(Glass Onyon) No distance can stop the creative minds that have fused together and formed Heartblanch - a new group that has recorded a modern day pop masterpiece entitled 'LIKEYOU'. An indie band currently based in San Francisco and the Ukraine, Heartblanch was formed in 2006 in Kiev, and started with shows in Kiev's clubs. After the group's guitarist Gennadii Blank relocated to San Francisco, Heartblanch began rehearsing over the internet and eventually recorded their debut CD 'LIKEYOU', which is slated for release in August 2009. Described as "a dry sound with British tinged vocals - indifferent and snarky. The guitar riffs are grungy with a smooth melody responsive to the vocals and lyrics accenting the story of the song. It is wrapped by distinct drums with dense bass riffs."
Heartblach site many musical influences which include The Cure, Blur, Beck, Radiohead, Suede, Bryan Ferry, and Kino, and can be heard throughout their new CD. "It was a deep party with a mix of different people", Gennadii explains about the band's formation. "Somebody brought a release of Muse and everybody said, 'Cool! It's really something new'. Then someone else exclaimed 'Come on guys, that's just a grimacing of Radiohead, they took the sound but forgot about the songs'. Nobody understood him except the four guys who are Heartblanch."
Heartblanch consists of:
Artem Pronin - vocal, guitar, lyrics - "If you meet him at least once you will definitely say, 'That's a real person'."
Gennadii Blank - lead guitar - "He always wants to create a party, to make everybody happy even if everything is broke, and he can do this!"
Denis Ovcharenko - drums - "Our armour. He came from a very difficult district of the city, since he is still alive you can believe him."
Dima Karya - bass - "That's our fun! He is always happy with everything, sometimes we even wonder how can he do such a cool and melodic bass..."
Heartblanch's 'LIKEYOU' will be released in August 2009 on CD and vinyl; the LP manufacturing is by Bill Smith Custom Records in Los Angeles, CA. The mastering for both LP and CD has been done by Twerk at AudibleOddities in San Francisco, and the recording by Umka at Zaglad Records in Kiev. "The band had been rehearsing over the internet," recalls Gennadii. "Last summer I flew to the Ukraine, and the group got together with our friend Umka who is the owner of Zaglad Records in Kiev. We did all the basic tracks in one take, and only a few takes for vocals the next day. We had spent a lot of time creating and rehearsing, so it only took a few hours for recording. Of course we did a lot of digital processing after, but the idea was to emphasize the dry sound."
In support of the new release, Heartblanch have plans to tour, but not in the usual sense. "It's not a usual tour," says Gennadii, "it's an international project. It will be a series of parties in the San Francisco indie concept. Live gigs of Heartblanch, singer-song-writer Paul Needza Friend from LA and DJ mixes of the best San Francisco Area bands. We have the honor to present our album in Eastern Europe along with the San Francisco indie scene, with the best bands we have met here - bands of different styles but with the same ideas in common." Bands that will be participating in these parties with Heartblanch include Downer Party, Mister Loveless and bands from Def Child Records.
Current dates:
Aug 13 - 44 Art Club (44 Khreshchatyk, Kiev, Ukraine)
Aug 14 - Bochka (3b1 Bogdana Hmelnytskogo, Kiev, Ukraine)
Aug 15 - Route 66 (87/30 Zhylyanska, Kiev, Ukraine)
Aug 16 - Proekt OGI (8/2 Potapovskij pereulok, Moscow, Russian Federation)
Hearblanch's 'LIKEYOU' CD and LP will be available through CDBaby, Amazon, iTunes and www.DigiticedMusic.com .
For more information on Heartblanch and their new CD/LP release 'LIKEYOU' go to:
www.heartblanch.com
www.myspace.com/heartblanch