Heavy Hawaii

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Photo by Alex Kacha

Matt Barajas: Guitar (acoustic), Guitar (electric) | Aimee Sanchez: Keyboards | Mikey Peterson: Drums | Sundar Whalen: Guitar (acoustic), Guitar (electric), Keyboards, Percussion, Sitar | Derek Butler: Bass guitar, Drums

Genre: Rock

RIYL: Wavves, Nude Boy, Black Mamba, Neutral Milk Hotel, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Animal Collective, Deerhunter, Times New Viking, Vivian Girls

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Discography

Synoposis

Inception: San Diego, 2009

Influences: No Wave, Weezer, the Pixies, the Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, REM, the Beatles, the Ramones, Marv Johnson, the Shaggs, Sonic Youth, Rivers Cuomo

Background:

Heavy Hawaii was formed in 2009 by guitarist Matt Bahamas (née Barajas), who formerly played in Fantastic Magic with Indian instrumentalist Sundar Whalen and future Wavves frontman Nathan Williams (who played mandolin). The lineup has also included keyboardist Aimee Sanchez (Black Mamba), Mikey Peterson (Jungle Fever, the Natives), and Derek Butler (the Atoms/Watusis).

A Valhalla High grad and college dropout, Bahamas cites “babes” as a major inspiration: “Here in San Diego, they’re wearing low-cut shirts and short skirts...turning heads. The chase is the most fun, and writing music about the chase is fun. The band was going to call our new album ‘Shoulders’ — tanned shoulders are everywhere. We decided on a different name, mainly because the album’s a bit darker.”

Heavy Hawaii’s first song release, “Sleeping Bag,” appeared on the Bathetic Records compilation Summer Bummer (Get Laid, Get Wasted). Their song “Teen Angel” was the first single off their debut EP HH, released on Art Fag Records in late September 2010, the same year they were nominated Best New Artist at the San Diego Music Awards.

In early 2011, they embarked on a tour with popular groove songsmiths Dom. “Derek made out with Blaque Chris. Aimee slept on the sidewalk in the rain one night. Jojo got to eat White Castle, which tasted like dog caca. Mikey bought a Wiggles guitar. I upgraded from the shittiest, most child-molester van to a not-that-shitty van.”

Around the same time, Barajas began creating a planned 12-issue comic book series with Wavves frontman Nathan Williams called Negative Dad.

“Nate and I made a comic strip when we were in Fantastic Magic. Negative Dad is the first legit comic book. We have a great artist, Nicholas Gazin, bringing our ideas together. We plan on releasing 12 issues. It’s sci-fi, drama — lots of twists and weird shit: aliens, drugs, mind control. Kids getting in trouble and dealing with robots, mad scientists, and intergalactic wars. The comics will come with music, too — tapes or 45s. Nate and I will be recording music as fictional bands that exist in the ‘Neg. Dad’ universe. Maybe have some other bands do stuff...We’ll probably have a preview by the end of summer.”

How does making a comic compare with making music?

“This is the first time I’ve sat down and written a book, panel for panel. People don’t understand how much time it takes to write out every angle and layout. Like music, Nate and I brainstormed and tossed ideas back and forth. You keep working till everything fits just right. But you get instant satisfaction from writing a sweet melody. And performing for big crowds is a rush.”

They toured in August 2011. Around the same time, Aimee Sanchez (who also plays in Black Mamba) co-founded a new band with Derek Butler called Divers, featuring keyboard, bass, and processed drums.

They played a release party for their three-song vinyl 7-inch “Superbowl XXIX” (limited to 500 copies)at M-Theory Music on Washington Street on January 28, 2012. A video for the song was released by Art Fag Recordings in March, directed by Bahamas, Samuel Bengtsson, and E.J. Binns.

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