From the second a song by The Heavy Heavy begins, you can’t help but be immersed. The Brighton, UK-based band has taken vintage-inspired sound to the next level, giving modern-day listeners a taste of the ’60s and ’70s with every note. Led by Georgie Fuller and William Turner, The Heavy Heavy blends soulful vocals, psychedelic flourishes, and timeless songwriting into a sound that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly new.Â
As the band continues to evolve, admittedly already debuting songs from their upcoming sophomore album onstage, they remain committed to one simple goal: creating music that makes people feel good. Ahead of their upcoming show at The Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, New Jersey, Fuller and Turner sat down to discuss their creative partnership, the influences that shape their sound, and why joy will always be at the heart of The Heavy Heavy.
What’s one musical inspiration that people would be surprised to learn has influenced The Heavy Heavy? Are there any books, films, or artists outside of music that also shape your songwriting?
William Turner: Musically, our inspirations are pretty clear; we don’t diverge too far from that musical path. But there are other things, like certain films—some of those ’60s films, like Bullitt, Vanishing Point, and things like that. The atmosphere of those films, and even Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, we almost try to write music that fits those visuals, really.
Do you ever find yourselves intentionally pushing against what people might expect from “The Heavy Heavy sound,” or do you prefer to follow wherever a song naturally leads?
Turner: I think we prefer to follow where it naturally goes. I want the music to be easy for people to listen to. We can surprise them with the musicality in a way; the groundedness of the sound can surprise people. We aren’t trying to work hard to make people listen to it. There are certain bands out there where part of their appeal is to sort of confuse and throw the listener off a little bit, and that’s part of their experience. But for us, it’s just pure enjoyment and joy, I’d say.
Your music has such warmth and optimism to it. Is creating that sense of joy something you consciously set out to do, or is it simply a reflection of who you are as songwriters?
Turner: We are trying to have a good time. We are trying to make people feel really good. I want people to listen to our music and feel cool, want to dance, and feel like they are forgetting all of the troubles in life and having a good time. I think a good sort of reference in terms of that is the Rolling Stones. They have been putting on a party for 50 to 60 years and I think we want to promote a good time. There are moments where it may get a little more serious—maybe serious isn’t the right word. It’s more beautiful and thought-provoking
Georgie Fuller: Dreamily, almost transcendent, you can sort of disappear into your own mind. But generally, we’re there to have a good time and make people feel good.
What qualities do you think each of you brings to the band that wouldn’t exist without the other?
Fuller: Well, everything starts with you. The Heavy Heavy is Will’s [Turner] brainchild. Everything starts with Will in the studio—the sounds he wants to create, the guitar tones, and all of that.
Turner: I think I bring my production ideas to the band.
Fuller: So I would say that, without Will, The Heavy Heavy just wouldn’t exist.
Turner: But Georgie’s [Fuller] just a star performer; there’s no doubt about that. Without Georgie on stage, or without her voice, it just wouldn’t work. It would not be very interesting. I think the secret sauce is Georgie.
Fuller: I like to come in and help close songs out in the writing process, finish lyrics, rearrange things, and whatnot.
Turner: But definitely, the stage and the performance side is your thing.
Who is more likely to suggest taking a creative risk, and who usually talks things through first?
Turner: I’m not sure about that one.
Fuller: I think it depends; it really is song dependent.
Turner: Through experience, I know how songs are likely to go, and I know when a song needs a little bit of this or that.
Fuller: There are times when I come in and I’m like, ‘Do this,’ and you might be like, ‘I’ve tried that already, it doesn’t work.’ Or you might go with it because you haven’t tried it, and it does work. There are also times when there’s a demo that’s been sitting around for ages, and then Will will go and put some crazy chords on it, and I’m there like, ‘I don’t understand this at all.’ But then,, for some reason, six months down the line, it ends up actually working. So, I don’t really know, both of us toe the line and push the boundaries.
Turner: It’s a dance.Â
Fuller: It’s a dance.Â
Your most recent release was a live album (which, admittedly, is my favorite kind of record). Why did you feel like it was time to release live recordings, and what did you hope fans would hear in those performances that they might not get from the studio versions?
Fuller: Well, the live show, we always say, is a different beast. I think the blueprint for that is The Who and the way they’re just in absolutely another gear. I think, in terms of the production, my voice is quite hidden a lot, particularly on the first EP, Life and Life Only. I think people were sort of surprised when they heard how prominently my voice featured in the live show. The same goes for wanting to create breakdowns and, to go back to that earlier question, wanting to provide a space for people to just enjoy, dance, and lose themselves. We also wanted to deconstruct some of the songs and create jam moments and dreamy moments. All of that was really important to us because, while the production value of the album and the vocal qualities on the record are very important to us, it’s also important that the live show provides something that’s more than what’s on the record.
Turner: There’s got to be a reason to come see the show. A lot of people wanted to have that live show experience at home, so we thought it was important to do it. And, you know, it’s fun doing one side in the studio with the extra musicians and then having the actual live, on-the-road side. It was good fun, and people have responded to it well.
Who are some artists you’ve been listening to lately that you think deserve more attention?
Fuller: Well, we actually have an awesome artist with us on the road at the moment called MT Jones. He has an amazing soul voice, in the same wheelhouse as Jalen Ngonda and Paul & The Broken Bones. Just a phenomenal, high male soul voice. We definitely want to shine a light on his music.
Turner: Theo Lawrence is someone I’ve been listening to a lot, and Alex Amen as well, who’s also on our record label [ATO Records]. They both do the retro thing very, very well.
You’ve played New Jersey before, and now you’re heading to the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, in a city with such a rich musical legacy. Does performing in places with that kind of history change the way you approach a show, or is every audience its own experience?
Fuller: When we did The Stone Pony with The Black Keys, I wasn’t ready for the crowd, I don’t think. I didn’t realize how much grit and passion they would have. So yeah, it definitely differs from place to place.
Turner: I think we go out with the view that we want to put on the best show possible, you know.
Fuller: Absolutely, but then sometimes the energy that the crowd gives back is very palpable, and Asbury Park is absolutely one of those places.
Tuner: Places like The Troubador in LA; certain places have a certain vibe where you can feel the history in the room.Â
Fuller: For sure, and that’s one of the things that adds to it for the crowd as well. They know that’s where Bruce Springsteen came from, and the Troubadour was at the heart of the whole Laurel Canyon community in the ’60s. There’s a feeling in the walls and in the air,, and humans pick up on that, and we do too. It’s sympatico. It’s an amazing thing, and you don’t get it everywhere.
As the band continues to grow, what excites you most about the next chapter of The Heavy Heavy?
Fuller: Well, we are writing the sophomore album right now; it’s just evolving. We are looking ahead at a tour, a sort of skeleton of it, for next year. The venues are getting bigger. We are starting to play sophomore album demos in the set at the moment, and they are getting really good responses, which is good because we are moving the sound on slightly.
Turner: Yeah, the sound is evolving. We’ve been in the same world for a while, so it’s just freshening up. We’re pouring some new fruit into the mix.
Fuller: The next chapter is very exciting, and I think it’s going to look a little bit different.
Turner: The sound evolves very slightly, and the fidelity of this album is sort of updating a little bit. We’re trying to do something specific on this one, and it’s cool.
Fuller: New songs and new dresses, for me.
