The Hecks

The Hecks, a Chicago-based outfit, initially specialized in clanging, dissonant experimental art rock that echoed Sonic Youth and Wire. By the arrival of their second album, the 2019 release My Star, their approach had shifted into an unpredictable fusion of jittery new wave and synth-heavy funk.

Andy Mosiman and Zach Hebert, both on guitar, launched the Hecks in 2012. The pair put out a self-titled cassette EP, followed by their first single, “Trust and Order,” which Moniker Records issued in 2013. After spending several years performing in Chicago and at scattered Midwest venues, they delivered their self-titled debut full-length on Trouble in Mind in 2016; the record moved between scorched noise-drone pieces and jangly, hook-filled tunes. Guitarist Dave Vettraino, who captured those sessions, entered the lineup soon after. In 2017 the group began tracking material for a follow-up, yet once keyboardist Jeff Graupner signed on as the fourth member they revised the arrangements to suit his contributions, abandoned the original recordings, and reconstructed the songs from the ground up. My Star ultimately surfaced in 2019.