Lost your password?

Song

Anjalie

Artist

Hearts & Souls

Hearts & Souls backstory

Five-piece Hearts & Souls registered on the Rushonrock radar in February 2023 after Nights Of My Days bagged our Red Hot Track Of The Week.

And it seems the ambitious Yorkshire collective have been working flat out since — roping in Quireboy Paul Guerin and a whole host of big name pals to fine tune a new batch of smoking tunes.

Formed during lockdown by singer songwriter Luke Smithson, Hearts & Souls take their sonic cue from America’s rock and roll greats.

But the band retains a typically British outlook — as reflected in their on the button lyrics and compelling narratives.

Following a brief stint as a touring member of The Quireboys, Smithson saw the potential for Hearts & Souls to become a fully-fledged band.

And he hooked up with long-time collaborator Tom Q Cusic to write what would become the band’s debut EP.

Smithson and Cusic have performed alongside Hanoi Rocks, Dan Baird & Homemade Sin, Mick Ralphs’ Bad Company and more.

But double A-side Anjalie — paired with a reworked version of NOMD (featuring Guerin) — represents a new era for this northern powerhouse.

In Hearts & Souls’ own words

“Anjalie is a straight up love song!

“The name was chosen as Luke’s partner’s niece kept giving him grief for pronouncing it wrong and he followed through on his threat to use it in a song.

“Musically, this is a huge melting pot, though the ingredients are our usual fare — the way the guitars intertwine is incredibly Stones-like, the chorus is almost Cheap Trick-esque power-pop.

“And we’ve chucked a measure of Jersey Soul into the vocal structure.

“Our ongoing partnership with Paul [Guerin] and his production work helped pull this to what it needed to be

“And getting to work with Bob Munday on this song was an absolute pleasure for us.

“Hearing stories about his time with Roy Orbison and jamming with Jimi Hendrix was a real highlight.”

The verdict on Anjalie

Think you know Hearts & Souls? 

Think again.

Soulful, blues-soaked Southern rock banger Anjalie is evidence of a band reborn.

And it’s incredible to hear these rootsy Tykes finally hitting their swaggering stride.

Who knows where this inspirational iteration of Hearts & Souls has been hiding for the past 18 months

But in the time it’s taken for the band to bag a second Red Hot Track Of The Week they’ve morphed into serious players on the rock and roll stage.

Frontman Smithson smashes it out of the park on a six-minute rollercoaster ride that rarely relents.

And the classy Cusic wrings every last drop of fret-fuelled emotion out of his Vintage REVO Elektra.

Add in a truly special turn from backing singers Jane Smithson and Amy Hall — and some serious tinkling from keysman Andy Hawkins — and it’s little wonder Anjalie is shaping up to be Hearts & Souls’ biggest hit yet.

What’s next for Hearts & Souls

The band plays an acoustic show at Northern Guitars in Leeds on August 18.

Hearts & Souls head to Great Yarmouth in November for a full band show at Hard Rock Hell XVII on November 9.