The Wandering Hearts

The Wandering Hearts are a three-piece harmony laden Folk-Americana from London. Here’s what they had to say when we got the chance to ask them some questions.

Who were your musical influences growing up?

“Between us, our influences are super eclectic but artists that feature heavily include Simon & Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell, The Carpenters, Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis Presley, Tom Petty, Carole King, Fleetwood Mac. Check out our Inluences playlist on Spotify for more”.

What has been your best gig?

“To watch or perform?! If we’re choosing one of ours, it would have to be our first gig outside the UK. We were invited to play Marty Stuart’s Late Night Jam at the hallowed Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The acoustics are out of this world and we had the most amazing audience who gave us a standing ovation after Burning Bridges. In a packed venue that has hosted many of the artists that inspired us to play music, that was an emotional one. Thinking back to it, it still feels like we might have imagined it”.

Can you tell us a bit about your new single ‘Dolores’.

“Absolutely! In some writing sessions, you might have a few chords or a theme in mind but that day, when we sat down to write, we were just catching up. Chess mentioned an article she’d read in Rolling Stone about Dolores O’Riordan from The Cranberries that shone a light on some of the battles she’d been facing which led up to her death. It was really sad and incredibly moving. We chatted at length about how hard it can be asking for help and the challenge in getting the right help. We talked about the people we knew who’d suffered with mental health problems and our own experiences with it. We talked about how important it is to be kind to one another and from that, our song Dolores was born”.

Can you describe your music in 3 words?

“Uplifting, nostalgic and harmony-laden”.

What makes your music stand out?

“Lots of people say they can’t quite put their finger on the genre of music we make so perhaps that helps us to stand out. There are so many differing influences that have inspired our sound and the fact is, we’re just three very different yet like-minded individuals who just happen to love writing and playing music together”.

Tell us about your new album.

“We’re so excited to finally be releasing it!! We recorded it high up in the Catskill Mountains, NY with the genius duo that are Simone Felice and David Baron. We holed up in a snowy cabin for a month and made an album that we are so proud of. We spent so long on the songwriting and the crafting of the songs, then working in such a magical setting with producers we really trusted, we captured something we could only have dreamt of”.

If you had to pick one track on the album for us to listen to – what would It be and why?

“Never Too Late for all the totally uplifting feel-good vibes. Something we could all use right now”.

If you had to be remembered for one thing apart from your music what would you want it to be?

“That we made a difference to people’s lives. Most of the time, it’s the music that brings people to you but often, the music is the vehicle for getting people out of the house, to meet other people, to build a community. We learned so much from Marty Stuart who will always take time for everyone he comes in contact with. He’ll stand outside and talk to fans and engage for hours because he knows what a difference that can make. If we can make others feel heard and bring joy, then that would be a nice legacy to leave”.

Any gigs coming up?

“Yes!! We have our In Harmony tour coming up in August/September and we cannot wait!! It’s been a long time coming and we have really missed connecting with our fans. Seeing their reaction to our new album is going to be incredible”.

If you could collaborate with one artist who would it be?

“Larkin Poe. That would be brilliant. We were due to support them on their US tour but the pandemic has meant that it’s been delayed, like so much else. Still, we’re really hopeful we can do the dates when we’re able to travel again and maybe we can try and swing that collab!”

By Siân Parker