From a rocky beginning to building a loyal fanbase: Autoheart

Autoheart is a queer indie-pop trio from London, United Kingdom (U.K.), gearing up for a tour after they release their newest record. Barney JC and Simon Nielson of the band chatted with The Gateway about the record, and how they got to where they are. 

On July 7, the trio released a three track pre-release single for the upcoming record, called “Indigo Chateau.” The new record, Heartlands, was released on August 15. 

“It’s a weird moment when an album comes out because there’s so much that goes into making one,” JC said. They said recording for Heartlands began in April 2024 after they finished their last tour. “And here we are. It’s coming out almost a year and a half later. And that feels kinda quick. We usually have gestations that can be about three years.” 

On the group’s come-up, JC explained that the group released their first album in 2013, after it was recorded in 2011. “We had real high hopes. We had been gigging all the time and, you know, we wanted to get signed by a major record label and we had a manager and we were really hyped. [Danton] Supple produced the album, and he’d produced Coldplay and even though we were small fry, it was really great to get someone like that,” JC added. 

“It was really freeing and we made an album that reflected us,” JC says

After the band finally released their debut album, JC said “the reaction was terrible. Everyone in the industry had nothing nice to say about it. People came to see us live and left without saying goodbye.” Nielsen added that feedback from radio stations called the band “too camp.” 

Despite the poor initial reaction to their debut record, Punch, as of August 2025, has 85,149,700 streams across all songs. 

“We had our supporters, but overwhelmingly, people did not like what we did. And that was tough to swallow at the time, but we carried on doing what we’ve now done,” JC said. 

They explained because of the reaction they got to their debut, their follow up record was easier to make. JC said that there was a sense of freedom in having no expectations. 

For their follow up, I Can Build a Fire, the band self-mixed, learning from YouTube videos, and took a very DIY approach to the album making process. “It was really freeing and we made an album that reflected us,” JC said. Nielsen added that “it was a very true moment because we thought no one liked us.” 

“All I’ve ever really wanted to get out of this was for people to like our music as much as I do,” JC says

“We thought no one wanted to listen to us, but we carried on anyway. I loved the music that we were doing. All I’ve ever really wanted to get out of this was for people to like our music as much as I do,” JC said. 

And while the band had a rough beginning, JC and Nielson said that as they kept going, they began to get messages from fans, expressing their love for the group. 

“We started to get [supportive] emails and DMs. I remember the moment a teacher sent us one of their students’ projects where they’d been asked to do a podcast about something that was important to them. They had chosen us,” JC explained. 

After the band’s third record, Hellbent, fans started requesting them to come to North America, which they did. It was the band’s first time performing live in 10 years, JC said. 

On this tour, with the band being back from absence, they reassessed their intentions and wants with the band. This led to them to writing their upcoming release. 

With the new release, they decided to step away from digitized sounds. “Heartlands is the return to our live roots. All the songs have live instrumentals. Everything is programmed live. There’s a real kind of urgency and liveness to it,” JC said. 

On the record’s name, Nielson explained that Autoheart’s fanbase has named themselves heartheads. And heartlands is a universe where everyone can coexist and belong. 

“I find it magical, considering how long we felt like we were on the outside,” JC says

With the band being on the outside of the industry at the beginning of their career, and rallying for themselves and do what they love regardless, the band’s fans have rallied around this sense of unapologetic self expression. “Something I hear so much from people who like our music is that they’ve been misunderstood, or they’ve felt like outsiders,” JC said. 

The fandom has grown into an organized group, they said. “There’s a whole discord thing going on where people arrange to meet at shows, even if they’re from different states or provinces. They coordinate their outfits and what characters from album covers they dress up as,” JC said. 

And to show their appreciation, JC and Nielson said that after shows, they stay around to meet and chat with any fans who want to. “I find it magical, considering how long we felt like we were on the outside. And then to be part of this real creative community of like-minded people,” JC said. 

With the help of their creative community, the band is set to release a music video to accompany the song, “Denial,” and they’re excited. “It references a lot of our work.” JC said. Nielson agreed, saying “we’re cosplaying our own characters, it’s a lot of fun.”

The trio is set to play the Starlite Room on November 11, and Heartlands was released August 15.