New Single Release from Heff VanSaint ‘Other side of the Hill’
“A gifted songwriter and storyteller with 80s influences” - When The Horn Blows
“Fuses old-school storytelling with a contemporary lo-fi indie sound” - The Queerness
“Brilliantly blends elements of pop, electronic, and indie” - DIVA Magazine
“Must-listen indie/bedroom pop” - Girl Gang Music
“Aberdonian indie-pop auteur” - The Skinny
“Brilliant” - Roddy Hart, BBC Scotland
HEFF VANSAINT Releases Her New Single Other side of the Hill Out Now
Stream and share - https://open.spotify.com/track/7FboCOPHK0jHfPXQLU3DuD?si=6baaaa31ddf648a8
Aberdeen-born, London-based singer-songwriter Heff VanSaint is delighted to release her new single Other side of the Hill, which is out now on all good digital service providers.
Following on from last years EP ‘Best Days Gone’ featuring tracks ‘Heart On Trial’ and follow-up tracks ‘Pathways and’ ‘Weavers Fields’ (championed by BBC Scotland’s Roddy Hart), VanSaint is delighted to share her latest single, ’Otherside of the Hill’, out now.
The single is a bittersweet look back on what’s been and gone, an acknowledgement that what is ultimately lost and can never be regained. There is a soulful melancholy which culminates in the devastating realisation that somethings can only ever be experienced once.
Commenting on the release, VanSaint says: “Other side of the hill was written during a time of huge self reflection, I was convinced that I was living in the aftermath of the best days of my life and that I needed to move on and accept that the best opportunities for love and excitement were passed. Sounds extreme but that’s just where I was in my head. I was yearning for the old days whilst almost bitter that the door had closed on them.”
Other side of the Hill was produced by Fionn Connolly, of Forever Forever band at their home studios in East London . “I first met Fionn through mutual contacts and we immediately hit it off,” says VanSaint of the process. “ It was a really mellow safe environment, the perfect backdrop for getting deep in your feels and trying to create something truly authentic.”
The new track is the first new material from VanSaint since her well-received 2024 EP Best Days Gone. The perfect early showcase for her prowess as a gifted new Scottish songwriter and storyteller, the record gained early praise from Jim Gellatly, Roddy Hart and The Unsigned Guide, Whilst previous support has come from Diva Magazine, Girl Gang Music , When The Horn Blows, and more. VanSaint has subsequently played shows all over London and appeared on London Live to discuss how the ongoing cost of living crisis has affected artists and musicians.
Other side of the hill is out now
Live Dates:
April 21st @ The Full Moon in Putney
April 27th @ Katzspace
May 3rd @ The Gunners Pub
July 22nd @ Burnt Toast
Other side of the hill visualiser:
Heff VanSaint online:
https://youtube.com/@heffvansaint
https://www.instagram.com/heffvansaint
https://www.tiktok.com/@heff_vansaint?lang=en
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2wad9ciIfnFWgWGjgzbelw?si=oeb3ctDRShed82ecxd_xaQ
More info:
Born and raised in Aberdeen, Heff has been playing in bands since she was a teenager, often alongside the raft of Scottish indie boys that flooded her native scene. Moving to London in her early 20s, she formed an electro-pop duo that went on to amass a decent following, before going solo to explore the more personal and reflective aspects of her creative output. As an artist, VanSaints seeks to combine queer culture with themes that are universal and part of the human condition.
“I’m passionate about achieving more visibility for masc presenting queer people,” she says. “I think representation matters for all of us and it’s empowering to see yourself depicted in pop culture.”
Combining elements of pop, electronic, and indie with 80s influences, VanSaint’s music traverses the liminal space between frank honesty and hopeful optimism, with the songwriter interested in exploring environments that challenge fixed definitions, exploring the inherent messiness of being human.
Naming iconic songwriters such as Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young as her main influences, she uses songwriting and storytelling as a prism through which to make sense of life’s experiences from her unique perspective, drawing inspiration from her love of artists with an androgynous image and energy, like The XX, Frank Ocean, St Vincent, and of course greats like Prince and Bowie.
With previous releases spanning themes of unrequited love, loneliness, the cost of living crisis, and navigating life as a creative person in London, VanSaint channels her experiences as a young creative living through challenging times into her melancholy but hopeful material.
