Evolution in Motion: Dark Heart Reflect on the Past and Charge Into the Future

Evolution in Motion: Dark Heart Reflect on the Past and Charge Into the Future

Few bands embody perseverance and reinvention quite like Dark Heart. Emerging from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene and later branching into the melodic hard‑rock territory of Change of Heart, the creative partnership between vocalist/keyboardist Alan Clark and guitarist Nick Catterick has spanned decades, genres, and countless musical evolutions. Now, with their new album Evolution released via Pride & Joy Music, the duo are stepping into what feels like a defining moment — a sharpened sound, a revitalized lineup, and a renewed sense of purpose.

In this candid conversation, Alan and Nick reflect on the making of Evolution, the stories behind key tracks, lineup changes, anniversaries of past albums, Alan’s new role in Mad Max, and their hopes for reaching fans across Europe and the United States. What emerges is a portrait of two musicians who still believe deeply in the power of melodic hard rock — and who are more energized than ever to bring Dark Heart to a wider audience.

We’re here with Alan from Dark Heart. A lot has happened since the last time we spoke. First of all, let’s talk about the new album Evolution. Is there an overall story or concept behind the title?
Alan: Yeah, to a degree. In terms of the concept behind the tracks, it really reflects how we wrote the songs. But I wanted the title to show that the band had advanced from the last album. We definitely felt we had, and we do feel the band is evolving toward a particular direction and sound. That’s really where the idea of Evolution came from — we felt we were developing, moving forward, and starting to form a strong identity. That’s the best way I can put it.

Let’s talk about a few of the songs. “Light the Flame” — tell me about that one and the inspiration behind it.
Alan: The musical concept started with a riff and an idea from Nick. He was actually supposed to join us on the call, but for some reason he hasn’t managed to get on — nothing unusual, probably technical problems! When I sat down to write the lyrics, I wanted to convey a feeling of energy and creation. You know the phrase “light the blue touch paper”? That idea of sparking something powerful — that’s where the inspiration for the song came from.

Let’s move on to “Hands of Fate.” Tell me about that one.
Alan: Hands of Fate took a few attempts to get right. We messed around with it quite a bit before it landed where we wanted it. Lyrically, it’s rooted in my belief in the afterlife, spirits, that sort of thing. You’ll have to bear with me if you’re not a believer! But it’s about searching for the truth — what’s real and what isn’t, what’s physical and what’s spiritual. Almost like someone on a journey trying to find answers. I do believe everyone has a pre‑ordained fate, so the lyrics explore whether there’s a link between this world and whatever’s on the other side. That’s really where Hands of Fate came from.

And then the final song on the album, “Burned.” Tell me a little about that one.
Alan: Burned originally appeared on a Change of Heart album — Truth or Dare back in 2006. I always liked the song, and Nick really liked it too. He said, “Let’s do a new version, bring it up to date, make it our style.” And we felt we could do a better job with it now. So we re‑recorded it, and it really works. Lyrically, it’s about someone being badly treated by their partner — for lack of a better phrase. It’s kind of a reversal of roles in some respects. But yeah, it’s an older Change of Heart song that we felt deserved a fresh take.

What has it been like working with producer Pete Newdeck of Midnight City and Vega?
Alan: It’s been great. This is the second album we’ve done with Pete, and also with Josh on bass. We actually had a lineup put together because we supported Demon at the end of ’24 — or was it last year? I can’t remember! But we struggled to get the quality we wanted from the band in terms of recording. So when it came time to make the album, we decided to go where we felt comfortable. We worked with Pete again, had him handle the drums, and Josh did the bass. It was a really good experience, as always. We trust them, they’re both very talented. Pete gets a great sound, and with Harry Hess mastering, we knew we’d get the quality we were after.

Demon was actually my next question — I had you listed as playing with them in 2024. What was that experience like?
Alan: It was great, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a birthday gig for the venue — Paul Hume (of Demon) owns it — and it was a fantastic opportunity for us to get out there. Good crowd, great reaction, and we enjoyed every minute of it. It was also a chance to play some of the songs from the album, which we hadn’t been able to do yet. It would’ve been nice to keep that momentum going, but unfortunately some of the guys in the band just weren’t putting their backs into it enough. I don’t want to say they weren’t trying, but maybe it was beyond them, I don’t know. They just weren’t delivering after that, so we moved on.

With the new album coming out on Pride & Joy Music, do you plan to tour in support of it?
Alan: Yeah — that’s the million‑dollar question, isn’t it? We do plan to. In fact, within the last two or three weeks we’ve added a drummer to the lineup. We’ve brought in a guy called Elliot, who’s absolutely superb. He’s a great drummer, a great keyboard player as well, so he’s going to fit perfectly. We’re hoping to add a bass player soon too. Once that’s in place, we’ll definitely be playing live. No question about it. It’s the plan — we want to play live. This music deserves to be played live.

Tell me more about your new drummer, Elliot. What’s his full name, and what other bands has he been in?
Alan: He hasn’t really been in any bands you’d have heard of. Originally, he was actually part of the first incarnation of the new Dark Heart back in 2018–2019, but at the time he just didn’t have the availability to commit. Things have changed since then, and now he’s got the opportunity — and he’s grabbed it with both hands. He’s a great addition: a good songwriter, a great guy, and a top‑class drummer. The guy can play Dream Theater‑level stuff without breaking a sweat. His full name is Elliot Sneddon.

Has Dark Heart or Change of Heart ever played in the States?
Alan: No, we haven’t. We’d love to, but it’s never happened. There were a couple of opportunities years ago with Change of Heart, but we couldn’t get the timing right. But both Nick and I feel that Europe and the States are where we’d really like to be playing. If the opportunity comes up, we’ll grab it with both hands. It’s definitely something we want to do.

Great — and I see Nick has just joined us. Nick, how has your collaboration with Alan worked so well across all these bands and all these years?
Nick: I think we just like the same music. I’m slightly younger than Alan, but we more or less have the same tastes. We appreciate the same approach to writing. If I come up with something or Alan comes up with something, we tend to click straight away. We were always into the LA bands — I was a huge Dokken fan, and Alan was too. And of course bands like Dio. Those were big influences for us, so we naturally look at songs in a similar way. That’s why it works.

And what does the album title Evolution mean to you?
Nick: We’re kind of bringing the band out of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal roots and evolving it into what we want it to be — more melodic hard rock, with a touch of AOR. I think this album is a key moment for us. We’re aiming at the audience that loves that style, and hopefully it’ll appeal to fans of that genre. It’s definitely the direction we want to be in.

We’re going to go through a few anniversaries your bands have hit. Change of Heart recently marked the 10‑year anniversary of Last Tiger. When you look back on that album now, what do you think of it in retrospect?
Alan: It’s a really good album — a strong piece of work. I don’t have a bad word to say about it. It was one of those albums where I could write exactly the kind of tracks I wanted to write. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, but Wayward Son is actually Nick’s musically. That’s how far back we go — I asked if I could use the track on the album, and he kindly said yes. I love the album, honestly. There are some great songs on it. It’s a little more diverse than some of the earlier Change of Heart material, but overall I think it’s very strong and still holds up today.

Let’s go back 20 years now. Change of Heart’s Truth or Dare came out around 2005–2006. Looking back two decades later, how do you feel about that album?
Alan: There are some really good songs on it, but I wasn’t — and still am not — happy with the production. I don’t think it was as strong as it could’ve been. Some of it feels a bit weak to me. I think we missed an opportunity to make a better‑sounding record. But you know, it was 20 years ago — no point crying over it now. That’s actually why we decided to redo “Burned.” We felt we could do a better version, and I think we absolutely have. That’s how it should have sounded.

Nick: Yeah, definitely.

Alan, there’s been some big news about you recently — you’ve joined Mad Max. How did that come about?
Alan: Well, I’ve known Axel, the drummer, for quite a few years. They actually asked me a few years back if I’d join, but the timing wasn’t right and I couldn’t commit. Then they said they were doing this 45‑year anniversary album and asked if I’d like to be part of it. I said yes. That’s basically how it happened — they approached me again, said they really wanted me to do it, and this time there was no reason I couldn’t. So it all fell into place.

Is there any new Mad Max material on the horizon? You mentioned an album coming out.
Alan: The album is a collection of songs that either didn’t make previous albums or were old demos they felt deserved more attention. So it’s older material brought up to date and re‑recorded, mainly to tie in with the anniversary. I think they do plan to record new material a bit later on, but for now the focus is on this collection of previously unreleased tracks.

Did Mad Max and Dark Heart or Change of Heart ever play shows or tour together?
Alan: No, never. I think we were on a compilation album together once — that’s the closest we’ve come. We’ve never actually played the same gig. And now it would be pretty difficult, especially since I’m singing for Dark Heart and doing vocals for Mad Max. Doing both in one night would be a bit of a strain. I’d definitely need a lie‑down afterward — I’m too old for that now!

Nick, what other bands or projects are you involved with outside of Dark Heart?
Nick: Nothing. This is my only writing project, and to be honest, it probably always will be. I have free rein here — we work the way we want, there’s no pressure, and we do things when we can. That suits me. I work full‑time, so as much as I’d love to do music full‑time, I can’t. So all my time and energy goes into what we do with Dark Heart.

You have a new album about to come out. What do you hope the rest of the year brings for you, and what goals do you have for Dark Heart?
Nick: We really just want to get out there and get noticed. We believe in this album. It’s important for us to build our fan base — especially in America. When I was putting the riffs together, the idea was always that it would appeal to both European and American audiences. If we can get a bit more success, more airplay, who knows? We’d certainly consider another album. With the last one, we didn’t get the distribution or push we needed, which was disappointing. But with the new label, Pride & Joy — who I think are excellent — I feel like we’ve got a real shot this time.

Alan: Yeah, I totally agree. And like I mentioned earlier, Elliot is a great addition. It would be nice at some point to get on a few festival bills as Dark Heart. That would be fantastic.

Nick: Absolutely. I think we deserve it. We’re confident now — our music is as good as anything that’s come out in the last few years. We believe in it, and I think the new label does too. We’re excited. We’re looking forward to getting more reviews, more fans, and seeing what comes from it.

Last question: Do you have any messages for Dark Heart and Change of Heart fans here in the States who’ve been following your career all this time?
Alan: Hopefully we can continue to produce music they enjoy and want to follow. For those who’ve supported Dark Heart and Change of Heart over the years, I’m truly grateful. It means a lot to know there are people who like what we do, who follow us, and who appreciate the music. That’s half the reason you do it — to have people hear your work and connect with it. So my heartfelt thanks to them. And hopefully one day we’ll be able to repay that support by coming over and playing so they can see us live.

And the last word from Nick — go for it.
Nick: Same here. I’m grateful to anyone who enjoys our music, listens to it, or even buys it. We’re just trying to keep alive the kind of music we grew up on — keep the flame lit, so to speak. And if we can carry that into the next album, that would be great. We’ve got a lot more in the tank. I feel like we’re really just starting again in the game now. Hopefully we’ll get more interest and a bit of a push from the record company and have a really good year. I think we can get there. So thank you to everyone out there who’s interested — it means a lot to me personally.

In Conclusion

As Dark Heart step confidently into this new chapter, Evolution feels less like a comeback and more like a statement of intent. Alan Clark and Nick Catterick have weathered lineup changes, shifting musical landscapes, and decades of reinvention, yet their passion for melodic hard rock remains as sharp as ever. With a revitalized band, a supportive new label, and a renewed sense of purpose, they’re poised to reach the audiences they’ve long hoped to connect with — from Europe to the United States and beyond.

Whether you’ve followed Dark Heart and Change of Heart since the early days or are discovering them for the first time, Evolution stands as proof that the flame still burns brightly. And if the band’s enthusiasm is any indication, this is only the beginning of what promises to be an exciting new era.

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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