12 May 2025
Every Monday I will be bringing you an interview with an independent band, duo or music artist. This week, I caught up with Finn from London band Broken Hertz to find out more…
Who is in the band, how did you meet, where are you from and how did you come up with the name?
The band consist of five friends: Max, Kyle, Finn, Oscar and Josh who all met at different stages along the band’s journey. Max (vocals) and Kyle (guitar) founded the band whilst studying at the Abbey Road Institute. One of their lecturers was particularly loud, prompting Max to comment ‘he’s so loud he could break the Hertz scale’, and thus the name Broken Hertz was created. Some time later, Max was stood up on a date in Fulham. Now with a free evening, he decided to wander into a nearby bar where they were hosting an open mic night for local bands. After some networking he was given the contact details of a talented local drummer, Josh, who later brought along his friend Finn (guitar) to a rehearsal to play with the band, and was subsequently made a full member. After a seemingly endless search for a permanent bassist, Oscar joined a year later after meeting Kyle in a recording session, and has been with us ever since.
Who were your musical influences when you were growing up and who are your influences now?
We all come from vastly different musical backgrounds, with influences from a variety of artists such as Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Sleep Token, David Bowie, Foo Fighters, Last Shadow Puppets and many more. Collectively we’re largely influenced by the likes of Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes and Gorillaz who we frequently turn to for inspiration, but all of us bring something unique to our creative process, and are therefore never short of fresh ideas.
How would you describe your sound?
Our sound is fearsomely gritty and striking, with powerful vocals from Max, heavenly guitar tones from Finn, crunching riffs from Kyle, and ground shaking bass and rhythm from Oscar and Josh. Ranging from soft and profound to loud and imposing, our sound is unified by its unique use of effects, heavy distortion and rousing vocal performances.
What is your latest release called and what was the influence behind it?
Our latest release, Anastasia, is a story about feeling out of your depth, personified by the titular girl who takes a man on a night out with her. The voice of the song constantly feels at odds with this character, who he’s both intimidated by yet allured to. The song asks the question that many of us ask of ourselves when we’re around someone we are attracted to: ‘am I making a good impression?’. The song voices insecurities, fears of ‘wasting [her] time’ as we follow this person attempt to make sense of their date. In Broken Hertz, we like to use our embarrassing dating experiences as inspiration for many of our songs, and this one, albeit more serious, is no exception.
What’s your local music scene like?
The London music scene is fiercely competitive and it’s increasingly difficult to cut through the noise. It’s a blessing and a curse for us. We have a vast community of talented musicians on our doorstep to go and experience, yet on the other hand we’re constantly in competition with a dense concentration of incredible music. Nevertheless, musicians are amongst the most amicable artists and the level of support and kindness in the London music scene is tremendous and we’re grateful to be a part of such a vibrant community in this incredible city.
What do you have planned for the next 12 months?
Over the next 12 months we will be non-stop gigging, with multiple festivals lined up this summer, as well as gigs booked for Autumn and Winter. Simultaneously we will be releasing four more singles that will eventually amalgamate into an EP. We will also be devising a game-plan for 2026, discussing what projects we want to pursue and getting started as soon as possible.
Is there anyone you’d love to collaborate with?
When touring last November, we had the pleasure of playing with a small indie rock band in Brighton called Fire Escape. Whilst not known to many, since watching their support act they have become a favourite of ours in Broken Hertz, and we’d loved to collaborate with them one day. Shout out to the boys at Fire Escape.
Any funny stories surrounding your live performances?
When playing a showcase at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Arena, I had prepared a small description of the song we were going to be playing, a track called 3 out of 10 when submitting an application for the showcase (another song about an embarrassing date!). Little did I know that the track was going to be announced with the description to the entire audience, announcing to around 1000 people that Max had been rated a 3 out of 10 on a first date.
What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you?
We’re five great friends who love music and want to share what we have to offer with the world. Our friendship drives our music and we want our listeners to be a part of that. We hope to see more people coming along to our gigs who love our authenticity and want to be part of the Broken Hertz gang.
Upcoming live dates and performances
Sunday 25th May 2025 – Beats & Eats Summer Fest, Epsom
Saturday 7th June 2025 – Home Farm Festival, Chilthorne Domer
Saturday 5th July 2025 – Water Rats, This Feeling Club Showcase, London
Sunday 24th August 2025 – Beats & Eats Summer Fest, Framlingham
Thursday 23rd October 2025 – Water Rats, London
You can find out more about Broken Hertz via Apple Music, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, TikTok or YouTube, and you can find upcoming gig information here.
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