About the band
Russ and Joel started writing music together in 2002 while in The Cuban Heels, an alterative rock band based in Bristol. Their first collaboration was titled “Mr Brannan” and it went on to be released as a single in 2005.
The Cuban Heels toured the country playing in every toilet-sized venue the UK has to offer, living the dream in a beaten up old Ford van, sleeping on floors and sofas and relying on the kindness of fans and strangers.
The band signed to a shit independent record label, supported The Feeling and The Fratellis, nearly signed to EMI, played a festival to 30,000 people and then gloriously imploded in 2006.
The Misty Solitudes Are musicians and songwriters from The United KingDom
They’re all still pals. Other members of the Cuban Heels have their own things and are super talented;
Aron Attwood became Albino Tarantino check out their Latin infused blues and grooves, pure talent and a brilliant live band.
Chris Venables became Great Bear Radio hauntingly beautiful sounds.
Russ: Chris and I wrote an album that I'm really proud of as The Ripleys check out a youtube video
The Cuban Heels all got back together in 2012 with more pals to form the 8 piece songwriting collective Maesmynis (see more below).
In 2019 Joel and Russ started writing together again and by the end of the year had an EP loosely put together unfortunately titled "5 Day Fever". Then there was a global pandemic. During the pandemic they recorded loads of songs, the acoustic EP I Just Want To Go Outside was released in April 2020 and another batch of more electronic songs recorded during the same lockdown and shelved was released in May 2024 on the EP We Are Here Now.
Russ: “We wrote I Just Want To Go Outside remotely during lockdown and it kinda sucks because I mixed it on crappy headphones in my kitchen, all fat and sassy, but I like the songs. I think I’m going to remix and re-release it. ”
In 2024 they started writing and recording and releasing regularly with an idea to release a single every 6 weeks and an album in 2025. The first song for 2024 was In the Sunlight - check out the video here
Beat Fuzz
Joel also produces tunes as Joel Le Mole and in 2021 during lockdown he produced his debut solo album “Beat Fuzz”
“it is a snapshot of reflections and life through the lens of 2020.”
Russ and Joel are also part of songwriting collective Maesmynis, a project that started in 2012 as a songwriting stag do, has gone on to become an artistic collective that has played live and recorded dozens of great songs.
The 8 friends armed with every instrument they can lay there hands on and plenty of recording gear, lock themselves away for long weekends and write songs together.
Each session usually results in 10+ new songs being created that didn’t exist before the weekend began. The group recently held their 7th get-together and will be releasing new material in 2025 for the first time since 2017.
