Steve Fossen and Michael Derosier, bassist and drummer for the band Heart during the 1970s and early 1980s, are now touring as Heart By Heart. “Our mission is to perform the classic Heart music as faithfully as we can,” Fossen says. The band features vocalist Somar Macek, guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Lizzy Daymont and guitarist Chad Quist. Heart By Heart presents a powerful, dynamic show that includes all the favorite Heart hits as well as deep album cuts that fans will love.
Fossen and Derosier are the powerful driving engine behind Heart’s classic hits like “Barracuda”, “Straight On”, “Crazy On You”, “Magic Man”, “Even It Up”, “Dog & Butterfly”, “Heartless”, “Kick It Out”, and more. First formed by Steve Fossen in 1969, Heart went on to release six top-10 albums and landed 20 hit singles on the Billboard top 40 chart. In recognition of their contributions to these iconic recordings, and to Heart’s first seven years of national and international touring, Fossen and Derosier were inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the rest of the original Heart lineup in 2013.
(Brooklynn) Heart by Heart has played many exciting shows all across the United States. What has been some of your favorite venues to play in and why?
(Steve Fossen) The MOT (Miller Outdoor Theater), Houston, TX. It is a beautiful venue, wonderful staff, great catering and huge crowd. Resorts Casino, Star Stage,Atlantic City, NJ. We all loved the photographs lining the walls and hearing about the history of this stage which had hosted almost every entertainer from the 1940s on. The Gramercy Park Hotel, New York City, NY, Rose Room. We did a benefit for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in association with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
(Brooklynn) What about playing for a crowd at a historic venue such as the Egyptian Theatre excites the band?
(Steve Fossen) I have dealt with a professional courteous staff. While doing press and radio promo for our September 27 show I have found the media and community support for the Theatre to be outstanding. We are always excited to share our talents. We have a lot of pride in our band and we can tell the Theatre has a lot of pride also.
A win-win situation for the audience.
(Brooklynn) Heart is known for popular, classic rock songs such as “Barracuda” and “Crazy On You.” While performing as Heart by Heart, what are your favorite songs to play?
(Steve Fossen) I love performing “Magic Man.” It was Heart’s first hit and the first song I recorded for Dreamboat Annie. One of the top radio test songs of all time.
(Brooklynn) Besides Heart’s largest hits, what are some of your favorite, lesser-known songs?
(Steve Fossen) One of my favorites from Dreamboat Annie is “Soul of the Sea.” From Magazine, “Devil Delight.” “Treat Me Well” from Little Queen. “Mistral Wind” from Dog & Butterfly. “Down on Me” from Bebe le Strange. “City’s Burning” from Private Audition.
(Brooklynn) How did current members Lizzy Daymont and Chad Quist get to become part of Heart by Heart? Was there an audition process to become fellow band members with Michael Derosier, Steve Fossen, or Fossen’s wife, Somar Macek?
(Steve Fossen) Lizzy heard we were searching for another musician and she let us know she would like to audition. She auditioned and knew the material so well she did her first show with us a week later. Lizzy had known and done some shows with Chad. We heard he was moving back to the Seattle area and we arranged an audition. We are so glad we can work with Chad, not only a great guitar player but a fun person to be around. Both Chad and Lizzy attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA.
Somar and I had a relationship and a vocal and bass duo, that’s when we started calling ourselves HEART BY HEART. One day we asked Michael Derosier and Randy Hansen (HENDRIX artist) to join us because we wanted a complete band. Through our website and social media, agents from across the USA heard about us and started booking shows.
(Brooklynn) Given that Heart originated in Seattle, does Heart by Heart currently consider Seattle shows to be their “hometown shows?” And are those shows any different than playing elsewhere?
(Steve Fossen) Yes, we consider Seattle, WA, our home town. We are grateful to our city, and state for giving HEART BY HEART the support and encouragement to present our shows around the pacific northwest and America.
(Brooklynn) What should audiences expect to see when they come to watch Heart by Heart perform?
(Steve Fossen) We play as many of the Heart hits people know and love as we can fit into our show. We play them as close as possible to the original recordings in order to let the audience experience the nostalgia of the songs they have listened to all these years. Somar will sing her heart out, Mike and I play the parts we made up and recorded, Somar and Lizzy harmonizes beautifully, Lizzy plays acoustic guitar plus keyboards and Lizzy and Chad will electrify the crowd with their flashy guitar work.
* Some answers have been edited for clarity.
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