THE HEARTLAND COLLECTIVE ‘My Deepest Darkest Friend’
THE HEARTLAND COLLECTIVE’s engulfing new single, My Deepest Darkest Friend, takes cues from the dynamic vibes of Royal Blood and NIN, fused with Johnny Cash. The track is a powerful statement and is backed by a visually alluring video. Watch the video below.
THE HEARTLAND COLLECTIVE is a captivating solo project brought to you by British songwriter, Mick Johnson, a musician and producer with a wealth of experience and adventure within the music scene. Although Mick hails from North East England, THE HEARTLAND COLLECTIVE is an endeavour that celebrates the art of collaboration, and embraces the craft and energy of creative allies from around the globe to create a sound multifarious in flavour and breath. Mick Johnson states: “Each one of my songs has its own sonic identity and I’m not afraid to play with genres and embrace whatever just feels right”.
Formed in 2018, Mick recorded and released his magnetising debut single, I Just Don’t Know – https://open.spotify.com/album/1Rmi6JUWbQkEVAqfC3koa5 , at the start of 2019. The track’s infectious groove and garage punk and rock ‘n’ roll vibes soon lit up airwaves across twenty countries, and earned a spot on the legendary Rodney Bingheimer‘s Show, The Underground Garage, on SiriusXm. Thanks to the head of steam picked up by their first single, THE HEARTLAND COLLECTIVE surged forward with the release of a new single, My Deepest Darkest Friend, which is a slice of mesmerising goth alt-rock, and features Mike Stockley on guest vocals. Staying true to The Heartland Collective’s global ethos, the drums were recorded in Newcastle, the guitars recorded in Quito, Ecuador, backing vocals done in Canada, and the track was mixed in Chicago, USA.
Mick Johnson elaborates about the influence behind the song: “We all need a friend sometimes, no matter how deep and dark they may be. ‘My Deepest Darkest Friend’, is a gothic/post punk opera, in the spirit of Sisters of Mercy, Depeche Mode and Royal Blood. The single is a brutal and beautiful tale about the ever-present battle of good and evil within all of us. The track inspired me to create the character ‘VEX RYAN’, an angelic antihero with one foot in heaven and one foot firmly in hell! The music video hopefully introduces and explores Vex’s complex personality. Vex Ryan will also be the persona that will feature as part of a larger concept for the next couple of singles”.
With further singles and expansive music videos on the way. THE HEARTLAND COLLECTIVE’s reach will only grow and grow.