The Unsacred Hearts

The Unsacred Hearts emerged from New York City with a gritty fusion of vintage punk, 1960s garage rock, unrefined blues, and gritty R&B that earned them strong standing in the city's underground rock community. Longtime friends guitarist Dave Siegel and drummer Travis Harrison, both recent departures from the indie rock band Cold Memory, launched the group in late 2003. They recruited another acquaintance, Joe Willie—who had contributed lyrics sporadically to Cold Memory—to handle vocals, while Andy Ross filled the bass slot. Their self-titled debut EP came out in 2004, its seven tracks clocking in at just 14 minutes total; however, Ross exited by year's end to join OK Go, with S. Andy Bean, also of the Two Man Gentlemen Band, stepping in as bassist during 2005. That same year the band issued a split 7" alongside Men in Gray, followed by the arrival of their debut full-length album, In Defense of Fort Useless, in 2006. Five Believers, a digital-only EP containing five tracks, surfaced online in late 2006, and a follow-up album is slated for 2008.