Interview by John Cooper
After stumbling across The Heights Band online we featured them in our New Bands to Watch in 2013 article. Since then we have been in contact with Dustin Dockery from the band from Akron, Ohio to talk about music, plans for 2013 and to find out some more about..... the Heights Band.
LUM: Having heard your music, we instantly recommended you as a band to watch in 2013 on Listen Up Manchester. For our readers who haven’t had chance to listen to your music, how would you sum up your sound?
HB: I think we fall somewhere between punk, grunge, blues and rock. We constantly have new influences on what we write or how we write it. So ask me next week and it might be a different answer.
LUM: Can you give us a brief history of how you came together as a band?
HB: The four of us grew up in a small town outside of Akron, Ohio. We were introduced through some mutual friends in high school and we've pretty much been in bands together since. The four of us all finally started playing together as The Heights Band around 2008 and the rest is history.
LUM: You have 2 lengthy EPs released so far, do you have plans for a full length debut album on the cards this year?
HB: The plan is to release our first full length album later this year. We have some other stuff that will probably get released before the album but we haven't made any final decisions on that. I can definitely say that there will be plenty of new music from us this year though.
LUM: As a band who would you put as your main influences? And who are the bands you have seen who have completely blown you away?
HB: Bands like Brand New, Modest Mouse, Manchester Orchestra and the Pixies are a few that we all agree on. I know for me Brand New is the best show I have ever seen by far, Manchester Orchestra was also amazing but both Taking Back Sunday and The Academy changed my idea of how to perform.
LUM: Coming from Akron, Ohio - hometown of one of our favourite US bands, the Black Keys, who have had a lot of success over here in the UK over the last few years, do you feel you have a similar sound and feel to your music & is there such thing as an“Akron sound”?
HB: We have got those comparisons before, I think it is almost unavoidable given their success of late. I would say there are similarities between our music for sure, I think that mainly comes from our shared blues and rock roots but at the same time I think when you grow up in the same city you see a lot of the same things, get exposed to a lot of the same ideas and it influences the music you write. So yeah I think there is definitely some truth to the "Akron sound" idea.
LUM: What other Akron, or Ohio, or even American up and coming bands we may not have heard of can you recommend?
HB: Maid Myriad and Red Sun Rising are two of our favorite Akron bands. The Buffalo KIllers are from Cincinnati, Ohio and happen to be signed to Alive Records The Black Keys first label. The Fake Take is a great band from Detroit, Michigan.
LUM: you plan to hit the road and tour much in 2013?
HB: We are planning some exciting stuff with our friends Red Sun Rising for early this year but the main focus is the new album. After that we will be doing a lot more traveling.
LUM: What does this year bring for the Heights Band?
HB: A lot of new opportunities and new music.
LUM: We would love to see you play in the UK – have you ever had the opportunity to play over here?
HB: We haven't made it to the UK yet but it is in the plans down the road.
Thank you for your time the Heights Band & we urge all our readers to go check them out. If you want a taster before investigating further then check out the below tune!
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