Unsigned Spotlight: Heedless Elegance
Considered one of the leading emerging heavy bands in their nation, Heedless Elegance have also picked up recognition overseas,
Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
- Daniel Varga : Guitar
- Zsolt Forgó : Guitar
- Mátyás Erős : Bass
- Albert Csobán : Drums
- Samuel Konter : Vocals
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Heedless Elegance? How long has the band been around?
We always say the band is officially out from 2018, because our first material was released that time and also our first live show was arranged. But we started with Zsolt around 2016, but those years mostly were about finding members. We knew what we want to do, just needed the right persons for it, and it is very difficult to find it in Hungary, especially drummers.
To be honest, the search ended in 2020 when this line up of the band was created. With Zsolt and with the previous guitarist we were playing together in a band called Hangovers, it was kind of a skate-punk band, or something like that, I used to be a drummer that time. Also we had a band before called The Forgotten Rock, we were 16-17 years old, we played Metallica, Judas Priest etc. covers, it was you know the high school get drunk and I’m young area, that was the first time I ever played on a real drum, started to get real connection with the music.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
After high school the band called Hangovers broke up, I went to London for a year and when I came back a lot of things changed in me. I started to play on the guitars, started to write songs what I never did before, and with Zsolt, we felt we have an obligation to ourselves to try this “making a band” thing one last time, but this time seriously. Also I had desire before as well to be a vocalist, I did it beside the drums in the concerts, but this time I said I want to be full time.
We were on a festival laying down on the beach and we said to each other: let’s do this. Around that time, we always told on everything if someone said “how you gonna make this?”, “how is it possible?” that: with heedless elegance. And we thought it will be the perfect name and started to create our universe and image around it through this day.
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?
With the album “Libra” and the new line up in the band we started to write songs together. Before that it was only me and Zsolt who wrote the songs. We can say with “Libra”, a new era started in the bands life. We created our own universe where the story of our main character happens, and it will continue through the upcoming materials on a different way. We put a lot of attention on the storytelling, the concept of the album, songs, the order of them, the artworks, they all connected.
There are several ways you can listen to them, think about them, it is up to the audience how to comprehend the way. Also you can find a lot of hidden messages, “easter eggs” in the songs if you pay attention. Basically each album is a “life with a task”, but it is a bit more complex than that.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
From my side It’s always gonna be System of a Down, Slipknot, Devin Townsend and Twenty One Pilots. These are my all-time inspirations.
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
For me to start a band no. To start playing instruments yes, I was watching videos of Yellowcard and it made me fell in love with drums, I was hitting pillows and anything what I could find to copy it when I was a kid. I always loved music and was close to my heart, I started to play on the pianos when I was 5 or 6, but I never imagined to be in a band to be honest, it just came to my life, especially to be a singer.
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc …
I usually try to rest as much as I can before the show starts. About an hour before the gig I start to change and do some exercises, stretch a bit. Making myself mentally and physically ready to go out.
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
I would say our headlining show on the festival called “Rock in Iasi” in Romania, the self-organized full EU tour in 2022 and our album release show in one of the major clubs in Budapest called Akvárium in 2021, which we have a full concert film about on YouTube.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
Okey, for me the dream would be those I mentioned in the previous question of course, but to mention something here as well I would say it would be amazing to tour with Parkway Drive or Bring Me The Horizon. These bands are always evolving from underground clubs to stadiums, it is very inspiring how you can develop yourself to break the boundaries of genres and just make interesting music to bigger and bigger audiences and focus on the live shows creative visions and how to make it bigger and better. It is a way we are focusing to be on.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
In 2023 we will release our new album and the first single will drop in the middle of April. We hope this album will show the audience something different from the millions of bands out there. Fortunately, we were able to work with a lot of amazing well-known artist around the world to cooperate on the album from featuring to the artwork itself, so a lot of interesting news will be dropped soon, stay tuned. Thank you for the questions.!