“There’s a light in the night, and it’s breaking up the sky. Don’t you cry when you hear the thunder calling, there’s a light in your eyes”, sings the UK folk/American band The Wandering Hearts on their new single ‘Gold,’ one of the tracks taken from their forthcoming self-titled album coming out on July 30th.
With ‘Gold,’ The Wandering Hearts express their admiration of the beauty of what’s been broken, inspired by the Japanese art form Kintsugi. Besides their shared love for tequila, it is the sole passion for singing that connects them, even during last year when they had to rely on the ever-so hated Zoom calls.
Following their debut album ‘Wild Silence,’ The Wandering Hearts offer a taste of the next era with ‘Gold’, ‘Over Your Body’ and ‘Dolores’. We spoke to the band, who are now at the forefront of folk music.
Could we introduce all members of the band and their role?
Sure. We have AJ, Chess and Tara – we all sing, harmonies are our thing. AJ plays guitar, Chess plays mandolin and in our live set-up, both Chess and Tara add percussion. When we’re on the road, we also have our wonderful multi-instrumentalist Lee Campbell and drummer Sian Monaghan who complete the gang!
How did you get together?
We were all moving in similar circles in London and knew of each other. We decided to get together and have a bit of jam and the rest is history!
How did you come up with the name of The Wandering Hearts?
Well, it seems to sum us up well. We are all very free spirits whose hearts are in music. Band names are hard! We almost fell out over it! Haha – happy we’re here to tell the tale!
What would you say links all of you together?
We love singing together. It’s not often you find three like-minded people who not only get on but can really sing together. You have to get in each other’s heads and lock in. Our shared love for tequila helps too!
How would you introduce the band and what it stands for?
Three people who love to sing together and make music about our lives and experiences. We try to remain true to what we believe in and spread some love through our music.
How is ‘Wild Silence’ different to your upcoming project?
Wild Silence was our first time making an album together and we learned a lot through that process and have grown a lot since then – as people and as a band. Our sound has evolved and our new album feels so true to who we are now.
How was your quarantine situation? Do you live close by or did you go months without seeing each other?
Ugh, it’s been long, right?! We are spread out all over the country so has been a lot of zoom sessions and catch ups. We cannot wait to be back together soon!
What is your new single ‘Gold’ inspired by?
Gold was inspired by the Japanese art form Kintsugi in which broken pottery is repaired with lacquer dusted with powdered gold, which not only makes the object stronger and more beautiful than before, but also boldly highlights the breaks. We loved this idea and had been talking about it as a concept for a while. It was the perfect imagery for what we were writing about – the idea of something being more beautiful having been broken.
What could we expect from your upcoming album? What are some main themes you will be touching upon?
We are so proud of our new album and can’t wait for it to be out there in the world! It’s about hope, perseverance, a celebration of life, new beginnings and shining through in a darkening world. 30 July cannot come quickly enough!
Are you excited to return back to the stage? What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming tour?
Yes! We have a tour booked for August/September! We can’t wait to play again for our fans. They have been so unbelievably supportive during this past year and we can’t wait to see their reaction to our new songs. It’s been a long time coming.
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Words: Karolina Kramplova