“This is our anthem for the summer, so we wanted to make it as much of an earworm as we could!”
New Single 'Tidal Waves' is out now
W Mandy Morgan I: Paul Bruce
The UK alternative scene is crowded, but Cambridge-born outfit THE HERETICS are purposefully stepping away from the status quo. Infusing the unapologetic, high-energy chaos of '90s and noughties punk rock with a slick, modern production edge, the band is gearing up for a massive summer.
We sat down with the guys to talk about breaking the mould, their upcoming anthem 'Tidal Waves', and chasing that ultimate Mark Hoppus co-sign.
If you haven't discovered THE HERETICS yet, Kerrang’s Paris Munro summed them up perfectly: “when modern meets nostalgia.”
"I think we’d tend to agree with that," the band says. "It’s what we’re aiming for in terms of musical direction and production. We’re a blend of melancholic lyrics and high-energy melodies, keeping the punk rock aura alive while navigating the current mainstream."
Drawing from a massive, endless well of inspiration—ranging from Taking Back Sunday and Green Day to Neck Deep, The Gaslight Anthem, and Dave Hause—the band naturally brings a seasoned perspective to the stage. "Naturally, being the slightly older guys on the scene, we bring a nostalgic influence relative to the bands we grew up listening to. We're bridging the gap between the chaos of the nineties and the modern production aesthetic of popular alt-rock."
Despite their rising status, don't expect any outrageous backstage rider demands. "We’re chilled. We like a beer sometimes. Although Ash H will usually be doing something fiddly with some kind of guitar toy!"
“We’re keeping the punk rock aura alive while navigating the current mainstream.”
If they have any real weakness, it’s simply caring too much. "Because we like to make sure everything is exactly as we want it, sometimes we take slightly longer to agree that a release is finished and ready to go! But we’d much rather be sure it’s all good than rush something out that’s not as kick-ass as we intended."
That meticulous nature pays off in their live set, where their tight-knit bond takes centre stage. "We pride ourselves on being as meticulous as possible, so we like to think our cohesion and camaraderie come across on stage. We want everyone at our shows to remember why they came, so we try to ensure every show is high energy and involved."
"We try not to do obstacles, but when they do come, it’s generally because Luke [drummer] has lost his phone. No, but seriously, we’ve been pretty lucky so far and we’re hoping that this continues throughout our busy summer."
The horizon looks massive for the boys, with a distinct shift in gears that promises heavier riffs, sharper lyrics, and elevated aesthetics.
"We’re definitely coming out swinging this year," they tease. "A new heavier sound, songs which we’re incredibly proud of, and that we feel sit right in with the tracks we came up listening to. The riffs, lyrics, and image are just another step up from our last wave! We’re upping our live game too, rubbing shoulders with some big names on tour this year. We’re doing our utmost to make sure our live set can hold its own with theirs."
The ultimate dream? Following in the footsteps of their pop-punk idols. "A lot of our idols get Mark Hoppus featuring on a track, so if he wanted to offer us a vocal feature, I guess that’s when we’d know we’ve made it!"
The immediate focus is their explosive new single 'Tidal Waves', which is engineered to be a massive summer soundtrack.
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What can fans expect? "‘Everything they wanted’… well, a lot of riffs and catchy hooks! We aimed this one straight down the sing-along bracket. This is our anthem for the summer, so we wanted to make it as much of an earworm as we could!"
With validation coming in from major industry corners, the band is more driven than ever to shatter the glass ceiling between the indie underground and the mainstream.
"Having conversations with the kind of industry personnel that we’ve been lucky enough to get opportunities from recently just makes us want to push even harder," they reflect. "Getting recognition from the musical avenues that we’ve all strived for, for so long, is such a morale boost. It makes the ‘unreachable’ feel more reachable."
"We want to break boundaries in terms of exposure and gig much more widely. We’re about to drop more material than ever before, so after this mad summer, we're right back at it and heading straight back to the studio."
With a relentless work ethic, industry heads turning, and a summer schedule that promises to leave a mark, THE HERETICS are no longer just chasing the dream—they’re rewriting the script. "Tidal Waves" is the match that lights the fuse, but it’s clear these Cambridge boys are sitting on a powder keg of new material. They came to break the mould, and if their current trajectory is anything to go by, the mainstream won't know what hit it. Keep your eyes on their socials, get "Tidal Waves" on repeat, and catch them live before you're forced to watch them from the back of an arena.