Following two years of writing and recording, Alex Maggard (formerly of The Browning and Capture the Crown) formed VANDALHEART with fellow Midwest music scene veterans Frank Rosado and Brent Brown of Chicago, Illinois and Justin Riley of Grand Rapids, Michigan in the summer of 2019. Two years of experimenting and refining finally brought the band to fruition. The boys met for the first time in the city of Flint to film a video for the band’s debut single “Awake” in July of 2019. Based in Alex’s hometown of Flint, Michigan, Vandalheart played their first show together in October of 2019 at The Loving Touch in Ferndale, Michigan, performing songs from their upcoming record, “L|O|W”, which is set to release in November 2020 via Duckphone Records. Today, we’re pleased to give you their newest music video for emotional, mellow single “Black Rose”, and the first full album stream below!
Alex began writing music for the band’s debut album in 2017 after departing his previous band, where he primarily played guitar. Despite never having fronted a band, Alex made the decision to write music that reflected his current state of mind and lifestyle, making an effort to better separate himself from the saturated state of modern metal music by integrating the sounds of classic R&B with the heavier elements of modern alternative rock.
Determined to create a sound entirely their own, Alex was heavily inspired by the vocal techniques used by Adam Levine of Maroon 5 and Justin Timberlake, as well as the darker emo-rock and metal sounds of bands such as Balance and Composure, Circa Survive, and Bring Me The Horizon.
Alex explains, “I really enjoy R&B, and I wanted to bring a modern rock fusion to the genre. Coming out of Flint, this is definitely what pushed me to pursue that. The band itself doesn’t really reflect Flint much, but it reflects my desire to get out of here and set myself apart. With the lyrics, I really tried to tell a story and show a deeper meaning. Most of my lyrics started out as poems I would jot down occasionally.”
Watch other music videos for “Awake”, “Seventeen” and “Left Behind” below:
