Our Latest Obsession - HEYROCCO
Heyrocco is an alternative rock trio band bred in South Carolina, US of A. Though generally categorized as alternative rock, Heyrocco has an extremely versatile sound leaping from Nirvana-esque grunge rock to sweet pop rock, and everything in between. Their sound breeds nostalgia in more ways than one and can appeal to any listener fond of the progression of 90s alt-rock to today's indie pop rock. The band consists of Nathan Jake Merli (vocals, guitar), Chris Cool--yes that's his birth name (bass), and Taco Cooper (drums).
According to the band's website bio, the members are childhood friends who decided to start in the very cliché, yet quite realistic position in their parents' garage during their high school years. Soon after, they decided to ditch the school gig and pursue becoming the "biggest and loudest rock band of their generation." Since then, the band has been picked up by London-based Vital Music Group and begun their journey to accomplish such a feat. In October of this year, they released their debut EP Mom Jeans via Vital. Because Vital is stationed in the UK, European rock music fans got the first taste of Heyrocco before anyone else, as the band celebrated the premiere at London's XFM radio studios.
The Mom Jeans EP is a four-track mixed bag of alt-rock grunge splashed with lighter noise pop that never neglects a driving bass line and melodious chorus. The first track, Virgin hones in on the Cobain-esque grunge of the 90's, as the lyrics tell of standing up to social expectations set in high school--something anyone who has been 15-18 years old can relate to. The next track is a rock 'n roll love song titled Melt. This song has a slight onomatopoeia effect, as the song sounds like its name; Merli's lead vocal seems to melt into the lyrics, "when you undo my belt, I melt." The following song is certainly the most popular one, as it was thrust into the spotlight of popular culture when trendy UK store Topshop promoted the song's video in accordance with the store's release of a 'mom jean' fashion. This track in particular feeds the prevalent hunger for indie rock, while still incorporating musical elements reminiscent of alt-rock 90's heroes such as The Smashing Pumpkins and Nada Surf. The final track on the EP is an acoustic-driven melodious song called Santa Fe. The lyrics tells a story of a heartbreaking split from a relationship, but no one cares about actual feelings because they just want a "stupid love song."
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To further zero-in on the classic 90's rock nostalgia, the band's LP (due in March 2015) is called Teenage Movie Soundtrack. Because of this wistful, slightly sentimental theme of the 90's, Heyrocco has received a lot of press attention. In particular, the pop culture Bible Nylon Magazine featured Melt in their "five favorite songs of the week" in July saying,
"Cue the light wash denim jeans and tattoo chokers because Heyrocco's new single launches us right into 90's teenage movie nostalgia. Like these Southern sweethearts, we admittedly might not have been the coolest kids in high school—but at least we can pretend like we were while listening to some 90's inspired rock and roll" (Nylon).
So, needless to say, we are not the only ones who have fallen to the mercy of Heyrocco's evocative and captivatingly nostalgic sounds. The lyrics to many of the songs that will be on the LP can be found on the band's website. Without a doubt, Heyrocco will be one of the hottest indie bands of 2015. At the start of the new year, the band will be doing a winter tour around the East Coast. For a full list of dates, click here.
To keep up with all things Heyrocco, visit their website, Facebook page, and Twitter.
Extra & Notable
Heyrocco - Loser Denial - Audiotree Live
Mom Jeans EP Vinyl Record + Digital Download
All photos are via the band's Facebook and Tumblr.