The Heavy (band)
English rock band known for 'How You Like Me Now?'
The Heavy is an English rock band formed in Bath, Somerset, England, in 2007. They have released six albums and numerous singles, with their 2009 single 'How You Like Me Now?' becoming their most widely recognized hit. The band's music has been extensively used in film, television, and video games.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- Bath, Somerset, England
- Genre
- Indie rock
- alternative rock
- funk rock
- garage rock revival
- blues rock
- Years active
- 2007–present
- Label
- Bad Son
- Counter
- BMG
- Current members
- Kelvin Swaby
- Daniel Taylor
- Spencer Page
- Chris Ellul
Facts from the source article.
History
The band formed in 2007 after Kelvin Swaby and Dan Taylor became friends in 1998 over a shared interest in vintage R&B music and Jim Jarmusch films. The original lineup included Swaby, Taylor, Spencer Page, Chris Ellul, and Amanda McWhirter. Two singles were released in the latter half of 2007, the first being 'That Kind of Man' on Don't Touch Recordings, mixed by Corin Dingley. Dingley, the original drummer and co-producer of the debut album, was later discovered by Ninja Tune, which signed Swaby, Taylor, and Dingley.
The debut album 'Great Vengeance and Furious Fire' came out on 17 September 2007 in the UK and 8 April 2008 in the US. In 2008, the band was named Spin's artist of the day and appeared on the Rolling Stone Hot List. They performed at the 2008 South by Southwest festival and received a Best Discovery award from Spin. Their second album 'The House That Dirt Built' was released on 2 October 2009 by Counter Records.
The third album 'The Glorious Dead' followed on 21 August 2012 via Counter Records and Ninja Tune, supported by a US tour sponsored by Miller Lite and European dates. The fourth album 'Hurt & the Merciless' was released on 1 April 2016, with tours of Europe and the US including festivals such as Coachella, SXSW, and Fuji Rock.
In media
'How You Like Me Now?' was played at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago on election night 2012 after Ohio's electoral votes secured Barack Obama's re-election. The band performed the song on the Late Show with David Letterman on 18 January 2010, the only time Letterman asked a musical act for an encore. The track was used in the opening montage of Hockey Night in Canada's broadcast of game six of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final, and appeared in the video games Forza Horizon 2 and Knack.
'That Kind of Man' featured in the Californication episode 'Filthy Lucre' and the trailer for Parker, while 'Coleen' appeared in FIFA 09. 'How You Like Me Now?' and other tracks were included in Driver: San Francisco. Several songs from the band were used in the TV series Suits: 'That Kind of Man' in 'Play the Man', 'What Makes a Good Man?' in a season 2 promo, 'Can't Play Dead' in 'Zane vs. Zane', and 'Short Change Hero' in 'War'. 'Short Change Hero' has been used in the film Faster, television shows including The Outlaws, The Vampire Diaries, The Listener, Suits, The Umbrella Academy, Brassic, and Killjoys, the virtual reality game Pistol Whip, the ITV documentary Best of Enemies, the trailer for Batman: Arkham City, and promos for Haven and Longmire.
It became the theme for Strike Back from season two onward. The band's music appears frequently in the Borderlands series: 'Short Change Hero' opens Borderlands 2, 'How You Like Me Now?' plays in its credits, an instrumental jazz version of 'Short Change Hero' appears in Poker Night 2, 'What Makes a Good Man?' is used in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel credits, and the band recorded 'Put It On The Line' as the theme for Borderlands 3.
Frequently Asked Questions
What genre of music does The Heavy (band) play?
The Heavy's music is classified as Indie rock, alternative rock, funk rock, garage rock revival and blues rock.
Which record labels has The Heavy (band) released music on?
The Heavy has released music on Bad Son, Counter and BMG.
Who are the current members of The Heavy (band)?
The current members of The Heavy are listed as Kelvin Swaby, Daniel Taylor, Spencer Page and Chris Ellul.
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