HANYA

The sophomore release from sublime dreampop quartet HANYA. Rising from strength to strength with their blend of dreamy psychedelia and indie rock, '100 Metre Sprint' is an EP showing a group really coming into their own.

There’s something simultaneously nostalgic and refreshing in HANYA. Their dreamy take on shoegaze comes with a focused edge, never shy of an addictive hook, psychedelic breakdown or indulgent vocal. If you’ve followed them since their inception, you’ve watched them mature as they have themselves, releasing singles such as the compellingly blissful ‘Fortunes’ or the finely-textured ‘Lydia’, floored by the growth in every new release with the wide-eyed fascination of a friend finally receiving their merit. This evolution is a testament to their authenticity when crafting these tracks - this is clearly a group that make music for the love of it - what comes next isn’t a question.

The result is a truly captivating journey of seven dream-pop tinged tracks in ‘100 Metre Sprint’, that will connect with the hardened fans of Stereolab, Broadcast and Blur, whilst tapping into the new world of nuanced indie rockers such as Alvvays, Kurt Vile, Angel Olsen and Beach House.

From a two-piece formed of ambitious multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Heather Sheret and long-time friend Jack Watkins on drums, the group have grown from strength to strength, garnering a fanbase across the DIY realm, including radio support from Jack Saunders, Huw Stephens (BBC Radio 1), Lauren Laverne, Steve Lamacq and Tom Robinson (BBC 6 Music) as well as a plethora of support from leading press NPR, The Quietus, NME, Clash, Dork, Gigwise and The Line of Best Fit, from hardcore indie fans to shoegaze/dreampop nostalgics, meeting together at a HANYA show to watch this partnership unfold in a glorious intoxicating frenzy. 

With their last EP ‘Sea Shoes’, HANYA brought in more friends with impressive musical backgrounds to join the group, culminating with Benjamin Varnes on guitar and production duties and Jorge Bela on bass. Their sound has grown to a glorious crescendo of luscious dreampop wanderings, continuing to sustain their gritty edge, driving rhythm section, and ability to turn from a whisper to a shriek in seconds. Unlike some of their shoegaze counterparts, HANYA never lose the ability to craft anthemic hooks whilst remaining delicate, intricate, and considered with their instrumentation, their introspective lyrics serve as a reminder that this music remains deeply personal and crucial to Sheret.

The group’s reputation continues to rise following their notable performance at this year’s Green Man Festival, The Great Escape (Online) and previous showcases stateside at New Colossus NYC, with a full nationwide tour kicking off this month.

On ‘100 Metre Sprint’ Sheret explains: “We’re so proud to be realising our biggest body of work to date. Crafting these seven tracks has been a real journey for us, one where we’ve discovered a lot about ourselves, had so much fun and cemented our sound. Whilst the last 18 months have been ludicrous in so many ways, this EP has allowed us to tell our story of the coming-of-age of our 20’s and finally being comfortable with who we are.”

HANYA’s ‘100 Metre Sprint’ is out October 27th and will be available via all digital platforms as well as on limited edition cassette thanks to Du Blonde’s ‘Daemon TV’ imprint.

HANYA is Heather Sheret (guitar, vocal), Benjamin Varnes (guitar), Jorge Bela (bass), Jack Watkins (drums)