Joe Hearty is a singer-songwriter and producer from the north-east of Scotland. Growing up in Aberdeenshire, and immersing himself in the wider Scottish DIY and indie community in the 00s (Copy Haho, Hookers Green No.1), Joe now spends his time between Athens and London.
His new 7 track EP ANTENNA will be self released digitally on September 6th. The first of 3 singles, 'Statue Made of Stone', will be released on June 7th.
Joe Hearty is a singer-songwriter and producer from the north-east of Scotland. Growing up in Aberdeenshire, and immersing himself in the wider Scottish DIY and indie community in the 00s (Copy Haho, Hookers Green No.1), Joe now spends his time between Athens and London.
His new 7 track EP ANTENNA will be self released digitally on September 6th. The first of 3 singles, 'Statue Made of Stone', will be released on June 7th.
In "ANTENNA", Hearty explores the embodied experience of navigating queer life. Traversing themes of promiscuity, escapism, gender and dependance, the EP documents the body’s role in subverting social norms and traditions.
Sonically, ‘Antenna’ marks a shift in ambition for Hearty, exploring more elaborate arrangements and a denser palette of instruments and sounds. Field recordings and fizzing analogue synthesisers butt up against adventurous string orchestration, woodwinds and pianos; Hearty’s soulful Scottish lilt matching in timbre and dynamic, from a bellow to a whisper.
A more complex range of emotion and subject matter are also at play, Hearty drawing on both his own experiences and those of queer icons through the ages to unpack the highs and lows of queer existence - from Alexander The Great and Kostantinos Kavafis to Touko Laaksonen (aka Tom Of Finland).
Despite its lush aesthetic, ‘Antenna’ makes a conscious effort to confront and subvert. Stories of anonymous sex are intentionally coupled with traditional Balcan brass and Bouzouki (Into The Night) and string and timpani laden lullabies recount tales of physical submission and devotion (Statue Made of Stone).
Hearty also shines a light on the universal, exploring base level human existentialism via 70s inspired baroque pop (Believe in something) and the role of Care in keeping ourselves and our societies afloat (Deep deep blue), making for an EP that feels, in it’s own way, quietly unique.
In "ANTENNA", Hearty explores the embodied experience of navigating queer life. Traversing themes of promiscuity, escapism, gender and dependance, the EP documents the body’s role in subverting social norms and traditions.
Sonically, ‘Antenna’ marks a shift in ambition for Hearty, exploring more elaborate arrangements and a denser palette of instruments and sounds.
Field recordings and fizzing analogue synthesisers butt up against adventurous string orchestration, woodwinds and pianos; Hearty’s soulful Scottish lilt matching in timbre and dynamic, from a bellow to a whisper.
A more complex range of emotion and subject matter are also at play, Hearty drawing on both his own experiences and those of queer icons through the ages to unpack the highs and lows of queer existence - from Alexander The Great and Kostantinos Kavafis to Touko Laaksonen (aka Tom Of Finland).
Despite its lush aesthetic, ‘Antenna’ makes a conscious effort to confront and subvert. Stories of anonymous sex are intentionally coupled with traditional Balcan brass and Bouzouki (Into The Night) and string and timpani laden lullabies recount tales of physical submission and devotion (Statue Made of Stone).
Hearty also shines a light on the universal, exploring base level human existentialism via 70s inspired baroque pop (Believe in something) and the role of Care in keeping ourselves and our societies afloat (Deep deep blue), making for an EP that feels, in it’s own way, quietly unique.
CREDITS
Written, performed and produced by Joe Hearty
Spoken word on 'Now That You Know' written by Kostantinos Kavafis (from the poem 'Thalassa Tou Proiou').
Engineered by Teemu Takatalo (Mutual Sound Studios, Athens), Christopher W Smith (Press Play Studios, London) and Paul Rafferty (Permanent Collection, Liverpool).
Mixing and Production support by Paul Rafferty
Mastering by Stephen Kerrison
Marjun Wraae-Stewart - Backing Vocals
Lucy Mercer - Drums
Jaakko Eino Kalevi - Drums
Paul Rafferty - Electric Guitar
Petros Kasimatis - Trumpet
Nefeli Liouta - Violin
Michael Jones - Violin
Elizabeth Ball - Violin
George Hoult - Cello
Hannah Lawrence - Tenor & Alto Saxophone
Nondas Coutsicos - Photography & Design
George Karapetis - Styling
CONTACT
joeheartymusic@gmail.com
+447952874766
Instagram @joe_hearty
