GATHERING MOMENTUM
Gathering Heart was born of an original project band idea designed in December 2018 whilst two friends Kat and Gio, enjoyed summer in their much-loved city Perth, in Western Australia.
The band first rehearsed in February 2019 with foundation members singer/songwriter Kat Bailey, bass player Giovanni Fusco and drummer Adrian Strk in January 2019 and was named Gathering Heart. Full of creative energy, skill and passion the trio were exciting from the very beginning attracting attention in rehearsal studios as they worked on Kats first songs.
Gathering Heart first appeared as a trio at the Market City Tavern in Canning Vale in March 2019, playing their originals at Open Mic nights, receiving a great response from crowd they dared to dream of the bands potential.
Having vision and making that vision real is not easy, the band needed a lead player with skill and commitment so Gio hunted for months and eventually secured lead guitarist Andy Rolfe in April 2019 and we were then a four-piece rock band.
Only Gio wanted more, inspired by the dual lead players of “The Eagles” he searched for second lead player to work in harmony with Andy to produce a uniqueness in our music. In July 2019, Trev Geiles walked into rehearsal and instinctively played harmony leads with Andy Rolfe. Two rehearsals later our band family was solid, and Gathering Heart became a 5-piece Rock and Roll band. Later in 2019 Gathering Heart entered an open mic competition at market City Tavern and claimed runner up by a narrow margin against young music graduates from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, both bands receiving loud applause from an appreciative audience.
Excited by the success and gaining fans, the band started recording at Gio’s place in October 2019.
Kat was quietly following Facebook posts of DNO, a guy who walked across the country from Bunbury to Sydney to raise awareness for the prevention of suicide. DNO was posing constantly as he walked, and his many followers cheered him on as he walked into Sydney in January 2020. Kat was so inspired by DNO she wrote a song to honor his great cause and was relieved when he boarded a plane back to Perth as the government locked down state borders in response to the Covid 19 pandemic.
January 2020 will be long remembered for the Covid-19 pandemic and social restrictions that ceased all social contact, so many people locked in their homes, lost their loved ones and their livelihoods it was devastating. Unable to rehearse or record, our band members stayed in touch via messenger and face-book and we all dealt with an avalanche of change that impacted on our daily lives.
Kat sent a copy of the song she wrote to DNO and he liked it so much he offered to film the first Gathering Heart music video at Lake Clifton. The band was thrilled and began recording “I choose to live” at Vision Recording Studios on 06 July 2020, recording between reprieves on social distancing restrictions.
Sadly, the Covid19 pandemic was financially crippling for Gio, and he left the band in June 2020 to work in remote mining operations, just 16 months after the band first played its first gig as a trio.
Gio returned in August 2020 to record his bass track for “I choose to live” and again for another day in October 2020 to be filmed for our first music video, however pandemic disruptions plagued production and the video was never completed.
Kat was determined and the pandemic was not going to stop Gathering Heart from digitally releasing its first song “I choose to live” on Band Camp 05 June 2021 with the characteristic sounds of Giovanni Fusco’s melodic bass.
“I choose to live” was published on iTunes that same month and raced up the worldwide iTunes rock charts to sit at number 4, sitting steady for a week, then bouncing back and forth trading places with “Bohemian Rhapsody” Queen for another week.
Gathering Heart celebrated its success, becoming stronger and hungry for more, and we needed a new bass player. Founding member and drummer Adrian quickly reached out to Bob Young, a former band colleague who had a ton of experience. Bob’s first practice session in September 2020 was seamless and Bob is now an integral part of the Gathering Heart band family.
Gathering Heart continues to evolve against all odds, and we have not lost any members. Choosing collectively to cherish our past members who are now busy with other projects, we all stay in touch. Celebrating and performing our songs for you. It is so rewarding to see you, our fan family dancing & singing our songs, and there are so many more to come!!!!!.
Special thanks to our awesome photographer Kylie Storm. Kylie has followed us from the start capturing our story as we live our music in the moment!! Love your work Kylie Storm you are brilliant!!!
