Heavens Heathens

Heavens Heathens Bio:

The roots of the Heaven’s Heathens were formed in 1993 when guitarist Manuel Sanchez and vocalist Dharshika Ariyadasa met whilst at sixth form college. An instinctive dislike of hard work and, more importantly, a deep and somewhat obsessive love of music led to the two forming what can only be described as a lifelong friendship. From the core of this friendship, along with the desire to explore their creative spirit, came the fledgling ideas for a band.

The true spirit of the band came down to one core dictum, that they would never 'sell out'. Unlike many other bands they were determined not go down the “covers band” route. Fuelled by teenage angst and testosterone the first incarnation of the band was in the form of a heavy metal project. Although this failed to get off the ground it formed the band's original roots. A deeper desire to explore, and a love of folk, blues and rock lead the guys to rebuild the band. Despite everything Manuel and Dharshika remained great friends and was determined to keep the dream alive. It was during this period that they learned the true nature of songwriting, jamming whenever possible, spending hours recording new ideas.

In 1996, they both went off to different universities in London. Although this could easily have been the end of the band, their passion for music drove them to make time to get together and write. During this period the duo wrote countless songs, with each song strengthening their instinctive songwriting partnership and incorporating their new passion for blues, jazz and folk music, all the while not forgetting their heavy rock roots. Realising that they were onto something special with their newly found power-driven acoustic sound, in 1997 they decided to start the band again, this time as the Heaven's Heathens.

The initial sound of the band was regarded as acoustic folk/rock, keeping true to their roots and showing a great display of powerful, emotive, melodic elements in their songs. There would be many line-ups through the next couple of years, at one point even boasting two percussionists, but being unable to keep consistency in the people that joined the band meant that there would be long gaps between gigs.

After various attempts at putting together the "perfect" line up, Manuel and Dharshika decided that it was time to get out there and start playing the proper venues and to build on the band's fledgling fan base. So in 2004, Heaven's Heathens took to the stage, playing a series of powerful and memorable gigs that reached as many a new fan. Eschewing early ideas of employing percussionists, the band decided to focus instead on the raw heavier sound that was naturally starting to shine through, all the while remaining faithful to the natural rawness and clarity of the acoustic guitar, and the, by now, distinctively plaintive and powerful vocal style. This was the beginning of the new Heaven's Heathens; the acoustic rock band.

It was in the same year that, after the huge response from the first few gigs, Manuel and Dharshika decided to record and finance the band's first 6-track EP 'In the Morning Light' (see website for details).

The line up went through many changes from one gig to the next, with the band trying to find the perfect mix. With long time friend Nigel Hine joining the band on second guitar, James Sinclair-Smith joined soon after on bass. The final missing link came in the form of drummer Declan Connolly, whose passion for music and natural talent made him a crucial part of the team.

Within days, the new line up developed a solid musical bond and a strong friendship. Realising the potential of this natural unity, they set out to fulfil their true potential.

The Heaven's Heathens continue wooing audiences with their unique powerful melodic sound.

And so the story continues...