Minneapolis band Heart to Gold channels punk ancestors such as The Ramones, Green Day and The Sex Pistols, bringing an explosive energy and unrestrained vocal prowess. Their songwriting also features the requisite punk rage, with a side of cynicism and a dash of humor.
The DIY alt-punk band is made up of singer-guitarist Grant Whiteoak, drummer Blake Kuethe and bassist Jim Kiser. The trio grew up in the suburbs of Minneapolis. Kiser -- who replaced founding member Sidian Johnson -- knew Whiteoak from playing some of the same venues, and became their new bassist in 2022.
Heart to Gold first hit the alt-punk scene with their 2016 debut EP, Still Stuck. They released their debut album Comp in 2018, followed by their sophomore album Tom in 2022. In 2022, they released their second EP, Live at Studio 4.
The band's musical inspirations include Green Day, Fall Out Boy, Nirvana, Rush and Weezer. In an interview with The Wake, they also explained that the inspiration for their band name came from a high school incident involving weed, a sleepover, a friend's mother and her date, and a family misunderstanding. During the squabble, the date kept beating on his chest and yelling, "Heart to gold, heart to gold!" Which they thought sounded like a pretty cool name.
Even the most introverted of concertgoers will find themselves screaming along at a Heart to Gold live show. As a dedicated fan told The Current, "if Heart to Gold is on the bill for the show, it's going to be really f'ing fun." Heart to Gold will head out on tour in 2023, performing concerts across the United States.
