About
“Thanks in part to “Have You Ever” becoming a minor TikTok hit last year, Urban Heat has taken Austin’s clubs and America’s goth underground in such a blitz that it feels like it suddenly arose from the ether.” - Andy O’Conner, SPIN
Austin is known as the music capital of the world — and Urban Heat is one of its greatest exports. The band, formed only five years ago as the brainchild of singer/multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Horstmann, has quickly become known for their fiery live shows and infectious darkwave anthems that harken back to the ‘80s with a modern sensibility. Powered by the magnetic Horstmann’s melodic baritone vocals & the pummeling rhythm section of Kevin Naquin and Paxel Foley, UH have won over fans show by show.
Appearances at major California festivals like Cruel World and Darker Waves saw Urban Heat play to their biggest audiences yet, with their set pointed as one of the best of the day. At home, Urban Heat has long been the talk of SXSW & graced the stage of the Austin City Limits Festival.
Now, with The Tower, we see the band at their absolute peak. Songs like the arena-ready “Seven Safe Places” & the intricately steady “Take it to Your Grave,” show the band’s sonic versatility. The latter, which best exemplifies the majority of the record, is about feelings of unworthiness and fears of self-sabotage. Introspectiveness dots Horstmann's lyrics, driving home its power and relatability.
With an headlining show at Los Angeles' famed El Rey Theater under their belt, a North American tour, & Fall European tour with Molchat Doma, Urban Heat is ready to show the world what anyone who has seen them already knows: they’re a band that is going to dominate the airwaves for years to come.
“The post-punk trio confronts the pervasive bleakness of life in pandemic-era America with an Atari blast of bubbling synths laid over insistent, body-shaking beats. These are not fluffy pop songs. Vocalist Jonathan Horstmann scratches at the many shades of malaise that have emerged as side effects of late-stage capitalism. He dances with darkness. He picks scabs 'til they bleed. He breaks through the pain.” - Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American-Statesman