biographical info
“They are like all of my favourite bands in one chugging, soaring behemoth. The guitars are loud and surround you, the vocals purr/whisper sweet nothing (and somethings) in your ear, filling the hole in your soul left by My Bloody Valentine’s eternal vacation.”
- Sled Island festival guide 2008
Heat-Ray is a 5-piece shoegaze guitar-pop band with a mission to debase the pop song with the fuzz pedal. Hailing from Calgary, Alberta, Canada and drawn together by their love for beautiful noise, Heat-Ray has been “charming audiences with their onstage version of a controlled nuclear reaction” (Christine Leonard, FFWD (Jan 8, 2009). Drawing comparisons to acts such as My Bloody Valentine, Th’ Faith Healers and Eric’s Trip, Heat-Ray’s intense, yet melodic tunes give a nod to their predecessors while offering their own original brand of edgy, loud and lush guitar-based pop music.
Formed in late 2007, Heat-Ray’s seasoned lineup consists of veteran Calgary guitarist Aaron Smelski (Hot Little Rocket), vocalist Sheila Mann (Lotus Galaxy), guitarist Matt Pahl (The Floor), drummer Jon Pynn (Shiver) and bassist Joel Tobman (Shiver). As Heat-Ray, they have taken the stage in front of bands like Minus the Bear, The Cops, The Dodo’s, and Human Milk (members of Broken Social Scene and Spiral Stairs).
Since making a huge splash at the 2008 Sled Island Music Festival, the Heat-Ray has been on a steady upward trajectory attracting both attention and fans with their melodic, powerful tunes and in-your-face live performances. Their debut album (Loveallover) was released in late July 2009 on Pop Echo Records.
lineup
Sheila Mann Vocals
Matt Pahl Vocals and Guitar
Jonathan Pynn Drums
Aaron Smelski Guitar
Joel Tobman Bass
influences
my bloody Valentine
Jesus and Mary Chain
The Duke Spirit
A place to Bury Strangers
The Yardbirds
The Ramones