A throwback of the ever heroic Heavenly; press photo courtesy of Alison Wonderland.

Harkening back to the DIY revolutions of the 80s & 90s, the world was graced with a new radical revolution from a progressive group of dreamers based out of Oxford, UK. A band with big visions that would build the enlightened realms of tomorrow, inspiring folks around the globe to create, start a band, project their truths through the mediums of song, and make our global communities feel a little closer, warmer, cozier, and way more mindful. Like contemporaries Huggy Bear, Dolly Mixture, Talulah Gosh, the Shop Assistants, Lush, and so on: a femme forward movement took hold that provided a new platform for every cis woman and girl that ever dreamed of taking the center stage in a crowded male dominated series of tired scenes.

Enter independent pop stalwarts Heavenly; the talents of Amelia Fletcher, Peter Momtchiloff, Cathy Rogers, Rob Pursey, and Ian Button who deliver the lead single off their new album Highway to Heavenly titled “Scene Stealing”. Remaining true to the sentiment, style, and sensibility established 35-plus years back with the advent of their debut Heavenly vs. Satan (and even earlier singles): the band brings bouquets of song that sort out the stranger than fictions sensations of living in the modern (and muddled), material world.

The opener "Scene Stealing" lampoons the purloiners of the pop scenes, dodgy interlopers, suspect bad actors of dubious intent, and anyone that obfuscates originality and intent. The trials and tribulations of those who trespass are also sung en Español on the b-side "Robas Escenas", delivering a testimonial on tricksters and hucksters over their trademark sound. The Heavenly bunch jet over to the PNW to live their truth in the face of contemporary upheavals and clashes on "Portland Town", in a rocking song about being your earnest self and living life authentically to the fullest in the face of adversity and authoritarian threats.

The chronically and chaotically online world of obsessiveness, carelessness, callousness, and other such calamities rock, rattle, and roll on the tense rhythmic pulses of "Press Return". The anthems keep on sparkling with the beautiful "Skep Wax" that could serve as a theme song for the band's own self-ran imprint, to countering the chaos of the world with the empowered energy of "Deflicted". "Excuse Me" turns up the energy with the stumble stepping song of mistaken identity, along with the interpersonal dynamics of differences and dalliances that dance to "A Different Beat". The balladry of bad losing out to the good sashays and sways (but never wavers) on "Good Times", venturing into pursuits of the preposterous and other such steeplechases on "The Neverseen".

"She is the One" exalts an iconic individual in the aesthetic of a lost demo from Miki Berenyi from the early 90s, as "The Last Day" reminisces on anecdotes in a eulogy for days and those that have past. One can't help but think of the immense loss of Amelia's brother and Heavenly band member Mathew Fletcher who they left this mortal plane over 30 years back. The band’s triumphant homecoming feels like a bright burst of sun-kissed solar flares in a world consumed by draconian rancor and regression. Having blessed us with acts like Marine Research, Tender Trap, Catenary Wires, and so during their hiatus: Heavenly’s return arrives not a moment too late with an inclusive array of technicolor light that bestows beacons and klaxons of hope for all to witness.

Three inspirations from Ian, Cathy, Peter, Amelia & Rob of Heavenly

…and Heavenly now; photographed by Alison Wonderland.

Ian

Dorothy Say

I have two pastel landscapes by this little known artist, which my parents bought in the early 70s. They are scenes of Kent — the Darent Valley where our family used to go rambling. I’ve walked past these paintings on countless days without looking but lately I’ve been staring at them a bit more, remembering — and trying to recognise the locations from the train to London.

Speedway

A fantastic venue local to me in Folkestone — run by a great team who’ve come through some tough times but are back with a buzz and such a characterful, surreal place for music and events they curate. When you’re inside, you get a feeling you could be anywhere, in a club in Berlin, Detroit, Tokyo, or on a starship recreation deck.

AI

Maybe inspiration is the wrong word….all the sinister dystopian doom of it aside…..It’s visual AI — from things like Crumb Hill to fake plane aerobatics/deluges and acid-trip transformations on a friend’s phone app which I don’t have — these are the kind of things I’ve had dreams/nightmares about all my life and I’m fascinated it seems to be tapping directly into that. The implications for my own consciousness and reality I find quite exhilarating!

Cathy

Hannah Ritchie at Our World in Data

If it is possible to be a 'Data activist' then that's what Hannah Ritchie is. She - and in fact everyone at Our World in Data - sees it as her mission to make interesting, intelligible true information about the world accessible - and interesting - to everyone. She crunches the numbers so you don't have to. She also somehow manages to stay hopeful. She uses numbers to help show how the world is already so much better than it was and that, despite everything, we can continue to make it better.

Rachel Cusk

I feel that Rachel Cusk could have easily decided, a decade or two ago, to have an easy life and just churn out the sort of books that easily sell. But instead she decided to always try to do something new, experimenting with words and form, always with interesting results and new insights into the world. Everything she writes feels like her wrestling with working out what it is to be a woman - sometimes very directly, like in her book about becoming a mother, and sometimes much more obliquely as in her most recent book Parade.

Lips Choir

There's not much that I find more heartening than listening live to lots of voices singing in harmony. To be honest I'm not fussy either — it can be an amateur bunch of carol singers for all I care. But Lips Choir take it to another level. They're a London-based trans-inclusive feminist pop choir who bring a ferocious joy to their singing. Robyn and Chappell Roan reimagined as political advocacy. Lovely!

Peter

Fuchsia Dunlop

She was the first Western woman to study at the Sichuan Higher Institute of Cuisine. Her books on Chinese food have given me a lot of pleasure as a reader; this year my resolution is to follow recipes, and I’m starting with hers.

Vanishing Twin

They gathered in London ten years ago from Belgium, Italy, and Japan, and have made four wonderful albums, emanating Dada sci fi eeriness from their melodic grooves. I think they are now re-emerging from a child-related cocoon.

Peter Doig

One of the good things about the 21st century has been the return of painting. It’s odd to think now that it was out of fashion in the 1990s. My favourite contemporary paintings are by Peter Doig: each creates its own beautiful colour world and mysterious atmosphere. I don’t know whether I can really claim to take inspiration from visual art, not being a visual artist, but I’m choosing him anyway.

Amelia

My aunt Maureen

My dad’s sister Maureen has just turned 100. She has all her mental faculties and still gets peeved if she doesn’t get at least one topical haiku accepted onto the front page of her local paper (the Concord Monitor) each week. She says she fully expects to be 100 for the whole year, and I believe her. If I can get to her age, and be in as good shape as her, I will be amazed but also very pleased.

Out and about for a bit with the Heavenly bunch; photographed by Alison Wonderland.

Elle Cordova

I don’t usually like the reels that appear unbidden in my social media feeds, but I do like them when they are made by Elle Cordova. I love her combination of humour and incredible nerdiness. She does reels about grammar, literature and science, sometimes through the medium of song. It’s a bit like schoolhouse rock for those that have left the schoolhouse but kind of miss it. Recently, she has been more outspoken politically, and I like the way her voice is soft but powerful. I was thinking of her a little when I wrote the lyrics for new Heavenly song “Good Times”.

The Stonewall Riots

I realise that these are hardly current, given they happened in 1969, but they remain an important inspiration. Despite being completely spontaneous, they became the catalyst for the development of gay rights movements around the world. The name was even adopted by UK LGBTQ rights charity, Stonewall, which has done a huge amount to improve rights in the UK. Since these rights are under threat again globally, it feels important to think back to those early moments. The Stonewall Riots partly inspired new Heavenly song “Deflicted”.

Rob

Everyday domestic items

Right now, sitting here typing at the dining table, my favourite things are these two little rats that hold up candles. I bought them for Amelia for a Christmas present. I think she finds them slightly repulsive, so maybe that’s why I feel the need to stand up for them. We never light candles, so the rats will probably never get to fulfil their purpose, which is poignant. I realise the rats are trivial things, but there are always one or two domestic items whose shape, colour and textures I find myself staring at while I daydream about other stuff, and for all of January so far it’s been the candle-rats that I focus on.

Peter Perrett

I was a very big fan of the Only Ones when I was young, but I never got to see them. Last year, I did have the chance to see lead singer Peter Perrett play for the first time, and it was wonderful. Perrett always had an old man’s kind of singing style, and it made sense that here he was in 2025, thin and frail, giving voice to songs he’d written in his 20s, as if the younger Perrett had been composing songs for the old man-to-be. The new album is excellent as well. He has not compromised.

Cory Doctorow

I admire anyone who tries to make sense of the political situation we are in right now, and Doctorow does a very good job of analysing tech oligarchies: what they are doing politically, what they are seeking to achieve commercially, how they want to change our world. They are ubiquitous, hegemonic entities and therefore it’s really hard to stand back and take a good objective look at them, but Doctorow manages it.

Highway to Heavenly arrives February 27 via Skep Wax.

Stealing back the scenes & hearts with Heavenly