This Is Fireheart

Formed in December 2024, FIREHEART is a hard rock band forged from resilience, passion and second chances.

Five seasoned musicians. Five very different stories. Five people who, for one reason or another, refused to let their past define what came next.

At its heart, FIREHEART represents rebirth — that moment when the flame reignites after you thought everything had burned away.

Every member of the band carries their own story. Grief. Mental health. Self-doubt. Imposter syndrome. Rejection. Bullying. Loss. The pressure of balancing families, careers and the ridiculous dream of still wanting to stand on a stage and make music.

They haven't overcome everything.

They don't pretend to have all the answers.

They're just five mates figuring it out together.

And somewhere along the way, those individual stories became FIREHEART.

That same honesty runs through the music: huge melodies, massive choruses and songs about the things that actually happen when the stage lights go out.

FROM GROUND ZERO

FIREHEART has never done things traditionally.

Before the full line-up had even been revealed — and before anyone had heard a single note of music — the band opened the doors and invited people in.

A social media community was created at ground zero, allowing fans to watch the whole thing unfold from the beginning. Through a series of ridiculous skits, videos and reveals, each member was introduced one by one and a community began forming around a band that, technically, nobody had even heard yet.

The idea was simple:

Be ourselves. No egos. No bullshit. See what happens.

What happened surprised everyone.

Within just six weeks, FIREHEART sold out its debut merchandise campaign in 35 hours, built a community of thousands and signed a digital distribution deal with Earache Records.

Then the music finally arrived.

Debut single “Staring at the Sun” entered both the Official UK Physical Singles Chart and Official Vinyl Singles Chart at Number 2, proving that the community which had grown around FIREHEART was ready to get behind the music too.

Since then, FIREHEART has taken that community out into the real world — onto stages, through tours, into packed venues and festivals, meeting more incredible people with every step.

But underneath everything that's happened, the reason for doing it hasn't really changed.

FIREHEART isn't about pretending five people have got life figured out.

It's about five very different people, carrying five very different stories, who found each other through music and decided to build something positive from everything life had thrown at them.

This is who we are.

And these are our stories.

Kev Baker

Guitar, Backing Vocals

About Kev

For most of his life, Kev Baker believed there was something wrong with him.

He constantly felt different. Conversations seemed harder than they should be. Friendships often became complicated. He would overthink interactions, replay conversations in his head for days, and convince himself people were angry with him, even when they weren’t. He struggled with organisation, focus, emotional regulation and the constant feeling that everyone else had received a handbook for life that he somehow missed.

For years, he blamed himself. Then came the diagnosis.

Learning that he had ADHD didn’t magically solve everything, but it answered questions he had been asking his entire life. Suddenly, decades of confusion started to make sense. The things he had viewed as personal failures weren’t character flaws. He wasn’t lazy. He wasn’t broken. His brain simply worked differently.

The diagnosis became the beginning of a journey of self understanding.

Alongside ADHD, Kev experiences Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD), a condition commonly associated with ADHD that can make perceived rejection or criticism feel overwhelming and deeply personal. A delayed message, a misunderstood conversation, a cancelled plan, things many people brush off can sometimes trigger a spiral of self doubt and anxiety.

For someone working in an industry built on public opinion, social media and constant scrutiny, that isn’t always easy.

Music has often been both the escape and the battlefield.

Like many musicians, Kev spent years tying his self worth to success, approval and validation from others. When he was unexpectedly dismissed from his previous band, it reinforced many of the fears he had carried for years. But rather than walking away, he chose to fight for the thing he loved most.

That fight became Fireheart.

As one of the band’s founding members, Kev helped build Fireheart alongside a group of musicians who had all faced their own struggles. What started as a band quickly became something much bigger, a community built on honesty, resilience and real connection.

Away from music, Kev is a husband, a father and a full time professional. Balancing those responsibilities alongside touring, writing, recording and building a band has been one of the biggest challenges of his life.

There are days when the demands feel impossible.

Days when being present for his family, succeeding in his career and chasing a lifelong dream all seem to be pulling in different directions.

The reality is rarely glamorous.

It’s early mornings after late night drives. It’s answering work emails at rehearsals. It’s getting the kids packed lunches ready before gigs. It’s carrying guilt when one part of life demands attention from another.

But it’s also proof that dreams don’t have to end when real life begins.

Through everything, one thing has remained constant, his refusal to hide the struggles that so many people experience behind closed doors.

Kev has become known for his raw honesty about mental health, ADHD, anxiety and self worth. Thousands of people have connected with his story because it reflects something they recognise in themselves, the feeling of trying to navigate a world that doesn’t always make sense while carrying battles nobody else can see.

Within Fireheart, Kev’s Blue Heart represents Truth.

Not because he has everything figured out.

Not because he’s overcome every struggle.

But because he believes there is power in telling the truth about who you are.

The truth that mental health struggles exist.

The truth that ADHD can be both a gift and a challenge.

The truth that success doesn’t remove insecurity.

The truth that fathers, husbands, musicians and ordinary people all carry battles beneath the surface.

And most importantly, the truth that being different doesn’t mean you’re broken.

Sometimes it simply means you’re still learning how your heart works.

The breakthrough moment for Kev was when he learned in a therapy session that Good is Good Enough 💙

Russ Grimmett

Lead Vocals

About Russ

Singer. Dad. Overthinker. Professional idiot. Usually louder than necessary.

Music was probably always going to find Russ.

His dad was the legendary British heavy metal vocalist Steve Grimmett, best known as the voice of Grim Reaper, as well as Lionsheart and Onslaught. Growing up around music meant singing and performing were simply part of Russ’s world from the very beginning.

They’re some pretty enormous shoes to stand next to.

And perhaps that’s partly why, despite having spent more than two decades singing, touring and performing around the world, Russ still battles heavily with imposter syndrome.

He’ll happily walk onto a stage, grab a microphone and sing his lungs out and dance unnecessarily , then probably spend the journey home wondering whether he was actually any good.

That’s Russ all over.

Behind the frontman is someone considerably less rock ‘n’ roll than you might expect. He’s kind, ridiculously sentimental, loves making people laugh and genuinely cares about the people around him. For all the noise, stupid jokes and enormous personality, there’s a very big heart underneath it.

And people matter to him.

That’s something that has followed Russ throughout his musical career. He has always said that performing isn’t simply about standing on a stage and singing at people. He wants the crowd involved. He wants people laughing, singing, feeling something and going home feeling like they were part of it.

It’s probably why reviewers have described him as an engaging presence onstage, although anyone who has spent more than ten minutes around him will know there’s also a fair amount of chaos involved.

Musically, Russ has been doing this for more than 20 years.

His career has seen him perform around the world and front numerous projects, including Sons of Liberty, Life of a Hero, Which Way Up and tribute bands Non Jovi and Life of Bryan. He’s built a reputation as a powerful melodic rock vocalist with a huge range, but the thing that matters most to him isn’t necessarily hitting the biggest note.

It’s meaning it.

Losing his dad in 2022 had an enormous impact on Russ, personally and musically. Steve wasn’t simply a legendary singer whose surname Russ happened to inherit, he was his dad. His influence, humour, resilience and love of music remain a huge part of Russ and the person he is today.

FIREHEART represents another very personal chapter.

It’s somewhere Russ can pour the good stuff, the bad stuff, the insecurities, the ridiculousness and everything in between into music alongside four of his closest mates.

For somebody who regularly questions whether he’s good enough to be doing any of this, he somehow becomes a completely different person when the lights go down.

Then the overthinking stops.

He sings.

He talks too much.

He makes terrible jokes.

He’ll probably take the piss out of one of the band.

And, most importantly, he’ll make absolutely certain that the people standing in front of him feel like they’re part of the night rather than simply watching it.

Because underneath everything else, Russ just really bloody loves people.

And maybe that’s the best way to describe him.

Bret Barnes

Bass, Backing Vocals, Sax

About Bret Barnes

Your local hillbilly hippie.

If you've met Bret Barnes, you'll probably remember Bret Barnes.

Partly because he's a big, bearded, country-music-loving northerner who looks like he could have just stepped out of a pickup truck somewhere in Tennessee.

But mainly because Bret Barnes talks about Bret Barnes in the third person.

A lot.

Nobody really knows why.

We've stopped asking.

Underneath the beard, cowboy tendencies and questionable grasp of first-person grammar, though, is one of the genuinely good ones.

Growing up, Bret didn't always have the easiest time fitting in. Years of being bullied and feeling pushed out left their mark, but eventually he found the place where being a little bit different wasn't just accepted — it was almost compulsory.

Music.

It gave him his people.

It gave him somewhere to belong, introduced him to friends who thought like he did and eventually put a bass guitar in his hands.

And thank fuck for that.

Bret's musical taste is basically what would happen if you parked a pickup truck outside a heavy metal festival and started handing out banjos.

He absolutely loves country, bluegrass and Americana, with artists including Lainey Wilson, Chris Stapleton and Sierra Ferrell regularly blasting out alongside an ever-growing collection of country and bluegrass artists, both old and new.

But ask him who actually inspired the way he plays and things get considerably heavier.

Lemmy Kilmister. Geezer Butler. John Entwistle.

Three players with enormous character who understood that the bass doesn't have to quietly disappear into the background.

Which explains quite a lot about Bret.

He's also amassed a frankly unnecessary collection of instruments over the years, but there's one that sits above everything else: his 1995 Mapleglo Rickenbacker 4003.

To Bret, it's pretty much the perfect instrument.

Away from music, things don't become particularly more conventional.

His favourite films are among the original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, which makes complete sense to anyone who has witnessed his slightly pirate / hippie / cowboy approach to life.

His dream venue is the incredible Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado — because apparently normal-sized ambitions aren't really Bret's thing.

And if FIREHEART could jump onto a tour with anyone?

He'd choose one of the greats.

Someone like Alice Cooper or Iron Maiden — not simply because playing those shows would be ridiculous, but because he'd want to watch, listen and learn how artists like that have managed to tour, perform and survive this completely mental lifestyle for so many decades.

That probably tells you quite a lot about him.

Bret works hard.

Really hard.

He loves music, loves his mates and isn't remotely interested in pretending to be somebody he's not. After spending enough of his younger years feeling like he didn't fit in, these days he's quite comfortable standing out.

Preferably with a Rickenbacker around his neck.

And being a northerner, there is one final and extremely important thing you need to understand about Bret Barnes:

If it comes with gravy, he'll probably eat it.

Shepherd's pie. Sunday dinner. Bangers and mash.

Gravy.

Lots of gravy.

So that's Bret.

Bass player. Singer. Hillbilly hippie. Country obsessive. Instrument collector. Pirate enthusiast. Proud northerner. One of the hardest-working people you'll meet.

And quite possibly the only person you'll ever have a conversation with where Bret Barnes mentions Bret Barnes more than you mention Bret Barnes.

As the man himself would say…

“Fair winds and smooth sailing.”

Chris Hopton

Drums, Backing Vocals

About Chris

Solid. Dependable. Powerful. The engine room of FIREHEART.

Chris Hopton is the man behind the kit for FIREHEART, providing the rock-solid foundation that holds everything together while the rest of the band attempt to cause varying degrees of chaos around him.

His journey behind the drums started early, with his dad teaching him to play and laying the foundations for the drummer he would eventually become. What began there developed into years of playing, gigging and learning the one thing every great rock drummer understands:

It's not about playing everything. It's about playing exactly what the song needs.

And that's Chris.

Powerful when it needs to be. Controlled when it matters. Completely dependable and absolutely locked in.

Before FIREHEART, Chris built up years of live experience behind the kit, including time with the unmistakable Gypsy Pistoleros, as well as covers band Chimp on a Bike, sharpening his craft through countless gigs and becoming the seasoned live drummer he is today.

Within FIREHEART, Chris is the anchor.

His playing gives the band's huge melodic rock sound its weight and drive, combining hard-hitting rock drums with the discipline and consistency needed to let the songs breathe. Whether it's sitting deep in a groove, driving a massive chorus or bringing the whole band crashing back in, Chris is the bloke you want sitting behind you.

And although he's usually found at the back of the stage, don't mistake that for him being the quiet one.

Give him a microphone at your own risk.

For Chris, FIREHEART is another chapter in a lifetime spent playing music, but one that has grown into something much bigger than five people playing songs together.

From packed venues and tours to festivals, recording and everything still to come, he's the steady heartbeat underneath it all.

No unnecessary fuss.

No showing off for the sake of it.

Just a bloody solid drummer doing exactly what a bloody solid drummer should.

Holding down FIREHEART.

Neil Hackett

Lead Guitar

About Neil

Neil Hackett’s journey to Fireheart is one of those stories that proves sometimes the biggest obstacle standing in your way is yourself.

Neil joined Fireheart after the band’s original guitarist quit shortly after its inception. Having followed the band from the very beginning, Neil jumped at the opportunity when the lead guitarist position became available, although, at the time, he was far from convinced he had any chance of getting the gig.

In fact, applying almost felt pointless.

Years of self doubt and a lack of confidence had convinced Neil that he probably wasn’t good enough. But he decided to push those thoughts aside, submit the application and see what happens. That decision would turn out to be a pretty significant one.

Three years earlier, Neil’s world had been turned upside down by the sudden loss of one of his best friends. It marked the beginning of an incredibly difficult period, as he struggled with grief, anxiety and panic attacks. Having tried medication and decided it wasn’t the right path for him, Neil turned to talking therapy.

Fortunately, he found an incredible therapist who helped him navigate some very dark times, work through his grief and begin to understand the impact of loss throughout his life. Neil had already experienced profound loss at a very young age, having lost his mother when he was just two years old.

Music, however, had always been a constant.

Neil picked up the guitar when he was 14 years old and has played in numerous bands since he was 15. Most recently, he has performed as lead guitarist with The Whiskey Syndicate and Iconic Eye, while also continuing to play in his metal band One Minus Hope.

Then came Fireheart.

Neil says:

“Joining Fireheart was a big surprise for me. I never expected to get the gig, but I was absolutely blown away when I was offered the position. I’m genuinely proud of myself for pushing myself to apply and then getting through the whole process.

It feels like I’ve met my long-lost brothers. The connection we have as a band is something really special, and I’m incredibly excited to see where this journey takes us.

Joining Fireheart has also helped me massively on a personal level. In many ways, it’s been a form of therapy. After years of struggling with self-doubt and imposter syndrome, I finally feel like I’m in a place where those things don’t control my life anymore.

The response we’ve had at our live shows has absolutely blown my mind. Being able to stand on stage, play guitar and see people genuinely connecting with what we’re doing is something I never take for granted. I’m incredibly grateful that I get to do this and even more grateful for all the amazing people I’ve met along the way.”

Away from Fireheart, Neil is a husband, a father and works full-time as an electrician. Music and guitars remain his number one passion, but when he’s not playing, he can usually be found mountain biking, walking or putting himself through a weights session.

For Neil, being in Fireheart is about much more than simply playing guitar. It represents pushing through self-doubt, finding confidence, rediscovering himself and the determination to strive through adversity, proving that sometimes taking one small leap of faith can completely change your life.

And that is Fireheart

Five people. Five completely different stories. One FIREHEART.

None of us arrived here without scars. We've faced grief, rejection, anxiety, self-doubt, bullying, loss and plenty of moments when giving up would have been the easier option.

But that's the point.

FIREHEART was never about being perfect. It's about getting back up. Finding your people. Being honest about the battles you carry and discovering that sometimes the things you've been through don't have to define you, they can become the reason you keep going.

We're musicians. We're husbands, dads, mates, idiots and overthinkers. We're five very different people who somehow found each other at exactly the right time.

And if there's one thing we hope people take from our music and our story, it's this:

Whatever life has thrown at you, your fire doesn't have to go out.

Sometimes it just needs a reason to burn again.

We are FIREHEART. 🔥❤️