Photo at Hello Village taken by Fusillo
Playing heavy music is like tapping into a raw, unfiltered version of yourself.
It’s not just about the speed, aggression, or volume—it’s the pure release of everything that is trapped (or perceived as trapped.) There’s freedom in it; every note is a punch, every movement is an exhalation, and everyone moves with the same rhythm and heartbeat.
It can be exhausting and tiring, and quite frankly, a lot of work, energy, and money is spent to continue an artform that feels lost. People are looking for the calm precision of electronic dance music or the capability of alt-country.
Music video Directed and Produced by John M. Jenkins as part of the full-length Album "Where Did We Go Wrong?" by Berthold City. Streaming now.
For years I’d left the spotlight of heading up a band. Being the singer and all of the pressure, duties, and exhaustion that come with singing, performing, and being the first point of contact for the band. It felt great to unshackle myself from that burden. Yet, a funny thing happened a few weeks ago as Berthold City released our newest record. We were practicing, and Andrew (the singer) asked me to show him a bassline. I thought he was trying to show me that I was playing it wrong, but he intended to grab the bass, and I take the mic during my extended backups in the song “Still Holding On.”
Photo at Hello Village taken by Fusillo
It was a kind gesture, but I mentioned he didn’t need to. I had forgotten, and when we hit that part of the song, he sorta said, “wanna do it?” without saying it. It was a wild feeling. It connected in a different way than I’d felt in years. Nothing overly special happened. It just felt different. I’m thankful for that moment.
Photo at Hello Village taken by Fusillo
