HEAT’s new single “Sweat” is a solid representation of HEAT’s heavy sound, which reads like an honorary nod to San Francisco's rebel history while remaining contemporary, fresh, and relatable to crowds across the city. In my interview with Enzo Giordano, we discuss how the new single came about, the backstory on HEAT, and the band’s longstanding relationship to San Francisco.

If you're ready for some stoke, tune into HEAT's electric single Spotify, then read my great interview with Enzo below, and scroll to the bottom for details on upcoming HEAT shows!

Kiley (BFF.fm): So, what is HEAT’s story?

Enzo: We were maybe 22 or 23 years old when we started the band. I started with a good friend of mine named Max Casler. We were definitely still kids,  and doing everything ourselves and like very punk rock about it. And then a lot of a lot of life happens. Max got into Berkeley School of Music in Boston. So he moved there, and he was doing music school for a minute, and then he moved to LA and he was down there for a second. And we've all kind of just been doing music. The lineup of HEAT changed around. We were playing the Bay a lot for two years. Then we did a tour and kind of took a hiatus. But now we're back, and I've got my friend Max who is back from LA and we have a new bassist, his name's Darian, and we just put out this single “Sweat”, which we're really excited about and super proud of. We put that out the same day as our first show at Rickshaw. Well, it wasn't our first show at Rickshaw, but our first show in eight months.

Kiley (BFF.fm): Wow, that’s so sick.

Enzo: We have a couple more singles that we're going to promote and more shows and maybe a live EP, but we're really excited to be moving and cranking.

Kiley (BFF.fm) Can you tell me more about the new single, “Sweat”?

Enzo: It took a long time to get to this next batch of songs that we have coming out, of which “Sweat” is just a part. So that song has been baking for two years. But it's funny how the themes that I wrote about have become more pertinent to our situation now, over time. I think it's interesting and cool and a little bit horrifying to see all that happen. I think people seem to resonate with it, which is really all you can ask for as a songwriter and an artist. You want people to like it and want to dance to it or talk about it.

Kiley (BFF.fm): It sounds like there's a lot to be excited about, especially in the coming months.

Enzo: You're going to be seeing a wave of singles from us this coming year. And a lot of that is stuff that we recorded with our last lineup at this great place in Brisbane, California called Lucky Studios. We recorded that with our friend, Case Newcomb, who's such a talent and really knows what he's doing. Then on February 28, we're going to be playing at our friend’s bar, Otherwise Brewing. It's their five year anniversary, and that's going to be an outside show on Grant Street in North Beach in San Francisco. We’re also telling everyone to please come out on March 5 to Bottom of the Hill which is closing this year. If you haven't heard about it, it’s really, really, too bad.

Kiley (BFF.fm): Seriously the worst news.

Enzo: We love that venue. We played there a couple times, but this is their last year. So we're playing with a band from Portland called Spoon Benders. It’ll be a fun show if you like heavy psych rock. We’re really excited about this lineup because as a band we’re all from San Francisco born and raised, and it reminds us of this sound that really permeated SF like 10 to 15 years ago. And we definitely live in the camp of like John Dwyer's projects, from the Osees, or maybe Ty Segall. Stuff like that. We all grew up going to see those guys. Those were some of my first show experiences, at least in a local sense, because they all lived here.

Kiley: San Francisco has such a legacy of that psych rock sound. I love when artists are pulling on that historical thread a little more.

Enzo: There’s a huge history of amazing psych bands and garage bands, and even punk and metal in the Bay Area. We like that. We're a heavy band. We all knew each other as teenagers and stuff, and we were all very much in the punk, metal world. And then you get a little older, and your taste expands, and it's cool to take something that you've been into since you were really young and get to play with it and bend it, and add to it and gild the lily, you know? It really is a lot of fun to be playing together and writing together.

I also have a great lineup behind me right now, and we’ve been able to be more collaborative in the songwriting process. We’re bringing in different things that we've never played with before. I play guitar in the band and I sing, but I’ll use a theremin on stage as well. It gets pretty psychedelic and wonky, strange. Like the uncanny uncanniest rock band in the world. We like being weird.

Kiley (BFF.fm): What has it been like for you? I mean, clearly, you've been in San Francisco, grew up there and everything. But what has it been like playing in the local scene there?

Enzo: There are seasons and tides, but everybody gets to know each other and everybody's still in the community. Acts and names and bands come and go, but we've seen and gotten to play with really amazing people here. We’re really lucky. And I just would HIGHLY recommend to anybody, make a field trip this year out to San Francisco. You can go to the Kilowatt on 16th and Valencia, Rickshaw Stop, Neck of the Woods or Knockout. We have other great places like Bottom of the Hill and Parkside, which are both closing this year. If you love music and want to see what's going on in San Francisco, go there. Look at the calendars for any or all of these venues. Make a weekend and come out because there's something really special gestating out here.

Don't miss your chance to see HEAT play live for yourself in San Francisco! 

On February 28, catch HEAT playing Otherwise Brewing's five year anniversary party outside on Grant Street in North Beach.

On Thursday, March 5th, you can find HEAT playing an energetic set at BOTTOM OF THE HILL with Portland's Spoon Benders and San Francisco's very own Medscool! Bring your best buds and be there! Snag a ticket here.

You can find HEAT on Instagram to stay up-to-date on new releases and shows ahead.

Stream their work on Spotify, Bandcamp, or Apple Music.