The Heavy are a soul-influenced indie rock band which formed in Bath, Engla… Read Full Bio ↴The Heavy are a soul-influenced indie rock band which formed in Bath, England in 2007. The band consists of Kelvin Swaby (vocals), Dan Taylor (guitar), Spencer Page (bass), Chris Ellul (drums) and formerly, Hannah Collins (keyboards). According to Songfacts, when The Heavy performed How Do You Like Me Now? on Late Night With David Letterman, they so impressed the host that he asked the band to play some more - the first time that's ever happened on the show.
The band claims to be from the village of Noid, England, near Bath. However, no such town exists in England. "Noid" has been suspected of being a pun on the "No ID, No Sale" campaign in pubs in the UK.
Forming in the fertile swamps of England’s West Country in the mid-naughties, around the axis of Dan Taylor (guitarist and songwriter) and Kelvin Swaby (vocalist and songwriter,) the Heavy immediately astounded. Jaw dropping, freshly minted riffs, swinging hip-hop drums, funk-ridden bass and Swaby’s startling, Mayfield-esque vocals meant early singles ‘That Kind of Man’ and ‘Colleen’ blew minds and won hearts. The debut album they were taken from – ‘Great Vengeance and Furious Fire’ – became an instant connoisseurs’ classic.
It was their sophomore album, though, that saw them blasting into homes across the globe. ‘The House that Dirt Built’. It also yielded the mighty ‘How You Like Me Now?’ The single was licensed for a major commercial in the 3rd Quarter of the Superbowl (the biggest ad slot in the world) and quite simply went stratospheric.
“It became such a big tune, that people asked, ‘How are you going to top that?’.” Swaby says.
The answer was 2012’s ‘The Glorious Dead,’ the band’s third album. Even deeper, a touch darker, and with shades of Southern Gothic infesting the swampy rock n’ soul of previous records, the album was another giant step forward, Frankensteining swampy voodoo and b-movie zombies with garage rock and Gospel-soaked soul.
Lead single ‘What Makes a Good Man?’ showed that The Heavy were able to write brilliant singles time after time, with synchs snowing in once again, and American radio coming on board. The band toured the world exhaustively, wowing audiences with their transcendental live performances.
“It was over the top, in a good way,” adds Heavy frontman Kelvin Swaby. “We went pretty cinematic, setting out to score a film that hasn’t been written.”
“It’s good to have a bit of light and shade,” Taylor adds.
Since then, The Heavy has gone on to achieve storming success in Japan, playing Fuji Rock, chalking up a #1 alternative album on iTunes Japan, scoring a major Pepsi synch and playing Japan’s biggest breakfast TV show, ‘Sukkiri.’
Their music was used in the stunning Guiness Sapeurs ad, they played Glastonbury, sold out Shepherd’s Bush Empire and re-recorded How You Like Me Now? with none other than 50 Cent, to launch ESPN’s coverage of the NFL Draft Week.
To top it all, How You Like Me Now? reached Gold status in the United States – a stunning achievement for an English, independent artist. How to top all that, you might ask? Well, there’s a new album on the way, and The Heavy just happen to have a habit of exceeding themselves…
The band claims to be from the village of Noid, England, near Bath. However, no such town exists in England. "Noid" has been suspected of being a pun on the "No ID, No Sale" campaign in pubs in the UK.
Forming in the fertile swamps of England’s West Country in the mid-naughties, around the axis of Dan Taylor (guitarist and songwriter) and Kelvin Swaby (vocalist and songwriter,) the Heavy immediately astounded. Jaw dropping, freshly minted riffs, swinging hip-hop drums, funk-ridden bass and Swaby’s startling, Mayfield-esque vocals meant early singles ‘That Kind of Man’ and ‘Colleen’ blew minds and won hearts. The debut album they were taken from – ‘Great Vengeance and Furious Fire’ – became an instant connoisseurs’ classic.
It was their sophomore album, though, that saw them blasting into homes across the globe. ‘The House that Dirt Built’. It also yielded the mighty ‘How You Like Me Now?’ The single was licensed for a major commercial in the 3rd Quarter of the Superbowl (the biggest ad slot in the world) and quite simply went stratospheric.
“It became such a big tune, that people asked, ‘How are you going to top that?’.” Swaby says.
The answer was 2012’s ‘The Glorious Dead,’ the band’s third album. Even deeper, a touch darker, and with shades of Southern Gothic infesting the swampy rock n’ soul of previous records, the album was another giant step forward, Frankensteining swampy voodoo and b-movie zombies with garage rock and Gospel-soaked soul.
Lead single ‘What Makes a Good Man?’ showed that The Heavy were able to write brilliant singles time after time, with synchs snowing in once again, and American radio coming on board. The band toured the world exhaustively, wowing audiences with their transcendental live performances.
“It was over the top, in a good way,” adds Heavy frontman Kelvin Swaby. “We went pretty cinematic, setting out to score a film that hasn’t been written.”
“It’s good to have a bit of light and shade,” Taylor adds.
Since then, The Heavy has gone on to achieve storming success in Japan, playing Fuji Rock, chalking up a #1 alternative album on iTunes Japan, scoring a major Pepsi synch and playing Japan’s biggest breakfast TV show, ‘Sukkiri.’
Their music was used in the stunning Guiness Sapeurs ad, they played Glastonbury, sold out Shepherd’s Bush Empire and re-recorded How You Like Me Now? with none other than 50 Cent, to launch ESPN’s coverage of the NFL Draft Week.
To top it all, How You Like Me Now? reached Gold status in the United States – a stunning achievement for an English, independent artist. How to top all that, you might ask? Well, there’s a new album on the way, and The Heavy just happen to have a habit of exceeding themselves…
Coleen feat. The Dap-Kings Horns
The Heavy Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by The Heavy:
A Ghost You Can't Forget Don't be mean to me in my lifetime 'Cause I'm the…
And When I Die I'm not scared of dying and I don't really care If…
Be Mine Take all my money Take all my time Take all the stars…
Big Bad Wolf Stop and save your voice girl You're the only one that…
Blood Dirt Love Stop A broken dream On a washed up pride Got my memories Sting…
Brukpocket's Lament I tried to love her Best that I could I tried to…
BrukPocket’s Lament I tried to love her Best that I could I tried to…
Can't Play Dead Well, hell she walk like a zombie Talk too cold Live in…
Cause For Alarm You must listen to this story Pay attention to this tale For…
Colleen She want everything She want the Gucci and the Louis things…
Curse Me Good Maybe you will qualify And maybe you won't Maybe you can mul…
Dignity She's trying to tell this kid about herself She ain't dissi…
Doing Fine Now you got no one to run to You bang upon…
Don't Say Nothing You keep talking that same, same song But love lost Make i…
Girl Girl I see you walking past my home I see you talking…
Goodbye Baby By time we left our stares Damage was done No sweet forgiven…
Heavy for You You broke my heart cause you won't Slide for me You can't…
How Do You Like Me Now Now there was a time, When you loved me so. I couldn't…
How Do You Like Me Now? Now there was a time When you loved me so I couldn't…
How You Like Me Now Now there was a time, When you loved me so. I couldn't…
In The Morning Now when you take me in the morning In your eyes…
In Time You lift me up Like I'm firefly And made me come To almost…
In Your Hands Take another turn in time Make another curve inside Break an…
Intro Nigga it's half time It ain't nap time Awwww You get baptize…
Just My Luck It's just my luck She don't give a fuck She got that…
Last Confession Forgive me father for the things that I've done The truth,…
Long Way From Home Got my mind like the Pope got God I got the…
Love Like That I put my back into it I put a hole right…
Mean Ol' Man It's like you're telling me things that I already know You…
Miss California She is a lunatic She'll wreck your body and she'll break…
No Time Where, oh, where is the girl that I found? She was…
No Time (Extra Time Mix) I can't see where you comin' from But I know just…
Nobody's Hero Built it up knock it down Wear your love like a…
Not The One I took a leave of my senses I walked the long…
Oh No Now there was a time When you loved me so I couldn't…
Panic Attack! All wound up On the edge Terrified Sleep disturbed Restless…
Put It on the Line Think like a solider out on your own Think like a…
Same Ol I believe If a man could fly I'd be just like a…
Same Ol' I believe If a man could fly I'd be just like a…
Set Me Free You made a man out of me But you're not satisfied You…
Short Change Hero I can't see where you comin' from But I know just…
Since You Been Gone Well, I can see what it is I can see what's…
Sixteen I saw her dancing with the devil And he was wearing…
Slave To Your Love Pay no mind, what you looking for? I'm a breath away…
Stuck Stop living this life, so cautiously Because the fear of wha…
That Kind Of Man Heartless, heartless; I got something on my mind And you ke…
The Apology Take it back like you know I want you to I'm…
The Big Bad Wolf Stop and save your voice girl You're the only one that…
The House That Dirt Built If you value your sanity, don't go in the house If…
The Lonesome Road When it's cold as a lizard's heart When it's cold as…
Turn Up Turn (up) And make it something to believe in You know you…
What Happened To The Love We had that thang that everybody want Good times with a…
What Makes a Good Man Ain't nothin' wrong with this chemistry Ain't nothin' wrong …
What You Want Me To Do There was a frost when you left this morning But there'll…
Who Needs The Sunshine They wanna make me pay For mistakes that I have made But…
Who Needs The Sunshine? Got goose-flesh Got butterflies Got a temperature you're g…
You Don't Know This one definitely goes out on a censorship tip So everybod…
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