Step into the dark and tormented world of metaphorical protagonist Scott in the hypnotically oppressive grunge, rock, doom and heavy metal-tinged sound of French newcomers HEADMIND.
The quintet, from the Hauts-de-France region in northeastern France, started out in September 2024, when vocalist Axelle and guitarist Tom teamed up to develop a fictional universe around Scott, a metaphorical character for people to find themselves in. They began writing songs with lyrics based around Scott’s “tormented existence,” including themes of addiction, depression and regret. And the duo soon brought on board guitarist Greg, drummer Philippe and bassist Simon to complete the band.
In Simon’s words: “The idea is that the listener finds himself in this character who will depict moments of existence that everyone has undoubtedly already experienced. The band wants to be the bearer of Scott’s voice; that’s why, during our concerts, thanks to videos, the public can see him appear and speak directly to him. It’s an innovative project and we are very happy to introduce it to everyone.
“I would say that we absolutely seek through our sound to demonstrate all the darkness of the human being. Sometimes, it is difficult to put words to our suffering. That is why we chose the character of Scott as a metaphor for everyone’s existence. He is the witness of the suffering of the human being. Our music, as well as our lyrics, is intended to be the translation of this suffering.”
Our first taste of this is HEADMIND’s debut single Bad Trip, which was released last month. It starts out with dark guitars and a distant synth sound, which continue under Axelle’s engaging, echoey vocals. A stabbing riff and drums creep in as the echoey vocals continue, before blasting into a deliciously filthy riff, which ushers in intense vocals that end with driving guitar riffs. The pace slows as it drops back into light guitars with stabbing chords and rolling drums under the more laid-back vocals. Dual vocals come in and delicate cries from Axelle tee up another powerful chorus, dropping into intense cries before the opening dark guitars bring this excellent track to a moody conclusion.
On the track, Simon said: “Bad Trip is, for us, the genesis of Scott’s character, and the music video (directed by Cécile Damien) perfectly represents the idea of the tormented character we wanted. We can see a typical day of a man with an unknown face who oscillates between torments and fears of daily life, all evolving in a relatively gloomy universe.
“As I answer your questions, the music video for the song is approaching 10,000 views on YouTube, which is fantastic for a band releasing their first single. The audience feedback has been excellent. We didn’t expect such enthusiasm for our first song. It was a long process for us to compose our songs. And we can’t wait to share more with the public. This motivates us even more in our creative process. For those who haven’t yet discovered Bad Trip, I can only encourage them to go ahead and listen to it! It will be an opportunity for them to discover our universe. This single is truly the gateway to the world of HEADMIND.”
The HEADMIND sound draws on a wide range of musical influences, from Axelle and Tom’s love of 90s grunge, particularly Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl, to Greg’s thrash metal inspiration. While band members also draw inspiration from bands like AC/DC, Metallica, Pink Floyd, Alice In Chains and many more.
And on what inspires them to write music, Simon explains: “We all come from different musical backgrounds, and this is a real strength for us. These different backgrounds blend into HEADMIND’s music. At the end of the songwriting process, we can be sure that everyone has brought their own personal touch, whether through a chorus or a particular riff. It’s a real pleasure that everyone can find themselves in each song. The themes addressed are, of course, always linked to the life of our character Scott. His journeys can therefore change. For example, we have a piece dealing with a real breakdown. Another will focus on addictions. Themes that everyone can undoubtedly identify with.”
We’re looking forward to hearing plenty more from HEADMIND, who’ll be releasing more new music by the end of the year ahead of a concept album sometime next year. In addition to their debut single, HEADMIND have also just played their first few gigs in France, including a first festival last weekend. They’ll also be playing a gig in the Belgian city of Charleroi at Carolo Culture, with more gigs to be planned.
And Simon added: “The only thing we would like to say is that the public should not hesitate to support emerging bands, they are the ones who will make the music of tomorrow! This is the case for HEADMIND. So for all the people who listen to us and we will listen, thank you all! See you soon with some very, very heavy music!”
You can follow HEADMIND on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer and YouTube.
Listen to HEADMIND and more new bands on our Spotify playlists GigRadar Grunge, GigRadar Rock and GigRadar Metal
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