The Heartbreaks - Interview

Matthew Whitehouse (vocals, rhythm guitar),
Joseph Kondras (drums),
Ryan Wallace (lead guitar, backing vocals)
Chris 'Deaks' Deakin (bass guitar, backing vocals)

Formed in the ever so popular UK tourist destination, Morecambe, the bands sound has been described as (cue the inevitable wiki quote)

"Bolt-from-the-blue mélanges of Motown's pop purity, coy vocals and innocent romanticism give The Heartbreaks a charm matched by strong musicianship and a supremely wry take on Punk rock songcraft. Jaded sarcasm, arcane language and rarefied romantic longing compete over stomping Wigan Casino drums, Jangle pop guitars and walls of feedback to create a sound that is part 60's girl band and C86"

Grace was impressed by their recent support slot of The Ordinary Boys and had a quick chat with them to find out more.

At the moment you're on tour with the Ordinary Boys, how's it all going so far?

Tours are a cruel and shallow world where one must shoplift in order to survive and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.

Are there any funny stories from being on tour?

No. Joe got stuck in a Portakrush in Manchester but he nearly died so I'd rather not talk about it.

How did you come up with the name 'The Heartbreaks'?

It came to Ryan in a dream one night. We kinda like it for it's naffness, you know? It's like an early 60s group...

You've been described as 'fanatical experts on the British seaside', please explain more about this?!

Well we're from a place called Morecambe, Lancashire which is on the North-West coast so when you've breathed in the unbearable sadness of the sea every day as we have you can't help but have it become part of you; the eternal ebb and flow, rise and fall, Morecambe and Wise. We couldn't have happened anywhere else really.

You played at latitude and Leicester's very own summer sundae festival this year, how does playing at festivals compare to those of small intimate venues? Which is your favourite to play at?

I'd like to go on record as saying I hate festivals. They're full of jugglers and s***-muppets dressed like Smurfs.

What were the first sessions like when you were starting out as a band? where did you first start practicing?

We first started rehearsing one summer in this old snooker hall off the Prom. We were good, you know? Instantly. But we're better now. We're not one of those bands who'll only ever be as good as their first record. We're getting better all the time.

As you only formed around 2 years ago and have toured with some pretty credible people, what advice would you give to bands starting out?

Be prepared to give up every single other thing in your life, your hobbies, your health, your girlfriends, your pets; be skint; travel up and down the country in the back of a transit van nine times; go to the brink of starvation and back again; and always, always, always avoid dressing in rumpled, wrinkled shirts.

You can find their Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/theheartbreaks

Interview by Grace