Hearts are something of a supergroup if I’m being honest. Featuring two members from the now disbanded The Bongo Club, one from the legendary Catfish and The Bottlemen, and one from Gothenburg heroes Bottlecap, it’s a pretty star-studded line-up! They recently dropped their smashing debut single ‘Slide’ and I just knew I needed to know more about how the band came together.
Chatting with band member Jesper Jansson about the group’s upcoming EP, who he’s been listening to lately, and what he’d change about the music industry, please give a big welcome to our friend Jesper and Hearts!
Welcome Jesper! I’m so excited to introduce you and Hearts to our audience today! For those who don’t already know, who are Hearts and how did you all get together?
Hey! Thanks for having us. Hearts are a newly founded band based on the west coast of Sweden and consists of me (Jesper) and Erik who previously played together in a band called The Bongo Club in the very good company of Rob, former drummer of Catfish and The Bottlemen and Johan who plays bass in several bands in Gothenburg most notably Bottlecap.
Me and Rob first met during a club festival in Gothenburg called Viva Sounds in 2021 and became good mates. Fast forward to the beginning of 2023, Rob convinced me it was time I got back into playing music again, so we invited Erik and Johan and spent a weekend in Rob’s barn basically playing until our fingers bled. All the songs on our upcoming EP took shape on the first night and it was there and then we decided to form the band.
Your debut single ‘Slide’ is a powerful and hard-hitting tune! I’ve fallen pretty deep for it! How did you decide on it being the track that you wanted to introduce yourselves to the world with?
Glad to hear you’re enjoying it! It’s always difficult to choose one song, and that was the case this time as well. However, ‘Slide’ was actually the first song we played together as a band, so it felt fitting for it to be the introduction to our sound. One could say that people will get to know us in the same way we got to know each other musically. Also, it’s a banger!
I know that ‘Slide’ is the first single from your upcoming debut EP. What more can you tell us about the record?
The EP consists of four songs that all showcase different sides of the band which all together help create “the Hearts sound”. It’s a mix of indie rock, pop and punk and each song has a lot of character.
All the songs were live recorded in the studio, which I believe has brought a lot of energy to the recordings. Hopefully, people will be able to tell we had a lot of fun recording it!
Who would you put down as some of the band’s biggest musical influences?
I was brought up on Oasis from an early age, so historically I would say I’ve been heavily inspired by them. Today I find inspiration from all over, and that goes for everyone in the band. We all consume a lot of music. I love discovering new bands and I find a lot of inspiration from contemporary acts. Lately, I’ve been listening a lot to The Snuts, Bandit and The Royston Club to mention a few.
What, to you, is music’s role in society?
For me, I think music’s most important role in society is to bring people together. Whether it’s four people playing together in a barn or in front of thousands of people in an arena. I’m absolutely fascinated by how music can help you forget about your bad day at work or being dumped by your partner. It’s all about making the most out of a moment where everyone is involved in creating that energy.
What is one thing about the music industry that you would change if you had the power to?
I would like to see an increase in artist compensation. Making it easier for artists to pursue a music career full-time. I believe that given the time and opportunity, a lot of fantastic music would see the light of day.
If you were allowed to collaborate with any musician or band, who would you choose and why?
It would definitely be pretty badass being able to brag about collaborating with a Beatles member, so if I’m dreaming big I’m going for Sir Macca. However, I’m open to all collaborations. I’ve realized how fun and evolving it is to work with new people, so I’m all for it.
Thanks so much for chatting with us Jesper! It’s been great getting to know you a bit better! Just before we let you go, what comes next for the band (after the EP’s release of course)?
Thank you again for having me! Following the EP release, we are looking to play live as much as possible. Getting in front of an audience, and creating that energy together. If anybody wants us, we’ll come and play. Just reach out to us on our socials and we’ll try to make it happen!
