Interview + Gig Preview | Hearts & Rockets
Art, fashion and self-expression are the key ingredients for their latest offering
Noah chats with the Kalindy and Kurt who make up the punk duo Hearts and Rockets as they prepare to launch their latest 7” on Saturday January 31 at Cafe Gummo with Plaster of Paris and LXRP.
Hello Kalindy and Kurt, firstly, congratulations on the new 7”, Get Bored / Best Dressed which was released in November last year on Psychic Hysteria. They are both such great short and sharp punk bangers that leave you wanting more! Can you tell us more about these two songs and the meaning behind them?
Kalindy: Get Bored is about how bored I am of everything!!! But also being bored is nice sometimes!
Best dressed is about being unashamedly yourself and expressing who you are through clothing without fear of judgement or harassment, I literally do not have time for people who want to cat call or bully people for wearing what they want.
Kurt: Kalindy wrote this song but I feel really liberated by it, too.
Fashion isn’t just catwalks and capitalism; it’s art and its self-expression and it’s political.
It can make you feel like you fit in and it can make you stand out and it can make you happy and everyone should just wear whatever makes them feel like themselves.
Hearts and Rockets (originally Heat Wave) has been kicking around since 2017 with two albums, countless singles, 16 self-produced video clips, as well as collaborative 7inch releases. Can you tell us your secret to maintaining the energy for this feminist bratwave punk band?
Kalindy: This is so corny but I love making things! Music, art, videos - anything!! But I think the secret that keeps you going is being delusional and broke enough to believe you can do anything you put your mind to, I don’t know how to play guitar but here I am playing guitar on a record? Like how cool is that!!
I never had really made videos before but with time and lots of learning I figured it out and have been lucky to have videos featuring on rage, teenage me is dying!!
But actually the secret is undiagnosed ADHD.
Kurt: Yeah the DIY spirit is strong in this band! Making art is good for you, it doesn’t have to be good art, it doesn’t have to be seen by millions of people to be validated, it just needs to be made. This ethos keeps me going. I make art that I like, for me, and the fact that sometimes other people like it too is really motivating and feels really nice.
I like the catch phrase of, making dance music for punks, and punk for the dance floor that you have in your presser. It’s fun and obviously speaks of your connection to the genre. Can you share with us your biggest influences and journey in finding your sound?
Kalindy: I think being exposed to Peaches as a teenager really taught me that punk music can be more than just guitars and drums. I particularly love 80s and electro music like the B52s, X-ray Spex, Debbie Deb, Book of Love, Talking Heads and Divine and I’m obsessed with disco especially Donna Summers as well as riot grrl bands like Bikini Kill and Bratmobile, so I think that all melts together to make music I like and want to make!
Kurt: Yes, riot grrl me too, that’s a big one for both of us. And we might not exist without influence from Peaches and Le Tigre; huge for us both sonically and politically.
The local community is a big influence on us too, not sound wise but lots of local people and acts and venues and labels inspire us and nurture us and make us feel like we’re a part of something bigger than our music.
And we want people to dance to our music if they wanna! And if they don’t, that’s also fine!
You gave us a taste of a new direction with The Promise on the split 7” you did with Cong Josie early last year and now with the last 7” (mentioned earlier) if feels like something really cool is building for album number three. Are you able to share your plans for it or is there still plenty of things to finish off?
Kalindy: There is so much to finish off! We got the bones to a really good album but we gotta finesse a few things before we press it! Basically we wrote all this music in lockdown, I think we wrote over 40 Songs (or parts of songs) but it’s kinda like a graveyard of songs I feel connected to so we are picking over the bones of all the good ones and the rest will be dead and buried!
Kurt: Yes we have too many song ideas and not enough time! The newer tracks are definitely making us feel excited about album number 3, they’ve been really fun to work on and Cong Josie’s input has been invaluable.
The production on Get Bored / Best Dressed is really something with a killer bass tone and awesome vocal sound. Where does all the magic happen on your recordings?
Kalindy: We are really lucky to have a home studio available to us! It’s a lot of hard work and collecting gear and figuring out how to actually record everything to sound good,
As a DIY band you learn to get by with what you got! I think technically we are a “bedroom” band as our studio is technically a spare bedroom???
Kurt: Setting up the amps and mics and getting the right sound takes agggess and then we record in like one or two takes hahaha. Our tone, drum samples and sound is really important to us and we really enjoy playing around with it, and making sure it changes and grows for each new recording.
You are having a launch party for the 7” on Saturday January 31 at Cafe Gummo for free with Plaster of Paris and LXRP supporting. Do you have a special connection to the venue, and the support acts?
Kalindy: Gummo is one of the best venues in Naarm. It’s cute and inviting and it’s for the weirdos and I am the weirdo! Both support acts are incredible! LXPR are rather new but I’ve adored what I’ve seen of them live and Plaster of Paris are ICONIC! If you haven’t seen them yet, what are you doing with your life? Come to the gig!
Kurt: We always feel safe and welcome at Gummo, and we think everyone that likes our music will too, so what a perfect venue to ask all of our friends to come to! We always want our gigs to be queer friendly and open to everyone to come and enjoy themselves and have a fun time. Plaster of Paris are longtime buddies and label mates of ours and we haven’t played with them for AGES! And LXRP are really great, don’t come late to the show; they’re on at 8.30pm!
Finally, who are your favourite local Melb/Naarm bands at the moment and who would you like to see interviewed for Tempo?
Kalindy: I’m currently obsessed with Snake Thighs!!!! They are so good live! And I’ve been loving listening to Whip! and Public Figures, I recently saw new band Bizzargo’ s first show and they were amazing!
Kurt: Yes to the above, completely agree. Also loving Zipper, My Guardian Angel, Miss Kaninna, and Bugg Music from Sydney!
For more info - Hearts and Rockets Instagram
