Established venues have a tendency to overshadow the essence of Richmond music, but the moments in time in which scenes coalesce around a small, short-lived venue can be quite invigorating. The most recent example would be the number of bands that emerged throughout the brief existence of Cellar Door. The true heart of Richmond’s musical tradition exists in the city’s narrow hallways and makeshift venues. Some claim that most attendees at shows like these are more concerned about the social aspect than the music, but it’s undeniable that there are bands involved who generate quite a bit of excitement, taking everyone for an unanticipated ride. Heavy Midgets are a prime example of this phenomenon; they’ve done much over the past year to impress this city with their unique blend of psychedelic pop euphoria.
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The band started when John Graham and Charlanne McCarthy saw Ty Segall together in 2011 and were left mesmerized. “After that performance, I decided that I wanted to start a band and make my songs sound like that. I knew John would be a good counterpart to that because I think our songs play off of each other really well,” McCarthy reminisces. “We both just got to the point where we didn’t see playing solo shows as being that rewarding. People tend to respond more to full bands as opposed to people singing songs on their acoustics, talking about their feelings,” Graham says. This inclination towards an expansion in sound was the first inkling of where the Heavy Midgets sound was headed.
The duo quickly set out to find musicians that could complement the tunes that Graham and McCarthy came up with. They went through several members in various roles, but it was the enthusiastic interest from guitarist Ian McQuary that left the biggest impression with Graham. “I remember Ian approaching me about joining Heavy Midgets and I immediately said yes,” Graham excitedly recalls. “I knew he was a great guitarist, and when we needed someone to come in to play lead in our band, I really couldn’t imagine anyone else.” McQuary joining the band while they were in the midst of recording their cassette-only debut EP helped shape their sound. He immediately fit with what they were doing, which allowed him to catch up fairly quickly. “When I joined the band, they were already recording with Ben Miller of Tungs,” he explains. “My takes were mainly overdubs, and the rest of it was recorded live. I think some people tend to prefer that first EP over our split with Tungs, [which] might have a lot to do with how I had to write my parts after the fact, and the effect that had on the songs.” The self-titled EP slowly flourished, helping the band gain a remarkable momentum. Playing as often as they could, they received widespread notice as one of the new bands to watch in Richmond.
When the band first began to play shows, a controversy arose surrounding their name. The name was seen as offensive due to the word “midget”’s use as a slur for those suffering from dwarfism, and the band were at first confused by this. “If you look at it literally, I guess you could jump to that interpretation,” McCarthy says--but she sees the band’s name in a different context. “To me, I think about [the way] we divide things based on size.” A midget, literally defined as any object significantly smaller than normal size, is generally seen as the opposite of something that’s heavy--but this isn’t necessarily true. “The tiniest stars can contain this magnitude that is unheard of,” she explains. “Perhaps that’s what a heavy midget is--but in all honesty, explaining it would cheapen it. I’d rather people just think of us when they hear the name.” “When we started this band, we really wanted to take this as seriously as possible,” Graham says. “So to get that reaction was disheartening. We thought about changing the name, but we figured it would be too rash to change this as a result of the opinions of a few.” For the foreseeable future, their name will remain Heavy Midgets.
Another difficult factor in the band’s evolution was finding a stable drummer to join the fold. After going through a few different drummers, Jenn Hall joined and demonstrated a particular sense behind the kit. Her talents stood out, helping to solidify the band’s sound. “They put out a listing on Craigslist and I responded immediately,” Hall relates. “I remember sitting there and hoping that they would message me back because I really wanted to be a part of this band.” “You were the only one that replied,” McCarthy jokes. Hall’s prowess on drums is remarkable and the band displays an appreciation for how much she has helped them move forward. “When we are playing live, there are times when Jenn will be more on point than we are,” McCarthy says. “I’ll forget which part I’m supposed to be doing, and she will be right there to pick up the pieces.”
Since the start of Heavy Midgets, the band has been involved with BadGrrrl Records. The relationship has been prosperous for all parties involved. Label head Ben Miller helps record bands and release their records. As if by fate, there came a moment where both Tungs and Heavy Midgets had a set of songs recorded and ready for release. Previously a cassette label, BadGrrrl had yet to put out a vinyl release, and a split LP between Tungs and Heavy Midgets, entitled Sisters, seemed like the best way to enter into this format. “The funny thing about doing a release with Tungs is that we both thought of it as a hilarious competition,” Graham says. “They are definitely close friends, if not kindred spirits in our musical world, but part of us wanted to try and be louder than Tungs on this release. I don’t know if we pulled it off, but we definitely set our sights on making our side of Sisters sound pretty gnarly.”
The songs featured on Sisters aren’t too far removed from the approach Heavy Midgets took on their self-titled debut. “Safe On Your Mountaintop” showcases the melodious voice of McCarthy and the slow buildups that the band often explore in their material. “Oh Susanna” and “We Are On The Run” are more straightforward, but both are great examples of Graham’s penchant for clever lyrics and strong hooks. If Sisters accomplished one thing for Heavy Midgets, it was solidifying their reputation amongst other bands that emerged in the scene around the same time. “We are all about our friends in Navi, Wolf//Goat, Tungs, The Eurotics and so on,” McQuary comments. “It’s amazing how we can all contribute to this scene, yet sound like we are all being inspired from very different places.”
This mutual admiration is demonstrated by the decision to close out the Tungs/Heavy Midgets split with each band covering a song by the other. Heavy Midgets opted to cover Tungs’s “Footsie,” and their reason for choosing it could lead to further ventures down this path. “There was such a soulful feeling behind the words and vocals in that song, it just made sense to take that on,” McCarthy reflects. “I think another thing that’s great about our band is we get to witness these songs that our friends are writing, and we’re immediately moved by them together,” McQuary says. “Recently, The Nervous Ticks debuted a bunch of new material at The Nile, and there was this one song that I was just blown away by.” Graham immediately mimics the song, to McQuary’s enthusiastic recognition. “That would be awesome if we covered that song,” Graham says. “That might be a crazy idea as long as none of our friends minded, but we would love it if they interpreted our songs in their own unique way as well. Just spread the love around.”
Outside of a hypothetical covers release, Heavy Midgets have many plans slated for the coming year and beyond. “We have tried slimming down on how many shows we have been playing, so we can hopefully play more shows that can positively impact the band,” Graham says. They are also hard at work on a proper full-length, which will be the first to feature Hall on drums, and will hopefully articulate the nature of the band in its current incarnation. There are hopes of playing a few festivals in the coming months, and one larger than life idea that they are set on bringing to fruition. “We had this really crazy idea about doing a cross-country tour by using bikes as our sole means of transport,” Graham says. “It would take a lot of communication and understanding with bands in other cities for us to use their gear, but I think we could pull it off if we work towards that. I mean, have you heard of anyone else trying to pull that off?”
Bands like Heavy Midgets are a very positive indicator of the future of Richmond music. This group of ambitious thinkers defy the stereotype of a young generation that is lazy and lacking drive. Heavy Midgets are one of the most promising treats that the RVA scene has to offer.
heavymidgets.bandcamp.com