Heaving. Unmask Expansive New Sound with Latest Single ‘Carsick’

Photo courtesy of Will Jane

This past year, Peoria, Illinois–based band heaving. has been quietly recalibrating behind the scenes, locking into a darker, more punishing strain of heaviness that has rapidly expanded their reach beyond their local scene. Known for their visceral approach to heavy music, the four-piece has been sharpening their sound since their formation, threading together elements of modern nu-metal, shoegaze, post-hardcore and alternative metal into something that feels instinctively cathartic and emotionally raw. 

Their latest release, “carsick,” closes out their July EP “why are you still dreaming?” as a track that embodies abrasive and atmospheric instrumentation with unrestrained and vulnerable lyricism. Following earlier singles “faces of you” and “if i cried out,” the song brings the EP to a fitting close, contrasting qualities that balance its hazy tone and melodic textures with heavier impulses to create one anthemic statement. It’s a fitting final note for an EP that graciously shifts between restless and euphoric energies, culminating in a final track that feels deeply immersive.

“I think the EP in general, like, because each single that we put out definitely has its toes in different styles, and we like to not limit ourselves into being like in one category. I felt like when we were writing [carsick] we did talk about how it was more palatable and more approachable than some of our other stuff, like ‘if i cried out’... the song that we put out before it is like our heaviest song that we put out, and it's like full breakdowns, almost constant screaming, things like that,” Tyler Spatafore [drums] said. “We really just wanted something that was impactful and had a catchy chorus, and like I don't know … We probably said it while we were writing, but we wanted it to feel like a big anthem.”

The song exposes vulnerable truths, seemingly using vivid imagery of motion sickness and physical instability to trace a relationship as it begins to fall apart. Its lyrics capture that emotional turbulence with a reflexive sense of movement, both disorienting and difficult to hold on to. Throughout “why are you still dreaming?,” heaving. draws from the all-consuming textures of modern heavy shoegaze, the subversive weight of alternative-metal staples like Deftones and the bleeding sincerity of 2000s metalcore bands like Poison the Well, creating a sound that can transform from dreamlike ambience to devastating walls of distortion without sacrificing its emotional core.

That heavier identity has also been shaped by the band's environment playing in Peoria’s scene that mostly spans indie rock, alternative rock and pop-punk; there was a need for heavier, experiential projects that heaving. was aiming to fill. Even as several venues have closed in recent years, Peoria's DIY community has continued to create spaces for live music, with local artists and organizers finding new ways to keep the scene active. That includes the recent Mount Moon Festival featuring heaving., which brought together local music and community support while raising funds for the Peoria Opportunities Foundation.

That DIY ethos extends directly into heaving.'s creative process. “Carsick” began as a rough instrumental skeleton, before jamming helped mold the ideas into a nearly finished track. The band eventually dismantled parts of the initial version and rebuilt them for the EP. Spatafore programmed the drums first, giving the band a foundation to build the guitars and vocals around, then returned to track the final drums once the rest of the song had taken shape. 

Heaving. invested in upgrading their recording equipment to give the songs greater depth and clarity while keeping the process firmly in their own hands. The band took the time to hone each track without losing the heart of the process that shaped them. The result preserves the raw character of a home-recorded project while giving the EP a fuller-bodied, more developed sound.

That same level of DIY dedication carried into the EP itself with equally deliberate construction. Rather than releasing three disconnected singles, the band designed “why are you still dreaming?” as a continuous loop. Each song feeds into the next sonically, while the accompanying music videos are structured to fade into one another with purposeful visuals. 

Watch the music video for “carsick,” here:

Now, with the entire EP released and a growing audience discovering the band through this new era, heaving. is stepping into a new chapter, one where the ideas they have spent the past year developing are beginning to take shape beyond the boundaries of the release. With a more definitive sound and a refined visual identity, the band has locked their sights ahead — longtime fans and new listeners can expect to see more of heaving. as they take on new musical opportunities.