Lande Hekt: Finding Her Feet
LANDE HEKT is a frontwoman breaking out on her own to present herself fully as a person and a musician, no holds barred. A self-released solo debut followed two incredibly well-received albums with the rest of her punk band, MUNCIE GIRLS. Now, LANDE HEKT releases her second solo record, Going To Hell, one helluva personal record, which details the emotional journey she went through, coming out to herself, and the rest of the world, as a gay woman.
Upon first listen, we at Distorted Sound were struck by the differences in production; Going To Hell creates an entirely different atmosphere to its predecessors with MUNCIE GIRLS. “I didn’t see the point in making a solo record that sounded exactly like MUNCIE GIRLS,” she says of Going To Hell’s more indie folk-leaning production. “I saw recording Going To Hellas an opportunity to do things differently.”
It certainly seems that way when you compare listening experiences. MUNCIE GIRLS always sounded like a punk show. The music was loud, unapologetic, and attracted the likes of FRANK IERO and Glastonbury Festival. Whilst we’re not going to renounce Glastonbury just yet (fingers crossed you get to play again, Lande!), the vibe that this album gives off is one of an intimate open mic rather than the Pyramid Stage. The production and overall sound the record gives off mirrors the personal nature of the songs themselves.
“To me it made more sense to put these queer songs on a solo record to reflect my own experience.” Whilst MUNCIE GIRLS albums have always come from the heart, Going To Hell pushes this further into more personal territory than HEKT’s lyrics have ever gone before. “The more general themes [of MUNCIE GIRLS songs] are political and broader.” HEKT refers here to the wealth of subject matter in the band’s back catalogue, including mental health, familial ties and issues, gender theory and feminism, and missed opportunities.
By contrast, the lyrics on Going To Hell are truly an internal journey of discovery, however cliche that may sound. The record sounds like it’s lifted from the pages of her diary, and we are privy to LANDE HEKT’s innermost thoughts as she discovers herself. Realising who you are and finally deciding to live the way you want doesn’t just result in the most honest record of the year so far; it also comes with its own fair share of issues.
“I would say I’m more in the punk scene, which has its pockets of inclusion but largely has a huge problem in that department,” HEKT speaks frankly about her feelings about being a queer woman in the punk scene “No, there isn’t much representation…” but it’s not all bad. “I’ve met a lot of like-minded and queer people through playing shows, and we tend to stick together.” Her DIY spirit shines through in her values. “It’s not worth agonising over a scene that doesn’t want you in it. Be part of and grow a scene which needs you in it.”
LANDE HEKT writes music as part of a long tradition of women who grew their own scene instead of trying to be accepted where they weren’t wanted. She cites SHARON VON ETTEN, THE SLITS, THE RAINCOATS and more as part of her inspirations for becoming a musician and a songwriter. “I’ve been into THE SLITS and THE RAINCOATS for a long time. When I was about eighteen I got into BIKINI KILL, PATTI SMITH and SLEATER-KINNEY and I think that liking those bands helped me understand what I wanted out of music.” It’s understandable that MUNCIE GIRLS’ music always held unapologetic female rage at its heart, something which LANDE HEKT’s solo material builds on.
The notion of a community is clearly very important to her, working as she did within the queer community from the ground up – including her record label. “It’s out on a great queer label based in Philadelphia called Get Better Records. They’ve helped me find my feet with this record and I’m really happy to be working with them.”
Finding her feet on her own, whilst getting used to owning a whole new facet of her identity is a challenge which LANDE HEKT has taken on the chin. It’s eleven years on from the first days of MUNCIE GIRLS, and Going To Hell sounds like an artist coming to terms with the fullest and most complete version of herself. We love to see it.
Going To Hell is set for release on January 22nd via Get Better Records.
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