INTERVIEW: In Hearts Wake chats ‘Ark’ and final Warped Tour run!

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I spoke to a lot of bands at this summer’s Warped Tour in Hartford, but one that stood out the most in the bunch was In Hearts Wake who are definitely not an unfamiliar face over the years. In a short but sweet chat with lead vocalist Jake Taylor, we chatted how they prepped for this summer’s run as veterans of the tour, the latest album ‘Ark’ and their plans post Warped! Find our chat below and keep your eyes peeled as we roll out the rest of our interviews from the tour over the next few days!

Despite being from Australia, In Hearts Wake is actively in the US. You’ve toured so much here in the last couple years. You’ve done Warped Tour before. Coming into this final summer, maybe preparations considering you know what it’s like?
Yeah we just bought all the supplies that we needed. We got yoga mats and we got all the treats to make Warped Tour as comfortable as it can be. And definitely, tell you what, last time, we weren’t as prepared. It’s not really the sun, it’s just the time you spend out in the heat. We’ve got hats, we’ve got bicycles, all the stuff like right away maybe a week or so in. So we’ve got all the supplies but also we’re a well toured band. We know what it’s like so it’s not hard. It’s good!

You know what’s going on, you know the drill! Then obviously you guys really consistently release new music, since the band has been together. With ‘Ark’ only coming out in 2017. You did do the reimagined EP which you did sneakily leak about last year. Was that something you always intended to do, was it something that just came together in the studio?
Yeah we had a secret code in the booklet. There’s a cypher which they hold over certain pages. Once they work it out of the lyrics and it represents letters and numbers, then they write it out and it equaled a date. In February this year when it dropped.

I know in the past you recorded two albums at the same time. Was it something similar, where you kind of just explored it in the studio?
We recorded these after the album. So we did these last year around this time I guess.

Perfect! Then In Hearts Wake has been a band for so long, but do you feel the songwriting still changes, did it change for ‘Ark’ or is it something where you’ve fallen into a pretty steady rhythm?
No I think ‘Ark’ changed a lot from the last two records and I think if we do another record, it would change again a lot. As long as we keep changing, which we do, and we stay true to ourselves, then the band’s sound will constantly evolve.
And is it something where you think a new album will be a while away for the band? I feel like you guys are constantly working on new stuff?
I reckon so, yeah. I honestly don’t even know if the album would come out next year. We haven’t really thought about it. Just been like ‘Ark’, tour, tour, tour. So we’ll think about it soon but by no means are we going to rush into something right now.

Then this year and talking to a lot of the Australian bands in the past, it is really expensive to come here. But this year, on the tour, I feel there is so much Australian representation. There’s you, there’s Tonight Alive, there’s Chase Atlantic, With Con. All these bands that are out. Maybe advice to bands to just make that jump? You’ve been steadily touring here, In Hearts Wake.
It’s difficult. Going to spend a lot of money, got to really invest in what you believe in. You want to grow over here. So what advice would I give? I would say build a strong foundation where you’re from before you start stretching anywhere else because if you stretch yourself too thin, it could be not enough butter, too much bread. So you have to be really careful. But once you have a strong foundation, then I feel you’ll know when you’re ready to stretch your wings.

Then the tour, it’s already almost half way through, which is crazy to think about. I feel like it just started. Maybe some focuses or goals for In Hearts Wake once you finish the Warped Tour?
Time off, perspective to renew our creative fires and see what’s next.

About Author

Colleen

Colleen has been writing about music since 2009. Interviewing bands since the glory days of Warped and has continued to do so for now over fourteen years. As well as doing freelance for other publications, the love for everything rock continues today.