Interviews: Silent Hearts

In this new occassion we have had the opportunity to interview the  Post-Hardcore/Rock band Silent Hearts from USA. Check out the interview and this band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1.Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned it or came out just like that?

We actually put a lot of thought into the name. We brainstormed tons of potential names and reasons for the name. The name “Silent Hearts” was created to symbolize a group of people who collectively have fallen silent. It is to symbolize the dreamers, the idealists, the hopeful ones that have had their voice taken away from them by greater society. We are many, we are strong. As a band we attempt to be the voice, be the heartbeat, for those who have lost theirs. We want to connect to them by showing that we share similar opinions, thoughts, and dreams. Ultimately, Silent Hearts wants to be a positive support system by being an avenue to speak your mind and a reminder to follow your dreams. 

2.Why did you want to play this genre?

All of us like and listen to various genres, from metal, to pop punk, to EDM, and everything in between. We chose Heavy Rock because we wanted to be as relatable as possible so a wide range of people can hear and take from our message. Our music shows that we all like various genres because we have a song that fits pretty much any mood: catchy hooks, some rhythmic grooves, synth samples, and even some pretty heavy breakdowns thrown in here and there. Since working with Nick Sampson on our latest single “Stranger”, we found a sound we really love, and it seems our fans love as well.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

We all pretty much knew each other from crossing paths with and working together on various projects. David Gast, Ben, and (at the end) Mike were in a band previously with two others that disbanded. David Dixon was the long-time merch and social media manager of the band as well. When Ben, David G, and Mike started working on material for Silent Hearts, they needed another guitarist and a bassist, the stars aligned and it was able to work out that we could make this thing work. Collectively, our band has decades of experience in aspects of music performance, production, and business. We are really happy with the strengths everyone on the team brings to the table. 

4. What is each band member’s favourite band?

That is nearly impossible to narrow it down to just one band. 

David Gast: The majority of rock music that I listen to comes from Linkin Park, Starset, Bring Me The Horizon, Asking Alexandria, Thrice, FEVER 333, Architects, etc. Recently I’ve been listening to a lot of electronic music to expose myself to new things like Yellow Claw, Audien, Alesso, The Chainsmokers, Kygo, Avicii, Martin Garrix, etc.

Dylan: Thrice, Nothing More, Ohgr, Deadmau5, Linkin Park, Prince, Taylor Swift

Ben: Bring Me The Horizon, Starset, Thrice, Beartooth, FEVER 333, Asking Alexandria, Hands Like Houses, Nothing More, Papa Roach. 

David Dixon: Beartooth, Linkin Park, Bring Me The Horizon, Hands Like Houses, The Amity Affliction, We Came As Romans, FEVER 333, some heavier stuff like Architects, The Ghost Inside, Oceans Ate Alaska, and many more, and a few randoms like Tech N9ne, Post Malone, Maroon 5, etc.

Mike: Incubus, Thrice, Opeth, Deftones, and just about anything Post Hardcore.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

We all write and come up with ideas individually and bring them to the table and collaborate to turn it into the “Silent Hearts” sound that we love creating so much. The topics of our songs follow the idea of the band’s name.

6. Where was your last gig?

Newport, Kentucky at the famous Thompson House. It was the final stop on our first tour, the Happy To Be Sad Tour, in support of Fate’s Got A Driver, which features a founding member of Taking Back Sunday.

7. Where would you like to perform?

One of our goals as a band is to eventually start playing at larger festivals such as Sonic Temple (Formerly Rock on the Range). Other cool places that would be fun to play would be venues like the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado.

8. Whom would you like to perform with?

David Gast: Some of my favorite live shows were performed by Metallica, Nothing More, FEVER 333, Beartooth, Bring Me The Horizon, Starset, Skillet, Three Days Grace, Asking Alexandria, I could go on and on… if we could perform with any of them one day, I would be in heaven. Dylan: Bring Me The Horizon, Thrice, etc. Mike: Incubus David Dixon: Out of anyone, I would love to play a show with or even tour with Beartooth. Others would be Bring me the Horizon, FEVER 333, Asking Alexandria, etc. Ben: I would like to perform with bands like Bring Me The Horizon, Beartooth, A Day to Remember, Starset, etc.

9. Whom not?

Any opportunities that come across our path or is offered to us are always carefully thought about and considered. So, we do not completely rule anyone out until the possibilities are explored. The only time we would say “absolutely not” right away is if it was with a band or for a cause that would significantly affect our image in a negative way or if it did not align with our beliefs as individuals or collectively as a band.

10. Have any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tips for beginners on how to beat that?

Most people get pre-show jitters or nerves, even some people who have been doing it for years. Just channel that into positive energy, and once it mixes with the adrenaline of being out on stage, you kind of forget about it and are just living in the moment. If you truly are nervous even out on stage, just rely on your instincts and trust your muscle memory from all the time you put in during rehearsals, and if you botch a part, recover and just keep going. Most people in the crowd do not even notice when you botch as long as you recover gracefully, but If you dwell on it or get flustered over it, that’s when people notice something went wrong.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

We draw ideas from a very wide range of artists mostly within the rock genre, some even from outside rock, but the bands we have been drawing from the most during our songwrititng recently would probably be Bring Me The Horizon, FEVER 333, Starset, Asking Alexandria, etc.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

We were signing things at the merch booth after a show one night, and along with signing a poster for this person, they specifically requested us to include our “best drawing of a kitty we can do” next to our signatures on the poster. So, there’s a one-of-a-kind Silent Hearts poster with cats drawn all over it out there somewhere...

13. What do you think of your fans?

We love them! Their support has been awesome for us, even for us being a relatively “new” band. It is so awesome when new fans that find out about us take the time to reach out and say something nice or tell us where they are from. We try to be as responsive and interactive as possible too. Of course, we do this because we love making music, but there would not be an end goal or a real reason for putting in all the hard work, time and investment into our product if it wasn’t for our fans and reaching new people that may need to hear our message. 

14. What do you think of our site? 

It’s pretty sick! Thanks for this opportunity to be featured on it, we appreciate it! 

15. Anything to add?

We would like to thank all of our fans for their amazing support in 2018 and into the early part of 2019! We are very excited to share with you what we are currently working on. We will be announcing some new release dates very, very soon! There’s going to be some very exciting things happening this year. See you all soon.