Artist Spotlight is a segment that we started to introduce our listeners to some deserving up and coming artists/bands that have made an impact on us for all of the right reasons.  We think they kick ass and we hope you do too! Today, we’d like to introduce you to UK alt-rockers False Hearts. 

False Hearts manifest a melodic but hard-hitting sound which has captured the attention of music fans across the country.   

Comprising of vocalist/guitarist Emma Hodgson, lead guitarist Ali Westwood, drummer Adi Bowes and bassist Phil Benton, False Hearts create their distinctive brand of modern rock inspired by bands such as Halestorm, Shinedown and The Pretty Reckless.

Forming in Cambridgeshire in 2016, False Hearts have secured a place in the NMG Hall of Fame and a movie credit with their single “Cynical Love” on the soundtrack of Strangers 2: Prey at Night (sequel to Universal Pictures’ 2007 horror movie ‘The Strangers’). The single came from the band’s 2018 EP Dirty Little Soul, which reached no.27 on the iTunes Rock Chart and received wide acclaim from False Hearts’ ever-growing national fanbase. 

This burgeoning reputation has led to the band frequently appearing on prominent radio stations such as Planet Rock and BBC Introducing as well as featuring in festivals up and down the country.

The coming year will see the band embark on a number of dates across the UK, including festivals such as Crazy Cowboy Festival 5, Cambridge Rock Festival and Hard Rock Hell XIV 2020 along with the much anticipated release of their latest EP Remedy. 

Here’s a fun little Q&A sessions that we recently did with the band!

All superheroes and villains have an origin and a band is no different, minus the secret government experiments and radioactive spiders.  What’s the origin of False Hearts?

Emma Hodgson/False Hearts: Our first gig was three weeks after we actually got a full line up together! It was at a small village festival called Ledgefest in 2016, we filled the slot that was reserved for Emma and Adi’s old band which split so we had a mass panic of songwriting and rehearsals before we played – I think it went well! 

What’s in a band’s name? It can be a cool story or sometimes just a random name picked. What about False Hearts?

Finding names for the band was really difficult as everything we came up with was super cheesy or cliché. I went to the library (there’s a first time for everything) and came across a book called ‘False Hearts’ and we all liked it!

Some artists know exactly when they knew music was their path. For some, it was when they saw The Beatles on Ed Sullivan or heard a classic album that really moved them.  Do you remember when you were bitten by the music bug?

When I started to see more women in rock it inspired me come forward and do the same, also so many people around me were making music and doing well for themselves I knew I needed to give it a try! A band that inspired me the most was Halestorm.

We’ve lost quite a few music icons over the last few years. If you could bring back any artist to sit down and chat with, who would it be? I know it’s tough to name just one, so feel free to do two or three.

Chester Bennington, Prince, Chris Cornell – all phenomenal musicians and it was a great loss.

What was the best or worst Christmas gift that you ever received?

We all had a chat and I think the best Christmas gift comes from guitarist Ali. A Billie Joe Armstrong Gibson Les Paul Junior. As for the worst we will go with our Bass player Phil answer for this. A car depth tire measuring device. 

By I’m Music Magazine Owner/Editor Johnny Price