Autoheart: To Support and Be Supported in Return

Art by Aspen Tart commissioned by Autoheart

 Autoheart, a UK-based band since 2012, has spent the last thirteen years fighting for their music. When they were set to release their first album PUNCH in 2013, producer after producer after producer turned them down saying their songs were too different and did not have a cohesive sound. The band took this criticism and promptly ignored it, their songs sounded like Autoheart and the songs will be released. Autoheart released PUNCH on their own. Since 2013, the band has released two new albums and plenty of singles as well as a full rerecording of PUNCH for the 10th anniversary revealing four songs from the vaults.

It was not until the past five years that the band became incredibly popular, blowing up on TikTok for their song “Stalkers Tango.” 2023 and 2024 saw Autoheart’s first-ever long tour with eleven locations across the United States. The band spoke in an interview about their inspiration and the impact of fans on their work. The fans inspire them as much as Autoheart inspires fans. “What we do is audio…these people work in art and visuals” interpreting and giving new meaning to songs.

In the same interview, Autoheart gives a brief insight into their process of song creation. They cite Joseph (the final track on the album “We Can Build The Fire”) as having made its way around the band members and engineers multiple times evolving into a sort of “Frankenstein” of a song with bits and pieces of everyone’s effort to mold the song into the best possible version. On the flip side, some songs come very easy and straightforward such as The Sailor Song (PUNCH) and Oxford Blood (We Can Build The Fire) in which the band nearly independently recorded their parts in one go and sent it out. “We start from scratch with every song and ask what will bring it to life the best.”

A particular trait of Rubin’s The Creative Act that Autoheart has down is the ability to selectively tune out and undermine voices. In Rubin’s perspective, tuning out others' voices is the ideal way to build “focused intention” ultimately improving an artist’s work. Autoheart has done this in the past such as when they first began writing and were turned down for their “inconsistent” sound but they also know to tune into the world and to their fans who support them. They have even collaborated with fans such as Aspen T for music videos, album art, and more, which they believe elevates their work. Tuning out the voices is important but being open to others can be just as crucial as long as you understand who you are as an artist and what serves you. “We are always autoheart. There is definitely…a sound like Autoheart, and if it doesn't that goes in the vault.”