The Smoking Hearts | en

“This is head banging, beer-spitting, ear-bleeding Rock ‘N’ Roll at its loudest and proudest... Boasting enough power to raise the dead” - Kerrang!

"Equally known for destroying venues as they are for their balls-to-the-wall take on punk rock." - Noisecreep/AOL Music

“Their incendiary songs and live energy is pure perspiration soaked entertainment to the max. These boys deserve your attention and deserve to be huge.” Big Cheese

“What more could you ask for?” - Rocksound

Graceful is definitely not a word to describe THE SMOKING HEARTS. Live shows have seen guitars smashed and drum kits sprawled across stages and it is not uncommon to find half the band playing in the crowd while singer Ben Mills is in the back of the venue, on the bar, or hanging from the rafters, all the while coercing the crowd into joining the party. Playing with the likes of Bring Me The Horizon, The Used, Gallows, Andrew WK, THE SMOKING HEARTS have cemented their reputation as one of the most exciting young bands from the U.K.

Formed in 2007 by friends Nobba Green, Simon Barker, and Calvin Roffey and intended to be their ideal mix of Rock ‘N’ Roll and Punk Rock, THE SMOKING HEARTS were quikly joined by drummer Matty Taylor and singer Rodd Lethal, who they knew from other local area bands.

After releasing their debut album Pride of Nowhere to rave reviews from the British music press, THE SMOKING HEARTS hit the road on their first national tour to support the release, wreaking havoc throughout the U.K. and Europe. It was soon after that vocalist Rodd inexplicably quit the band (via a text message), presumably leaving the band high and dry.

But THE SMOKING HEARTS are survivors, fighters to the very last and it was going to take more than that to stop a band who doesn’t know the meaning of the word quit. Instead, armed with a handful of demos recorded in Matty’s bedroom, THE SMOKING HEARTS decided to search for a new singer. “It was more through stubbornness than anything” says bassist Calvin. “I sat on the sofa at home with Simon and listened to the demos we had, and knew that we had to make another record.”

Word soon got out, and before audition requests could even be answered, a man by the name of Ben Mills (formerly of Essex hardcore band The Takeover) had emerged as favourite for the job. His credentials for the job were only strengthened when, on his first meeting with the four remaining members of THE SMOKING HEARTS, he drunkenly stumbled backwards in to a baby’s pushchair. Thankfully the pushchair was empty. They hit it off instantly and spent the next three days together (writing songs in varying states of excess). For better or worse, Ben Mills was now officially a member of THE SMOKING HEARTS.

Now, with the release of their new album, Victory!, THE SMOKING HEARTS are getting ready to show the world the result of those writing sessions. Once again proving that their unique blend of high-energy Rock ‘N’ Roll has the dexterity to resonate with Punk, Metal, and Hardcore crowds alike.

Recorded with Dan Weller and Justin Hill (Sikth, Enter Shikari, Young Guns), and recorded over a period of four weeks in Fortress Studios, London, Victory! is an aptly titled record. “They’re songs we didn’t think would ever be heard” says guitarist Simon Barker. “To have recorded them and be releasing them feels like we’ve cheated death”.

Clocking in at just over the half an hour mark, Victory! is a celebration. Featuring guest backing vocals from over 40 of the band’s friends, Victory! is a party of an album, the soundtrack to every good night out. And with it, THE SMOKING HEARTS intend on celebrating their victory worldwide. .