HMLTD – ICM’s Artist Spotlight
HMLTD are a band whose name has been circling for a long time now. It’s taken me a long time to get round to getting into them properly but as you may be able to tell by the fact you’re reading this article, I did get round to it and they’re incredible.
HMLTD, formerly Happy Meal Limited, are one of the most exciting bands on the scene right now. Their artistic avant-grade style is instantly noticeable regardless of their music. Some of the most extravagantly and well dressed bands in the world, blurring lines between genders, and showing off their true creativity visually as well as audibly.
The first exposure to HMLTD’s music came in the form of ‘Pictures of You’. It’s a heavy pop rock banger that instantly hooks you in with sultry vocals dancing over a repeating guitar riff.
‘Pictures of You’ on first listen just a truly great track, with a catchy chorus and beautifully complicated and yet still simple tune behind it. On second listen, paying more attention to the lyrics there’s a disturbing darkness to it.
The band had this to say about the track: “In the internet age, nothing is ever truly removable, and no one entirely forgettable. The effect this has on love and heartbreak is tragic.
“‘Pictures Of You’ was written as a song about masturbating to photos, sent by your ex-partner, that you can’t delete. We look at old photos or videos and believe we still love the person in them, but really, we just love that image of them.
“Then those images become mere vehicles for our own self-love. Like Narcissus himself, you lose yourself in the reflection offered up by these images and the tragedy is complete.”
The band really delve into the more avant-garde style in their other tracks. ‘To The Door’ sounds like it belongs in punk’s version of Pulp Fiction. ‘Satan, Luella, and I’ is an almost balladic at times love song with a wholly dark and evil tone. HMLTD seem to hit so many beautiful bases in their music and it can open you up to many different styles whilst retaining their own sound they’ve developed.
I’m yet to see the band live but everyone who has used the phrase “it’s a once in a lifetime experience” afterwards and honestly I can’t wait to see them.