NESHIIMA
Liam Hesslewood was ostracised by his community for his love of music. With Neshiima, he’s turned his pain into positivity
SOUNDS LIKE: Electronica-charged rap metal with a message of hope
FOR FANS OF: Linkin Park, Enter Shikari, The One Hundred
LISTEN TO: Believe
We all have a past. The experiences and events we undergo mould who we are today. No one knows this better than Liam Hesslewood of Scottish quartet Neshiima. Dig beneath the surface of their explosive new EP, Purple, and it portrays a man who has undergone one hell of a journey.
Growing up in a Jehovah’s Witnesses community, Liam was subject to strict ideologies and practices. With a belief system that dictates society is under the corrupting influence of Satan, it is a religion where something as simple as celebrating a birthday, let alone listening to metal, can result in excommunication. As Liam’s conscience swirled between what he knew and what he wanted as a young metalhead, he found the door back home slammed firmly shut.
“I wondered if I was being selfish, and if my lifestyle choices were something I should forego for the sake of my faith,” he explains. “But when I tried to return I was rebuffed, and now I don’t have anything to do with my immediate family. I feel that the kind thing is always the right thing to do – it’s too small a planet to close doors on people like that.”
Liam persisted with his passion, forming Neshiima by hooking up with four fellow metal fans from the Glasgow area. Now, having made ripples in the ocean of the UK rock scene with their electronica-charged metal, it seems a tsunami is imminent. Purple is the product of a band who’ve experimented with their musical DNA, pulling from the electronic elements and anthemic vibe of Linkin Park and the gargantuan guitar tones found in tech-metal. The result is a razor-sharp sound and a damn uplifting experience.
“We were welcomed into the UK techmetal community with our first EP [2015’s Beware Of Gifts]. But, over the past three years, we’ve gone from making music we feel we should make to making music that we always really wanted to make.”
Purple is billed as the first in a trilogy of EPs, and Neshiima’s message of unity and hope is here to stay. With mental health being such a hot topic in the musical world today, Purple’s poignant subject matter is sure to reach inside listeners.
“It’s important to know there are people there [for you],” Liam adds. “Even with myself, without my immediate family, you realise over time there are more people there for you than you originally thought. We should have a heightened state of awareness for the needs of others. My own selfishness has never benefited me. I’ve found, though, that in putting others first, you tend to learn more about yourself. Put simply, we do really need one another.”
“I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH MY FAMILY”
PURPLE IS OUT NOW