Down

Scottish-born, London/Athens-based songwriter and composer Joe Hearty presents Down, a melody-rich debut that moves between grief, joy, memory and queer adulthood.

Written between Stonehaven, London and Athens, the album began to take shape in late 2024, during a period of profound personal change. Much of it was composed in transit — on trains, in planes and on boats, during quiet moments of reflection. Shaped by movement, memory and his father's death, it turns its attention not only to grief, but also to what follows as ordinary life tentatively resumes.

Self-produced by Hearty and recorded in Liverpool, Athens and London, Down draws on Paul McCartney's instinct for melody, Scott Walker's dramatic emotional range and John Brion's playful arrangements. It moves between lush, orchestrated crescendos and moments of striking sparseness, with songs that remain direct and unguarded.