HEAF

Interview with HEAF

March 2, 2016

Describe your band, telling a little about it.

We are HEAF. The name HEAF is an acronym for Head East And Forgive.  East, because it's the way of the rising sun in representation that every day is a new.  So in some way it's saying to let go, forgive.

What are your names? / Who plays what?

Alexa Liming (vocals + keys) 

Dan Tysz (drums)

Tyler Looman (bass guitar)

Have members played with any other bands?

Dan was in an acoustic band about 5 years ago when he lived in Florida, and Ty was in a few bands before this one.  Alexa has always sang and made music, but never on this kind of level.

Do you write your own music or perform covers?  Has it always been this way?

We have always written original material since we’ve formed.  We live for experimenting.  However, we have only recently started incorporating cover songs into our live set (making them weirder of course).

What year did the band form?

We formed in 2012.  It started with Dan and our former synth player Lu, then Alexa and then Tyler.

Where is bands home?

Everywhere, haha. We all live in different places. Alexa lives in West Virginia, and Dan and Ty live in different parts of Ohio.  However, we’re always in Pittsburgh, so we call ourselves a Pittsburgh band.

What's your style or genre?

We’ve always had a hard time putting a label on ourselves but if we had to pick, we’d say Dream Pop.

How often do you rehearse?  Once a week, as we all live about an hour away from one another.

What gear do you guys use?  We use Orange, Native Instruments, Roland, and all that fun jazz.

Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that?  We’re not actively seeking that right now, but of course we are open to new opportunities!

What are your songs about?  Life. Sounds pretty generic, but a lot of our music is written around good times and battles that have took place in each one of our lives that we’ve learned from, or have yet to find meaning in.  Lyrically and musically, we just try to create something you feel.

Who does the composing and writes the lyrics?

We all write collectively. Tyler has been writing all of the new lyrics and Alexa re-arranges, if needed.  A lot of the time we build songs off of jams.  If it sounds good we’re like “Yep, let’s keep doing this!”… and then it’s a song.

Do you start with the music or the lyrics?

Depends. We have a lyric book to refer to when needed, so I guess the lyrics.

Do you compose in a certain environment?

Tyler has a rad studio space in the middle of the woods that we basically live in.  That’s where we do all of our music makin’.

What ages are most of your concert attendants?  18-30

Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary?  We’re always writing new songs, so our set is usually different each time.

Do you have a regular place you play live often?

We play often at The Harmonium in Steubenville, OH.  The Harmonium Project is a bunch of amazing people who joined together to liven the music scene in the city.  They built this venue (basically from scratch) out of the goodness of their hearts.  It’s a  concert venue dedicated to bringing peace, joy and urban revitalization to Steubenville through music. All of the people involved are incredible and have been absolutely amazing to our band. We love them and can’t thank them enough.

What was your first gig like?  It was at a bowling alley. It went well but it was obviously nerve-racking.

Do you have any upcoming gigs?  Yes!  We have a show March 13th in Steubenville at The Harmonium with The Van Allen Belt.  It’s going to be sweet!

Where have you played live this year?

We have been working on new stuff these past two months and haven’t played any shows yet.

When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale?  We’ve always had merchandise for sale.  We started with cds, and now we have a full line of apparel, stickers and accessories.  All available on our site!

What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days?

To each their own.

Do you have any role models or idols?  Those who are clever and determined enough to pursue their artistic dreams without sacrificing their dignity.

Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today?   We believe that every musician today grew up with inspiration from the past.  In fact, all modern music takes pieces of the past - bending and twisting/conjoining what they love together to create new and equally inspirational work.  There is totally an over saturation of bands these days, but it’s undeniably incredible that we have such a vast outlet of amazing music at our fingertips that we can listen to where and whenever we want.

What have been your biggest obstacles?  

Hah… money.

What advice would you give other bands or artists?

Remember that all of the great artists before you didn’t worry about their social media following, internet plays, and mediocre crowds at their shows. Just do what you love and don’t be afraid to be different.

What are your web sites?

www.heafband.com

How can people reach you?

They can reach us through Facebook message or our email:headband@gmail.com

Social media addresses?

https://www.facebook.com/heafofficial/

YouTube Channel, Reverbnation, etc?

http://www.reverbnation.com/heaf

http://heaf.bandcamp.com/

http://www.youtube.com/user/HEAFband

What are your plans for the future?

To always play music.