Los Angeles rock group We’re No Gentlemen today release a new single, “Heartbeat”, in anticipation of their upcoming EP, Heartbeat/Heartbreak .
The track combines classic rock elements with ambient synths and a melodic pop sensibility that reflects the band’s inventive approach to rock music.
The lyrics of “Heartbeat” tell a story of lingering feelings after leaving a manipulative relationship. Drawing from her personal experience, lead vocalist Amanda Gabel passionately sings, “Drift away into the haze, become the monster you create // But still my heart beats only for you”.
The sheer grit and emotional expressiveness of Amanda’s vocal ability meaningfully convey the song’s message and pair beautifully with the nuanced production.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with We’re No Gentlemen about the latest release, challenges, technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
We’re based in Los Angeles, CA. Our music is a blend of Alternative Rock and Dark Pop. We’re not quite sure what category that puts us in, but that’s kind of the point. We don’t want to be pigeonholed in any specific genre despite our Rock roots.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
Boredom. No, but seriously music has always helped us soothe our souls and helped us to be inspired by and connected with life. What keeps us going is the fact we can inspire others in whatever it is that they want to do. It doesn’t have to be music. We want people to know that they should express themselves without fear of prejudice.
How does the Heartbeat/Heartbreak EP differ from your previous releases? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
The goal from the start when writing the EP was to do something different from what we were doing. Instead of just simply looking to other artists that we like as sources of inspiration, the thought process was more looking at what’s working well currently and see if we can predict where music is heading to create our own path. We really wanted to find our own voice, not just because we are tired of being compared to other bands, but also because we are growing up individually and are inspired by different things.
The biggest goal for us right now is to stay relevant as a young rock band. The way to accomplish that is by being fresh. A lot of rock bands create the same shit over and over again and expect the market to circle back to them. That’s not going to happen. By being original and incorporating various genres, you can create sounds that no one has heard before. Heartbeat/Heartbreak has started that process for us.
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
The biggest challenge is not really getting out there or even getting known, it’s tailoring your content for people to understand exactly what you provide. It’s easy for us to post pictures of us looking pretty on Instagram, but the focus should be on our music. So creating pages with engaging content that communicate who we are is important.
Technology definitely helps us do almost everything besides the music on one device. We can take care of almost everything with a cell phone.
What was the last song you listened to?
Blue by Eiffel 65
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Honestly, high quality MP3’s. They take up no space and are so convenient.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
As independent artists, Bandcamp is a life saver. If you purchase our digital releases through our Bandcamp site, it helps us a lot. Spotify and Apple Music are great for their convenience and we encourage everyone to stream our music, but if you can spare a few dollars and buy our music through Bandcamp it helps keep us going.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
- Connect with us on Instagram: @werenogentlemen
- Facebook: facebook.com/werenogentlemen
- Bandcamp: werenogentlemen.bandcamp.com
