Back in 2005 guitarist/bassist Vince van der Walt (South Africa) met vocalist Gideon Kretschmer (UK) as they were both signed to Musketeer Records with their bands, while drummer Wayne de Bruyn (South Africa) was actively performing in the same scene as them which led to their connection. 15 years later in 2020 Vince and Wayne were writing at the studio and looking for the perfect voice for their music, they shared their music with Gideon, and HeadFury was born. Wasting no time, the trio released their debut EP “A New World” in November 2020 receiving positive feedback, airplay, and media coverage. They started writing their follow-up EP “Rebirth” in 2021, releasing 3 singles off it “Glimmer”, “LIARS” and “Hideaway”.
The trio collaborated with South African singer/songwriter Nicola Mcleod in “Hideaway” giving it a unique sound that made it a great addition to their EP “Rebirth” which was out May 20 via HopePunk Records. “Hideaway” was masterfully mixed by Johan Heyns at The Laundry Room Studios in South Africa and mastered by Kelsey Mastering in the UK. The band described its lyrical theme as “the story of a creative spirit that takes a much needed escape from life’s relentless rat race – hiding away for a moment to reflect on all the missing pieces, the hidden fears, and disappointments; and most importantly finding renewed hope and conviction to take a different path towards a happier future.”
So, let’s see how it went,
The intro gives electronic/pop vibes that get blown away when drummer Wayne de Bruyn hits that blasting beat followed by that heavy banger riff and guitar melody that leads us to the verse. I loved how both Gideon Kretschmer and Nicola McLeod took turns singing verses giving each verse an independent character and style with their unique vocal deliveries, and the way they engaged in a dynamic powerful conversation in the bridge, and chorus made the sound bigger. “Hideaway” was structured in a very dynamic and clever way keeping you hooked throughout the whole 3 minutes, moving from a heavy and melodic intro to a slower verse creating perfect build-up for an energetic catchy bridge that explodes into a heavy singalong chorus with loads of guitar melodies and groovy beats. All this takes us to a quieter interlude around min 2:10 mark with beautiful vocal harmonies before they blast back to their full energy taking us to the song’s outro. What I liked the most about “Hideaway” is how the three members of HeadFury and guest vocalist Nicola McLeod are giving 100% of their talent in it. Guitarist Vince van der Walt’s melodies are tight and beautiful, the riffs are heavy and in harmony with the powerful lyrics and vocals, the drums are insanely energetic and groovy, and the vocalists are in perfect sync as if they were performing together for decades.
“Hideaway” is a catchy energetic tune that would take HeadFury to a whole new level. It shows their songwriting abilities as they unleash all these different melodies and dynamics in just 3 minutes, this needs to get a lot of exposure and I believe soon we will be hearing a lot about HeadFury. Looking forward to more releases, keep on rocking guys. Cheers!
