The Heys

British band The Heys have self recorded a debut album of indie pop titled Young Bored & Broke. There’s a sharpness to this band that makes them stand out. The melodies are great. The lyrics are clever: “I wasn’t making eyes at your forteenth pint”. The tempo of the album stays high and focused but with enough variation to keep the listener interested. Think some ground between The Kooks and Oasis. Their influences consist of The Who, The Kinks, The Jam, and The Stones. I’d recommend you check out the tunes below and then lear at their MySpace to find out where you can find the band live!

http://mixtape4melfi.blogspot.com/2008/07/ruby-tuesday-heys.html
- Posted by Peter N.

"Pressure" is everything that a great guitar-pop single should be, three minutes of fuzzy major chords, full, rich bass, shouty, ominpresent backing vocals and an impossibly addictive chorus...Essentially, The Heys are still a struggling unsigned band. There's no scheduled date for even a hugely limited commercial release of this utterly brilliant piece of pop music...Maybe there's hope though, recently Hard-Fi have broken through in a major way, with big tunes and a sound at odds with most current British guitar-based music. And they've done it with none of the wit, talent and flair that The Heys possess...So go to the website, an endearingly perfunctory MySpace affair, of this little-known band, and listen to "Pressure", because it's the only place you're likely to hear it for the time being, but if there's any justice in the record industry you won't be able to hear it for free forever. - Michael Docherty, CDTimes.co.uk - CDTimes.co.uk

RECORD OF THE DAY. This band really caught our ears for the usual reason (or not that usual sadly) - they've got at least one really good song. Pressure is it and it's the lead track on a lurid green 7" single. Great verse, great energy, great delivery. - RECORD OF THE DAY.

The intro track 'Scene' is by far one of the freshest tracks we've come across here at HFDM and I was delighted to finally hear it live. "Dont want your scene, wont have your scene no more" perfectly describes what the band are about. The dont give a f**k attitude to follow whats expected, they play for the music and considering the line up changes that have occured recently you'd be hard pressed to fault them. Personally I could go on about how good they were now, Id infact draw a diagram if I had some paper and crayons but for now I'll do this. The Heys. Are quite simply shit hot. - HUNTFORDECENTMUSIC.CO.UK

http://strandedinstereo.com/music_theheys.shtml


The Heys' debut release, Young, Bored & Broke, has a title that's a tad misleading. One would think that this album is immaturely fuelled with righteous indignation, that the music transmits a lackadaisical vibe, and, finally, that The Heys are a bunch of martyred, starving musicians. I can't really vouch for the third implication, not personally knowing these blokes, but judging by the albums' well-constructed tunes and worldly persona, Young Bored & Broke is far from being "young" and "boring."

From the digs at instant-gratification-inspired society in the driving "Elbow Culture," to the Paul Weller-esque, jangly coolness of "Brighten Up My Day," The Heys present a clean, calculated album. The band hugs its classic rock influences, mainly The Jam and The Kinks, but not too tightly, making the sound inspired but clearly personal. Overall, the album plays with snappy guitar riffs – particularly on the aforementioned "Culture" – thick, resonant basslines and syrupy, accented vocals that fortunately refrain from being at all sweet or too dreary. This album certainly presents an upbeat vibe that's sure to keep the hipsters' heads disdainfully nodding.

The main appeal of Young Bored & Broke comes from the fact that The Heys transmit a solid rock and roll energy without acting unbridled and, well, spazzed out and uncouth. There's something inherently natural about their tunes, which gives the album a compelling sense of order and musicianship; it's hard to believe this is their first release. "Friday Night" nods to Hard Fi's tunes, but the guitars are clearer, the production and playing tighter; the overall track is driving, exciting and youthful with great intermittent background harmonies and utterly danceable, dusty riffs.

Young Bored & Broke's title track is certainly the best on the album. The anthemic tune kicks you right in the teeth with a retro-like driven riff and energized, yet even pace. This homage to crazy nights out and the subsequent evil hangover is far from sonically insane, and singer "Tom's" suavely accented vocals arch defiantly over the forceful guitars. With cool, matter of fact charm, he throws the chorus right back at the listener without being obnoxious, preachy, or just plain immature. And that seems to squarely describe The Heys; their album title may proclaim youthful heedlessness, but the band present smart, well-composed tunes that more than illustrate their mature musicianship. In other words, don't judge an album by it's, uh, title.

- Stranded in Stereo - Miriam Lamey

The Heys make no effort to conceal their love of the music that influenced them. Their debut Youngbored&broke will inevitably see some comparisons to Arctic Monkeys, which isn't too far off base: The Heys have the same melodic sense, much of the same muscle and something of the same energy. The difference is that the Heys sound grown-up, if not a little bit grizzled

So far as influences, one of the most evident is Damon Albarn's on frontman Tom Flynn (see the anthemic "Brightenupmyday.") Aside from this and Pete Townshend's stamp on almost all guitar lines, The Jam may have the most tangible influence here. However, The Heys have too much interest in their guitars to ever be pure missionaries of blue-eyed soul, so the Paul Weller lineage has to do with the huge power-pop hooks and the veneer of cynicism that causes this record to shine. "Elbowculture," a sharp-edged lament of a selfish society, is the lynchpin of this interpretation, while "Pressure" is an attack aimed at wasteful, empty nights and the ways we choose to try to dodge internalized turmoil. It's not Rimbaud, but it's honest, and its "ch-ch-changes" inspired yarn over heavy bass and OkGo-on-steroids guitars is irresistible.

In fact, what soon becomes apparent is that The Heys have studied and assimilated the whole of infectious Britpop: the wide open chord-riffing that opens the title track recalls Pulp, as do many of the lyrical themes (though it should be noted that Flynn, cognizant of the perils of trying to be Jarvis Cocker, avoids melodrama). When the band gets light-hearted, they can lay out sunny vocal harmonies and bouncy, hand-clapping bridges right alongside Supergrass ("Don't," "Getiton," "Scene"). They avoid the moody ways of Oasis (though they come close on "Fridaynight") and embrace the bittersweet sneer of London Suede ("Arms&legs,""Hey") while managing to inject the album with their own ripped power-pop ("Itain'tWotusay," the shimmering ballad "Breakdown").

The lyrics can edge toward heavy-handedness, but the heart is most definitely in the right place. If The Heys are just borrowing ideas to bide the time, they'll be gone by next year. But if what we're dealing with here is an upwardly mobile band, all hell could break loose the next time these guys enter the studio. –

- Houston Press - Chris Henderson

In all the years I've been heavily into music, there have been a few defining moments, that I can look back on and say, that was a good time in music history. For instance when Guns and Roses released the album Appetite for Destruction, or Nirvana released the album Nevermind. In the 90's the Brit pop wars saw great albums from Blur, Oasis, Dodgy and the Verve. Whilst there's been many albums since, there hasn't been anything that really evoked that same kind of feeling. Until now.

I first came across The Hey's via MySpace. The usual too and fro occurred and a week or so later, I popped the disk into my CD player and was soon blown away. There's a rawness that is all too easy to compare to Oasis, and a sense of pop that is easily to lay at Blur's feet, but there is also something else there, something that quite frankly I wasn't expecting. To put this into context, I play many, many albums, but it's not often I feel both exhausted and elated at listening to one in it's entirety. Straight out of the gate with "Fridaynight", it's hard not to want to move, stamp feet, or bash the steering wheel on the car, as if you're a virtual drummer in the band. For me though, one of the real defining tunes is "Elbowculture", with that hint of laddish youth, that brings back memories of my own youth, going out on the pull, drinking quantities of alcohol, that now quite frankly would have me talking to the great white telephone for an age, and playing the latest Sega Genesis and SNES games. Yes I know, I have dated myself terribly, but hey, some of that reckless youth, still lurks somewhere deep within.

The relentless pace continues with "Pressure" which rolls over you like a wave of electricity, jolting ever neuron in you brain. After such a strong start, it's nice that the album balances up and takes a breather with "Brightenupmyday". To move between two extremes is something of a gamble, that doesn't always work out, here though there's a common thread that weaves between all the tracks, fast or slow. At the beginning of title track "youngbored&broke", it kept threatening to break out into "Since You've Been Gone" by Rainbow. OK maybe that's just my jaded view, but I just love how just a few bars can evoke those kinds of flashbacks.

With 14 tracks, it's a really difficult album not to go through track by track and disseminate, but there's really no need. This really is an album that comes along once in a blue moon. I'd love it if this marked the resurgence of British dominance, but this time in the indie scene. I've nothing but good words to say about every one of the tracks on this album. I left this album with a sense of sheer excitement and just cannot wait to see where the bands goes next.

On a final note, I would love to go to a gig where the band was playing, as I have no doubt that sheer electricity of the album would be amplified greatly seeing them perform live. The dogs bollocks, make no mistake.

Conclusion : I've made no secret in the podcast, that this is one absolutely phenomenal album. If this isn't a band destined for great things, then there's no justice in the world. Regardless of who you're a fan of, if you like good rock and pop, this is a must have in your collection…. yes I'm talking to you. Pick up a copy NOW!
- Indie Launchpad - Colin Meeks

Indie rock band, The Heys, have released their debut album, youngbored&broke. The UK band has maintained an indie sound by building their own recording studio in a basement. Their studio also keeps the the four guys and their music less corporately connected and away from the dogmatic industry producers.

The Internet has been a fantastic outlet for The Heys, as their music has been featured on independent podcasts and radio stations.

youngbored&broke blends both classic and modern rock. Certain tracks, like "Pressure", make it hard to believe that The Heys are a band from the 2000s, and not the late 1970s. Although the music itself does have a classic rock feel, the lyrics are very modern, mentioning prominent issues in todays world, like obesity.

For a debut album, from a band who has kept themselves out of the professional recording studio, youngbored&broke is well put together. There is never a point where the sound gets sloppy; every single track stays in uniform and flows very nicely.

- Aced Magazine

May 22, 2008
Reality Check - Tom of U.K.'s The Heys.
The Heys – Young, Bored & Broke

Buy On:


Picture Radiohead meets the Strokes, and you’ve got the fuzzy and up-beat, yet emotional British sound of The Heys. It’s hard to reinvent the wheel, but this band has managed to do just that with “Young, Bored & Broke.”

We caught up with Tom from The Heys, fresh on the heels of one of the best albums to come out of the U.K. this year, he had a lot to discuss with us:

The Heys - "Elbow Culture"


CWG: The BBC and BBC Radio 1 are institutions. How did it feel to be played on Radio 1?

It’s just good to be noticed.

CWG: How does the internet help in getting a band noticed?

You can show what you’re about to millions of people. You get to meet cool people. Everyone can see when you are playing, what you are doing, what you are thinking. We can get round the world in a split second.

If people like you, they can download your music. It means you are free to take control of what you are doing. It means you can do it yourself. It gives mass, direct communication

CWG: What do you recommend for other bands trying to go that route?

Just keep doing it. Spread the love.

CWG: You said that the film Quadraphenia is the film that sums it all up; why is it? Are you a big Who fan?

Well yeah but that ain’t the thing.

Its about the people, their aspirations, their love of the music. Its familiar. You can relate to it

CWG: While you were going through various line-ups, did the goal of making good music seem out of sight?


No. That was the point.

CWG: What is the difference between you and your alter-ego Tweed? Is there a personality change?

Totally different headspace. One records music, ones in a band. Same body.
Tweed is calm, Tom isn’t.

CWG: Can you describe the freedom of recording in your own studio away from the industry?

Basically you are in your own little bubble. Its all about the music. And because everything is familiar and relaxed you can let go.

You almost record by accident. It’s uncomplicated.

CWG: What are your plans in breaking into the American market and achieving further success?
We really want to come and play. We want to let people feel it for real. We want to see America. We also wanna sort out some dates when there’s people who want to see us.

The Beatles said they wouldn’t come to America until they had a number 1 record. We ain’t that strict. But the principle is the same. The music has always led the way.
- chickswithgunsmag.com

http://rocksellout.com/2008/06/01/rocksellout-talks-with-the-heys-album-giveaway/

It seems I've unintentionally started a movement for The Heys here in Tampa. It began, as most music related things do, with me sending friends links to MySpace pages of bands I like. Usually this results in a response of "Yeah, pretty cool!" or something equivalent. The Heys, however, have led to further follow-up emails along the lines of "I can't stop listening to these guys!" It seemed only reasonable then that we work with our friends at Planetary Group to get a copy of their debut album Youngbored&broke into the hands of two lucky RockSellout readers!
Even a quick minute with their new album Youngbored&broke will tell you why people are falling in love - The Heys produce Mod-Northern Soul-R&B-Rock with such seeming ease you'd think the guys were born from Paul Weller and Ray Davie's shared pint at a Gloria Jones show. It's not timeless in the sense it conjures a specific sound, but it is timeless in the sense it resists a dated sound - this is a fresh take for young Mods looking to let those scratchy old LPs have a breather. And one day Youngbored&broke will sit beside those beloved records, pulled out and played as a testament that good music can harken to a specific sound and a specific time yet still remain fresh for decades afterwards.

With all this in mind, we took the opportunity to ask The Heys a couple questions - some serious, some less so. Find out about the only job worth getting up for, breakfast at Burger King, and what to ask when having a pint with Paul Weller after the jump. And if you're up for getting a free copy of The Heys Youngbored&broke, then find out what you need to do after the interview!

Part I: We Get Serious:


Keath: How would you describe The Heys to new listeners?

The Heys: Er…That's hard when you are in it. Try: songs, guitars, voices, beat, honest, direct, uncomplicated, toe-tap, tunes.

Keath: Being in a band: harder than you thought or best job in the world?

The Heys: It's the only job in the world worth getting up for. Being in a band is the best. It's the only way of life.

Keath: What was the recording process like? A long slog or quick takes?

The Heys: Definitely quick takes. Doing it over and over again in the studio just sucks the life out of the thing. We rehearsed like fuck and were pretty ruthless with the bits. Then just recorded the vibe.

Keath: Which track off the new album is the most fun to play live?

The Heys: We've all got our favourites. And it depends on the night and the mood. Pressure is like riding a motorbike, Scene sums it all up, Elbow Culture is hairs on the back of the neck …

Keath: What is your favorite part of the process - writing, recording, or performing?

The Heys: That's a hard one too. Without live stuff what's the point? That's where you can give it and get it. That's where you start, its where you buzz. Its immediate. But then without the writing there isn't any live. And its really mental when you get a new tune. When you have something on your mind you just have to find a way to say it. Or a tune going round and round in your head driving you nuts and you have to try and catch it with your antennae. We used to record in professional studios but it only lead to great expense and disappointment. So we built our own set up in a small cellar with our 'puter and started having a laugh with it. We wanted to make the best album we could, that sounded like us in surroundings we felt comfortable in. So I guess it depends what your doing at the time 'cause that'll be your favourite.

Keath: You're already doing shows in the UK - will there be a North America tour for the new album too?

The Heys: We really wanna come and play!

Keath: The lyrics are fabulous - snapshots of working class life. Do they spark the music or the other way around?

The Heys: No rules it just depends, sometimes its both. When you get a good tune there doesn't seem any point wasting the lyrics. But at the same time they have to work and not fuck up the tune. We are not trying to preach or convert. We're a band. If people wanna think about it then cool, but it still has to be a song. We're just saying what we see.

Part II: We Get Less Than Serious:

Keath: Would you rather have a pint with Pete Townshend or Paul Weller? Bonus - I'll buy the round if you tell us the one question you'd most like to ask the one you picked.

The Heys: That's easy - Paul Weller! Alright Townsend's in The Who, but he is a bit of a cock. Paul, "That's a nice shirt, where did you get that from? Its your round"

Keath: Keith Richards - still the coolest man in rock or now just an old geezer wearing scarves with skulls on them?

The Heys: He's Keith Fookin Richards! He's in the Rolling Stones! He's the real deal. The genuine article.

Keath: I never eat at Burger King - do they have a good breakfast? (Note: if you don't understand this question, listen - keath-rocksellout.com