Who are Heavenly Faded?
Motivational Muses Exclusive Feature | by Anastasia Logan
Heavenly Faded is an alternative dream rock band from New York who are leaving a mark with their eccentric performances and riveting sound. Heavenly Faded was formed in 2018 after bassist, Rijk van Zanten and vocalist, Luis Payero separated from a previous band, due to creative differences. They have recently gone through a line up change and have added drummer, Jared Pease and guitarist Jake Stamoulis to the crew. They pull much of their musical inspiration from bands such as Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, Ambulance LTD, Queens of the Stone Age, Reignwolf, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Led Zeppelin and Radiohead.
"Our music is super melodic, with huge chords, aggressive riffs, soaring vocals and harmonies all held up by a bedrock foundation of thunderous bass and drums."
Name origins came from a simple misunderstanding of song lyrics from a Yelawolf song. When their previous drummer misheard the lyrics "heavily faded" as "heavenly faded". After giving it a bit of thought they decided to keep the name, thus Heavenly Faded was born.
"We thought it had an interesting ring to it, relating to the many ways we choose to alter our consciousness as a human being. Not until later did we realize it made us sound like a Christian rock band haha!"
These last two years have been filled with a variety of music releases. Starting in 2018, they released their debut EP, Set Your Sights, which put Heavenly Faded on the musical map. This EP is special to them because it showcases a time when everyone was learning. Not only about musical elements but personalities of band members and how that would all mesh into a cohesive final product. Showcasing three tracks this EP is short and to the point, yet leaves the listener wanting more. Thankfully, they soon released a single, "Cotten Eyes," further growing their name within the music world. In 2019, they released two singles, "One Thing" and "Constellations." In terms of songwriting value, "Constellations" and previous single releases became favorite endeavors by the band.
“Constellations”and the batch of other singles we wrote and recorded to accompany it, have been the best songs we’ve ever written and the most fun to write as well, discovering our own sound just by grinding and writing as much as we could.
New music is currently in the works with their upcoming single, "Blood Brain Barrier" that is set to release in a couple of months. For those interested in seeing this crew preform some of their hits live, that can become a reality! Catch them at their first show of 2020 on March 1st at Berlin Under A in New York . Follow their social media to stay up to date about show updates.
One of many notable achievements reached by Heavily Faded thus far was being able to play with Apollo's Ghost, thanks in part to Ray Mazza, at Brooklyn Bowl. This was one of their biggest shows and they have plans to head back there to perform again in the future.
Band life has its fair share of ups and downs, but that does not deter Heavenly Faded from sharing their music with the world. Everyone has their own life to live! A very interesting concept, I know. Having a consistent rehearsal schedule that corresponds with each individual has been a challenge, but they have persevered and are constantly working to improve their craft. Other challenges include writing great songs that can resonate with the right audience. These challenges get them one step closer to where they want to be and that is what matters most.
"The rewards that come from the challenges are what make it all worth doing."
The end of the post? So soon? Bummer. But now it is time for some fun facts!
Rijk is the youngest member of the band but definitely the wisest and is also a Netherlands native. Luis once hung out with John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin! While no fun facts for Jake or Jared were submitted, I have a feeling these guys are incredibly interesting and we will learn lots about them as time goes on.
Heavenly Faded are an exceptional young band that are creating a sound that can resonate with a wide variety of audiences. They have an incredibly bright future and I cannot wait to see what they come up with next! Make sure to follow them on all social media to keep tabs on their journey.
Advice from Heavenly Faded
"Writing, performing and playing in a group with 4 different personalities can be one of the most difficult things to make work. Making sure you’re in a band with not only creative and hardworking musicians but also people you can call your friends, is key to a successful partnership, in any field, not only music."
"And finally, as cliche as it sounds, believing in yourself and what you’re doing is so important. There are so many days you just want to give up and quit and just lay in bed doing nothing because things may not be happening fast enough, or you think people don’t like your music. It can petrify the most courageous, and brilliant artist out there but if you love what you do, any amount of pain you go through to get to where you want to be, is always worth it."
Connect with Heavenly Faded
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