They were the first band in ‘many years’ to record a live session for BBC Radio 1‘s Steve Lamacq whilst still being unsigned, and recorded a majority of their first album at an Industrial Steam Museum.
Therefore when Crack in the Road got the opportunity to interview Goldheart Assembly, we found a band that was as original and engaging in their music as they were in their topical banter.
Greeted by their audacious Tour Manager threatening to wee into lead vocalist John Herbert‘s shoe, I immediately realised this would not, thankfully, be a straight forward Q and A. After this initial weak bladder induced threat passed, Goldheart Assembly rather modestly admitted they were surprised that Academy 2 ‘was packed’ during their set, but highlighted that Dot-To-Dot allowed fans to move from venue to venue with ease to make the most of the bands on show. However the band said this was entirely different from their recent Camden Crawl experience, where ‘fans were too scared to leave a venue’ incase they were stuck in inevitable and never ending queues. This enjoyment of the free spirited nature within Dot-To-Dot was echoed in the band’s origins, who ‘started singing together for a laugh’ and by ‘doing gigs in central London, and as a result we grew out of a collective of bands’. Such honest and casual beginnings remain distinct in a band that is now constantly being tipped as the ‘next big thing’; a claim that is validated by the fact that Goldheart Assembly are opening the BBC Radio 1/NME Stage on the Saturday (Leeds) and Sunday (Reading). However while we can all get excited about the potential of lofty successes, Goldheart Assembly also revealed that their worst gigging experience came in the form of ‘driving seven hours to Aberdeen to play to two people ‘. They made us aware that this sort of event was by no means a one off, and perhaps it is this organic and slow formation that has moulded Goldheart Assembly into the eclectic and genuine musical collective that it is. John Herbert revealed that his personal major influence was American dream pop trio Galaxie 500, and while you can hear some of that come through in Goldheart Assembly‘s music, it also demonstrates how many other influences have infused the unique sound they have managed to create.
The fortunate positioning of a Pieminister outlet allowed me to ask the character acid test:
What do you think of Greggs?
To my relief there was a resounding positive response, with shouts of ‘Sausage and Bean Melts are the bollocks’ and ‘Eatable pastry clothes, designed by Greggs!’ There was even an expression of interest in headlining a Greggs sponsored music festival, so watch this space!
An absolute joy to interview and a thoroughly engaging band to listen to, make sure to catch Goldheart Assembly at one of their many festival dates across the summer!