- Words Darcy Culverhouse
London indie-rock newcomers, heavy wild, cement their name with euphoric new track, ‘Dope Gods’.
Somewhere between the low-slung sleaze of The Velvet Underground and the vigour of Kings Of Leon is where you’ll find heavy wild’s sound. Imbued with elements of grunge and an icy groove of post-punk, London’s hottest new band are setting the indie-rock scene ablaze bringing their hazy soundscapes and alluring percussion to the forefront. Their newest single, ‘Dope Gods’ is not just a song, but a journey through the memories of hectic teenage days, all set to their euphorically distinctive sound.
Despite emerging on the scene only two years ago, heavy wild swiftly amassed a dedicated fanbase. Securing a sought-after support slot with HighSchool in Paris and embarking on a UK tour alongside Swim Deep, it didn’t take long for the band to be soaked in accolades. Crafting a sound that lies at the intersection of darkwave and shoegaze, heavy wild infuses lo-fi into the realm of alt-rock, with soundscapes venturing into unchartered territories.
While they’re best known for their heavier soundscapes featuring immersive synths and unmistakable grunge, their latest track, ‘Dope Gods’ presents a softer approach to their signature sound. Laden with ethereal synths and warm guitar tones, the track exudes true emotion. Composed and written shortly after receiving the news of an old friend’s passing, the track serves as a reflection on the shared teenage days of vocalist, Wolfgang Harte, with his friend.
As a dreamy soundscape unfolds, Wolfgang’s atmospheric vocals gracefully weave through the instrumental, guiding us towards a poignant and euphoric climax. During this crescendo, the lyrics “I can still see you now, with a face like forever” are delivered with heavier reverb, adding a weighty emotional resonance to the genre-bending track.
Commenting on the new single, vocalist Wolfgang Harte shares, “I wrote the song on the back of getting the news last January that an old friend had died. We were best friends around the ages of 15-17 and had so many crazy times wrapped up in that period of adolescence. There was sort of this movie playing in my head of our friendship over that time and the lyrics are born out of that, reflecting on those hectic teenage days and the sadness of losing a friend.”