Text by Gerrit Feenstra and Janice Headley
On our final day broadcasting from Judson Memorial Church, it was local band HAERTS who transformed the venue back into a place of worship. "This is a song that we don't get to do very often, but we thought it fit a church," noted vocalist Nini Fabi before launching into a passionate rendition of "Hope," with its choir organ tones, and her rich voice resonating through the majestic archways.
Not many bands have garnered the type of hype that this synth-pop group have over the last year. Their debut single “Wings” blew everyone’s mind in late 2012, but the lack of tangible information about the band made for quite a fun dig to figure out just exactly who it was that had you hooked. After disappearing for a bit, they dropped “All The Days,” giving people an equally excitable taster leading up to a Columbia Records release some time in the future. But now, we have it. The Hemiplegia EP is creating the same type of insatiable buzz that CHVRCHES created with the Recover EP not too long ago, and if HAERTS follows a similar path to pop majesty, they too are destined to become one of synth-pop’s new forerunners.
Today, we wrap up our 3-day broadcast from Judson Memorial Church in NYC during the 2013 CMJ Music Marathon. Tune in from 9AM to 5PM Seattle time to hear exclusive live performances from HAERTS, Eleanor Friedberger, The Dismemberment Plan and Ghost Wave.
It's pretty perfect that the frontman of Ski Lodge shares a surname with the guitarist for The Smiths since their sound is totally reminiscent of those Manchester legends.
