [based on] ideas of punk bands you’d hear on the radio,” Murray said. “It’s faster and has the male and female vocal tradeoff. I feel it’s unique to us. Laura and I have a heavy metal background so there’s also a bit of technical precision focused riffs.”

The band has spent the last four years gaining a fanbase worldwide. Touring with bands like Strung Out, Heartsounds has made their way through Japan, Mexico, Europe and the United Kingdom and most recently Australia. Throughout the continents the audience response has varied, but remained positive.

“It’s definitely vastly different from one to another,” Murray said. “Some people are just more expressive than others. You play in Mexico City they go absolutely apeshit because they don’t get a lot of punk bands down there from the U.S., and Japan’s kind of the same way, but I feel like in Europe and the U.S. it’s a little more tame reactions.”

In the past, Heartsounds has received a lot of comparisons to ‘80s/’90s/early ‘00s punk icons like Hot Water Music and Bad Religion.

“Brett [Gurewitz] from Epitaph helped produce vocals for Drifter. There’s definitely a lot of Bad Religion influence; I love that band,” Murray said. “I’d compare it more to bands like Strung Out, bands that do a bit faster stuff that’s still really melodic.”

As the band has progressed and grown, the project still seems to be led with Murray at the helm.

“All the actual music writing is usually just done by me in my apartment,” Murray laughed.

Murray crafts the songs, then works the instrumental arrangements with Derbes, and the vocals with Nichol.

In the past, albums like Drifter had a much more distinct metal direction within the sound. For their newest release, Internal Eyes, the group tried to streamline the sound a bit and put more energy into simplified melodies.

“We tried to step it back for this one and concentrate more on the chord progressions and not having so many technical parts,” Murray said. “It’s just as emotional as the last two in terms of the lyrics and content, but this one I feel is a little more lighthearted.”

For Internal Eyes, the instrumental precision from the earlier material is still present, but there seems to be more space in the sound. The guitar riffs sound less linear and more melodic without losing their impressive quickness. Derbes’ drums still keep high adrenaline rhythm, but with more slight pauses that give the listener more time to catch up, and give the songs a more recognizable body.

Another conscious change Heartsounds made for the record was putting more emphasis on bringing the main vocals to the forefront of the songs, and equalling out the male/female vocal leads.

“We were more concerned with how the vocal melodies could be more dynamic and compelling. The one thing we did way differently on this record was the tradeoff between mine and Laura’s voices is a lot more frequent. In every song we’re pretty 50/50 on that.”

The band chose to release Internal Eyes through Murray’s own label, Creator-Destructor. Murray started the label as a side project, a way to release Heartsounds’ material and help friends out as well.

“It’s kind of just a fun project for me,” Murray said. “But it’s cool to be able to sustain it and keep putting out records, and putting out your own record is really nice… It’s kind of a labor of love.”

Murray does his part to help out the punk scene as a lot of other musicians do within the community, which is full of “a lot of tight knit bands,” Murray said.

“It’s cool because [the punk scene] doesn’t feel very judgmental or clique-y. I think a lot of bands get along with each other because they’re just punk bands, they can respect one another and be cool to each other. There’s not a lot of division within punk, which is super cool,” Murray said. “There’s no one gunning for massive success… They’re just doing their thing.”

Heartsounds will be playing the third annual Punch and Pie Fest (Aug. 14–17, 2014), kicking off the event on Aug. 14 at The Press Club with The Civil War Rust, The Shell Corporation and D-Cent Jerks, who’ve made the trek from Puerto Rico. For a full list of bands and venues, check out Punchandpiefest.com. Internal Eyes can be purchased through Creator-destructor.com.

Local punk rock aficionado Sean Hills is at it again. His DIY festival, Punch and Pie Fest, is coming back to melt your faces off from Aug. 15 to 17 at various Sacramento venues. Now in its third year, Punch and Pie Fest is quickly becoming one of Sacramento’s most important recurring musical events, offering a more underground rock-y/punk-y alternative to things like Launch Fest (which typically leans a little more indie) or Aftershock (more of a radio/bro-rock fest). Confirmed headliners for this year’s Punch and Pie Fest are two legendary Sacramento bands: 7Seconds (who have a new record out on Rise, their first new release in nine years!), and Red Tape (first live show in more than four years and the 10th anniversary of their album Radioactivist on Roadrunner Records!). Also confirmed is Heartsounds, City of Vain, Suburban Threat, Setting Sons, The Shell Corporation, Bastards of Young (Hills’ band) and many others to be announced in the coming weeks.

“The fest is a great way to bring everyone in the community together for a few days and it brings in a lot of new people who might not be that familiar with the local music scene,” Hills recently told Submerge. “Hopefully these people get more involved and continue coming out to some of the smaller shows that are booked year round.”

Hills mentioned he’s looking forward to seeing every band on the bill, but that the headliners hold a special place in his heart. “7Seconds are one of my favorite bands and they were one of the big reasons I got into this kind of music in the first place,” he said. “Red Tape is one of the best bands that ever came out of this town and they were criminally underrated in my opinion. I hope that everyone comes out to see both of these bands tear the roof off.”

Keep an eye out at Punchandpiefest.com or at Facebook.com/punchandpieproductions for more band announcements, venue info, ticket info and more.

The Knockoffs and their place in Sacramento’s punk rock history

Country licks with a traditional punk-rock style. Twenty years of street cred earned within the ever-fluctuating Sacramento music scene. Not to mention the immeasurable amount of respect from bands such as 7Seconds, the Groovie Ghoulies, festival organizers and promoters alike. That old school, independent, do-it-yourself mentality all in the spirit of punk rock is still essential for members of The Knockoffs after all this time.

The days when flyers were handed out at shows and littered the walls of bedrooms instead of sidewalks. The times before the Internet was a main tool of promotion, when actual footwork and word of mouth were the standard codes of conduct for bands. These forgotten practices continue to resonate for these four men and after a three-year pause, they’re back and ready to play as loud as they can at this year’s second annual Punch and Pie Fest on Aug. 24, 2013 at Old Ironsides.

“They’re kind of like the elder statesmen of our community. I think that they’re a really important part of Sacramento’s punk rock history. They have been around for 20 years and they have been a great influence on the punk rock community,” says Punch and Pie Fest organizer and Bastards of Young bassist Sean Hills. “I have a lot of respect for them, and I think they are a great example of how to be in a band for that long without killing each other. They’ve been doing it right.”

It’s a roundtable meeting of sorts within the living room of vocalist and guitar player Tom Hutchison, or as his mates like to call him, “Little Tom.” On this Sunday afternoon Danny Secretion, Tom Amberson (aka “Big Tom”) and Bobby Jordan gather around a coffee table, television muted, to speak with Submerge about their love for punk rock music, keeping the scene healthy by ways of encouraging young talent and laughing so hard during practices until their muscles ache and eyes water.

“It’s like we’re in the eighth grade and someone’s parents are gone,” says bassist Jordan of the band’s camaraderie. “It’s one of the fibers of my life.”

Forming in the early ’90s, The Knockoffs have had their fair share of lineup changes. At times, certain members would even jump from guitar to bass and then back to guitar just to keep the process moving. Eventually, the guys found what worked and ultimately solidified their lineup.

Each person comes with their own unique set of experiences or outlooks complete with a list of either a second or third punk rock band they’re also heavily involved in. Like Secretions’ longtime run with The Moans, The Shitty Ramones and The Secretions; or Bobby Jordan doubling up with The Mr. T Experience. Hell, Amberson credits The Knockoffs giving him the opportunity to sit behind the drum kit and learn a completely new instrument by simply joining the ranks. All of these elements are finished with a traditional punk and rock ’n’ roll-style of vocals with just the right amount of gruff, thanks to Hutchison, especially heard within the playful lyrics during songs such as “You Make Me Sit Funny” from The Knockoffs’ second full-length album Sell the Move.

Yet, after all the changes, instrument shuffles and years tacked behind them, their chemistry works. And their time spent performing and practicing as The Knockoffs means more to each member than just another punk rock band they’re a part of. In the end, all members say they genuinely enjoy one another and have witnessed each go through life changes ranging from marriage to welcoming Jordan’s new baby girl to the family.

“Having a baby has made me want to do this even more,” says Jordan. “I want music to be around her while some people retreat in music with babies and families.”

Encouraging music within a younger audience is a duty each member of the band adopts with no questions asked; to them it’s necessary to keep the tight-knit punk rock community healthy. Both Secretion and Jordan recall bands like 7Seconds and the Groovie Ghoulies mentoring them, by means of showing them the unspoken codes of ethics, respect and even honesty when it comes to door money.

“We were really lucky that we had those bands take us under their wing,” remembers Secretion. “The thing that I notice is that the older bands kind of groom the younger ones. When you see bands like Mad Judy or Abandoned Generation, these kids are too young to even get into the shows we’re playing, but seeing them and the younger generation of punk rock, I know it’s going to be OK in Sacramento.”

These four men remember performing shows at Old Ironsides 20 years ago for five bucks. Fast forward a couple decades later and the guys are still playing shows at that price—and happily, which Jordan says is a testament to The Knockoffs, genuine love for the music alone. And they aren’t planning on closing their guitar cases or retiring their drum sticks ever—they’re all here to stay.

“We’re like an old, wore out, stinky pair of shoes,” jokes Jordan, sitting next to Hutchison and directly sending the rest of the guys into laughter.

“I’m looking forward to just playing my guitar as loud as possible and looking over my left shoulder and seeing these guys play their asses off,” says Secretion. “That’s going to mean so much. You ain’t seen the last of us.”

Photo by Allyson Seconds

Punch and Pie Fest 2 will heat up Sacramento Aug. 21–25, 2013 at The Press Club, Old Ironsides, Midtown Barfly and Luigi’s Fungarden. The Knockoffs will perform at Old Ironsides on Aug. 24, 2013 with Dr. Frank, Bright Faces and Arts and Leisure. For a full Punch and Pie Fest schedule, go to Punchandpiefest.com or go to Facebook.com/punchandpieproductions.