#freshfind: Autoheart talks first ever sold out US tour and Stalker’s Tango
We had the chance to chat with Autoheart as they get ready for their first tour in the US (and it's sold out, we should add). We also talked about the ten-year anniversary of "Punch" and new music.
Tour Dates:
03/15 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
03/17 – Berkeley, CA @ Cornerstone
03/18 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
03/19 – Mesa, AZ @ The Nile Theatre
03/21 – Denver, CO @ Meow Wolf
03/23 – Ft. Worth, TX @ Tulips
03/25 – Atlanta, GA @ The Loft
03/27 – New York, NY @ Racket
03/28 – Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar
03/29 – Detroit, MI @ The Loving Touch
03/30 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
On the heels of their long-awaited, debut U.S. tour, UK-based alt-pop three-piece Autoheart have announced the Punch Demos, out March 15 - an 18 song collection of alternate takes from their acclaimed debut Punch, along with songs written around the same time, some of which have never been released before, including today’s single, “Secret Diary.”
The release of the Punch Demos coincides with the kick off of the Love Me Love Me Love Me Tour that night in Seattle. The 11-date run is now entirely sold out, but new, larger venues have been announced in both Phoenix and Atlanta [all dates below].
Since the release of Punch in 2013, Autohaert amassed a devoted fan base who identify with the band’s combination of melancholy, unbridled joy and honesty about the human condition in Jody’s unflinching lyrics.
100% DIY, releasing via their own O/R Records, Jody Gadsden (vocals, guitar), Simon Neilson (piano, synths and saxophone), and Barney JC (guitar, bass, synths) have garnered over 3 million monthly Spotify streams (150+ million all-time), 800,000+ monthly Spotify listeners, 100k+ Spotify followers, and over 5 million monthly YouTube views, largely thanks to the band’s track “Stalker’s Tango” becoming an obsession of the anime/cosplay community, and then a viral chart hit thru TikTok.
Their pick-and-mix approach to genres makes Autoheart tough to categorize – it’s indie guitar bops meets piano ballads, low-fi disco bangers meets sad yet epic electronic soundscapes. Their uncompromising approach is shot through with a strong LGBTQIA-positive message.
As part of the London queer community they have collaborated with gender non-confirming activist Rain Dove - who starred in their “Oxford Blood” video - director and Dazed-prize winner Joseph Wilson is a long-time co-conspirator, who cast ‘Ru Paul’s Drag Race’ star Black Peppa in their “I Know That He Loves Me” video, and female drag artists Fancy Shews!, who played an Anna Nicole Smith-inspired alien in their “Juggernaut” video.
“Stalker’s Tango,” which is featured on the band’s recently reissued Punch, rocketed to the Top 50 Spotify Global Viral chart thanks to over 22 million views on TikTok, peaking at #26 on the U.S. viral chart; #28 in Canada; #9 peak in Russia and Ukraine, and #top 100 viral chart peaks in Poland, Estonia, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania and Romania. The track now has nearly 60 million streams on Spotify alone.
Discussing their long-awaited arrival to America, the band stated, “Coming to the U.S. to share our music and message has been a dream of ours for what feels like forever. It’s something we never thought would happen, to be honest, because for years we believed no one was listening to us, and that we didn’t fit in anywhere. But we did find a community online across the states who totally get what we do and why we do it.
We’ve had so many emails and messages over the years asking if we’ll ever tour. It’s difficult for a 100 per cent DIY band to achieve something like that but we’re doing it. And it’ll be the best thing ever to be able to look our fans in the eyes and say thank you.”
