"Hey Now" is a song written and recorded by the American rock band Tantric. It was released as the lead single from their 2004 second studio album After We Go on December 9, 2003.[1][2]
In an April 2002 interview with MTV News the band announced they would be returning to the studio after wrapping up their headlining tour on April 7 in San Francisco to begin writing and recording new music for their second album.[3][4]
The song's lyrics were co-written by lead singer Hugo Ferreira with guitarist Nuno Bettencourt from the band Extreme with Todd Whitener, Jesse Vest, and Matt Taul writing and composing their respected instrumentals parts.[5] Ferreira revealed that his collaboration with Bettencourt was a result of their shared upbringing in Hudson, Massachusetts. The two grew up in the same small town, their mothers were friends, and Ferreira would often visit Bettencourt's house, where he was allowed to play his guitars.[6][7]
During various different interviews the band participated in to promote the single's release and the upcoming new album, the band members stated the track was written during a tumultuous period in the production of After We Go. Tantric had already completed two extensive recording sessions when their label insisted they return to the studio for additional material.[8][9] Frustrated by the pressure from their label, the band went back and wrote three new songs—one of which was "Hey Now". Despite being conceived under duress, the song became the album's lead single and one of its most aggressive and emotionally charged tracks.[10]
Content
Musically, "Hey Now" follows Tantric's signature blend of layered vocal harmonies, folk-influenced acoustic strumming, and distorted guitar riffs, but with an added intensity. Ferreira described the song's lyrics as an expression of anger and betrayal, directed at someone within the band's inner circle, stating in an interview with VH1 that "Hey Now is kind of a ‘You did me wrong, so f--- you’ song." The lyrics reflect frustration toward a person who had broken promises and proven themselves to be untrustworthy, leaving the narrator questioning whether to maintain a connection with them.[11]
"I think the record is more mature and it's definitely heavier. We're all older, and we're a product of our environment. And there was crazy sh-- going on around us every day, whether it was another U.S. soldier getting shot or another disease that's killing people. Whenever you turn on the news, there's never anything good on there. People are pissed, everyone's broke, and we're invading other countries. There's no way you can be unaffected by it, and that struggle definitely helps give this record its own soul."
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
