Everyday Heroes

At a time when the most celebrated word on the planet relates to taking a photo of one's own face, it's nice to see a band looking outwards rather than focusing inwards, especially a group so young. Almost two years on from their debut record Divination, a surprise success that found its way into the ARIA top 30, Byron Bay metalcore gang In Hearts Wake have returned to the soil with a far more organic hit of heavy – Earthwalker.

“It's evolving,” vocalist Jake Taylor says of the band's music. “I'm not sure if these songs feel faster or [more] energetic, but there's a lot more going on. The light and dark has even more of its ups and downs it feels like, but it's gelling really well. Getting our head around all new material though is challenging, it's good, and it's fun to be getting to play the new stuff.”

Going against the grain of an apathetic era where too many people simply don't give a shit, In Hearts Wake are using their position to creatively raise awareness on environmental issues that we face in our backyard, and all around the globe. But while Taylor is singing about logging, mining and our own modern behavioural patterns reacting to such industry – or “being hippies” as one intellectual giant on Facebook put it – the music surrounding his words remains punishing and crisp.

As much as the lyrics and sounds are individually powerful though, the two elements of the band are only able to hit so hard because of their co-dependence and ability to feed off each other. The five friends live close to one another in Byron so communication throughout the creation of Earthwalker was constant. But rather than hand his lyric sheet to guitarist Ben Nairne – who took the lead writing the music – Taylor instead would share the vibe he envisaged for a song. This left interpretation open for Nairne and the rest of the band – Eaven Dall (guitar), Kyle Erich (bass) and Caleb Burton (drums). “It's like a writing a script to a movie, and then the soundtrack comes after,” Taylor reasons, “but you always have to go back and forth.

The band then decamped to Michigan once more to work with 'Metal Josh' Schroeder, who also produced Divination. Here the unique messages of each song were woven seamlessly into one standout body of work. “It was just all about nailing the performances and bringing that epicness to life,” Taylor recalls. “And it has a lot more feel, this CD; there was a lot of extra emotion and energy [when recording], attitude when it was needed, but then [also] held off. It was such a big concept we were writing for – diversity is a big one – and it's not always easy.”

Earthwalker makes the band's message crystal-clear – if we carry on remaining passive and keep allowing terrible decisions to be made by governments, things are quickly going to head south. We need unity between ourselves, and the land we walk on. However, Taylor says when the band started working on this second full-length there was no modus operandi, no 'what we need to do' or 'what we should do'. This album was simply a natural extension of the band members as people – in musical and thematic form.

“I definitely felt a responsibility,” the frontman admits. “At the end of the day, why am I doing this? Why are we doing all of this? Why are we sacrificing relationships, our financial situation, not doing all these things that our friends are doing like travelling the world? And I really realised [that] nothing's changed – I've always been doing this for the message, and being a part of what I think is the bigger picture. And this was really, not taking a side, but really speaking out about it rather than being a person on the sideline.

“After travelling and seeing a lot of the world with my family and band, I've grown to appreciate how lucky we are as Australians,” Taylor continues. “With that being said, I don't want to see it turned to crap, and I feel that in the state of politics and just the way our economic structure is really heading, it's worse than it's ever been. That's not saying that our dollar is bad, but if the government feels that we need to get our dollar stronger, boost our economy, they're willing to turn back on every word; we're talking hundreds of hectares here that they just want to give away because there's 'too much forest that's been locked up'.

“I feel that this is the turning point [to make a difference]. Just outside where we live in Byron Bay there's a huge blockade in Bentley; people, protestors have been camping out there every night, and every morning the police show up trying to get through with all the bulldozers and fracking trucks, and the people are making a stand. It's on our doorstep, all of this, and I don't want to be 50 and say I didn't try. I definitely want our kids to inherit this beautiful country that we so love now.”

Growing up in Byron Bay and being immersed in the Northern Rivers area – easily one of the most stunning regions of our country – In Hearts Wake didn't find it hard to get inspired about their mission of change, one which has seen them partner up with carbon solutions provider Carbon Neutral and plant biodiverse native trees tying in with ticket and album presales.

“Loving these beaches, loving these waterfalls, loving everything this place has to offer – that's where that importance comes from,” Taylor says. “What makes me happy is going to those places – it really changes my whole day. Even when I think it might not, and I'm just in a mood or whatever, it will seriously just transform everything. If people don't have that catalyst to do that in their lives, then that's an unfortunate thing.”

Baring their beliefs so honestly and passionately has unsurprisingly led to keyboard warriors having a dig at In Hearts Wake online. But Earthwalker succeeds in informing without preaching, a fine line that the band walk with ease. “It's more just an appreciation for what we don't want to lose – that's the biggest message,” Taylor explains.

“I think for the most part people are on board with it because at the end of the day it is a part of the bigger picture, and any neglect to see that to me is ignorance, not about our music, but to see it's for the good. There are people that will be confronted by it because they like that Hollywood buffer where everything is good. People like to feel good, they like to be happy, and they don't want to understand and be shown what's really happening because it makes them feel uncomfortable. But it's necessary, it really is.”

Did In Hearts Wake question what they were about, not only as musicians but as people? Of course they did, we all do. And there have been plenty of times in the past few years where the band asked if what they were doing was worth it – the financial pressures and social anxiety related to FOMO, an all too real occurrence in a digital age when everyone is putting their best foot forward on the internet. But now, with music as their bonding solution, they are helping to inspire a new generation of socially conscious individuals.

“There's definitely that doubt, as there is with any creative outlet, it comes into your mind – 'Am I doing what I need to be doing?'” concedes Taylor. “And I guess now with a lot more people really responding to the message and being a part of the Earthwalker movement, it does really feel like we're doing the right thing. Y'know, planting trees, it may be a corny thing to some, but what a tree represents to me is life, it changes the weather, it can provide food for families; like, the 'tree of life' in many religions is such a symbolic thing, and the earth, I think it's powerful.”