His Hideous Heart

Biography

His Hideous Heart began in Cleveland in 2005 as Mike O’Neill’s solo project. After releasing a short EP of electronic and acoustic influenced songs called the “Remember the Days EP”, His Hideous Heart began to reshape into a full band with a more complete sound. Adding to Mike’s guitar and songwriting, Brian Bohan joined on bass, Ben Austin on cello, Jeff Mather on Drums, Bridget Davis with vocals and percussion and Mustafa Ascha on a second guitar. His Hideous Heart performed for the first tim...

His Hideous Heart began in Cleveland in 2005 as Mike O’Neill’s solo project. After releasing a short EP of electronic and acoustic influenced songs called the “Remember the Days EP”, His Hideous Heart began to reshape into a full band with a more complete sound. Adding to Mike’s guitar and songwriting, Brian Bohan joined on bass, Ben Austin on cello, Jeff Mather on Drums, Bridget Davis with vocals and percussion and Mustafa Ascha on a second guitar. His Hideous Heart performed for the first time in December 2006, playing songs from the Remember the Days EP. While playing these songs however, the band began noticing a vast change in the natural style and dynamics. After several shows and the beginning of a new era of song writing, Aaron Popelka replaced Mustafa as the second guitar player / multi instrumentalist.

His Hideous Heart doesn’t strive for any sound in particular, but rather just plays whatever feels comfortable and nice. With influences between pop, post-rock, classical, and hardcore, the songs all have a similar feeling of melody and movement.

They have a growing presence in the local Cleveland Music scene, opening for such acts as Kevin Devine, Jennifer O’Connor, The Minus Story, Old Canes, Band of Horses and Modest Mouse, as well as other Cleveland locals, Bears and the Dreadful Yawns.

“It’s A Weird Time To Be Alive” was released on New Years Day of 2008 and features the songs written since the conception of His Hideous Heart. The recordings feature the full band playing some of the original pieces from the Remember the Days EP and also several new ones written by the entire band.

Currently, the members of His Hideous Heart have spread out. Mike O’Neill lives in Chicago, Aaron Popelka in Philadelphia, Bridget Davis in Miami Florida, with Brian Ben and Jeff in Cleveland. The distance puts a damper on the ability to practice and perform live shows, however using the internet, the members write and collaborate individually and are in the process of recording an EP featuring songs written collaboratively online. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.