Premiere: The Hypnotic Warmth of Body Heat’s Radiant “To Me, From Me”

It’s important not to dig yourself into a hole so deep that when you finally decide to look up, you can’t see the light anymore.

Isn’t it nice, on cold nights and days, to tune in and drop out into a world of our own design? Body Heat’s lush, sweetly melodic “To Me, From Me” inspires a hypnotic warmth as the fledgling band weave a rich song of mindfulness and reflection.

Lately I couldn’t feel any worse
But nothing’s been better
Been trying to watch my mouth
Control my words
But if I could say what ever
I wanted to
I could tell you’re wrong

Stream: “To Me, From Me” – Body Heat

Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “To Me, From Me,” the latest single from Miami’s Body Heat (sometimes stylized BodyHeat). Founded in early 2018 by Deanna Dorta and Matt Horner, with Cory Fishcher on drums and Wyatt Rajer on bass, Body Heat’s seven-track debut Twist introduced a plethora of sounds and styles ranging from garage rock to electronic and avant pop. They were a band very much in the thick of figuring themselves out, and bringing audiences along for the journey.

“To Me, From Me” finds Body Heat continuing to discover their voice, ditching the raw garage sound entirely as they slow things down and focus on a few resonating chord changes on the keyboard. Guitar and background vocals lay a warm wash over an already hypnotic experience, adding a dose of surreality to the song.

Meanwhile, vocalist Deanna Dorta is absolutely enchanting as she leads the band through a sunny, laid-back reflection. She croons in the chorus:

I want to see you,
I want to see you
I want to see you,
I want to see you
A little face to face
so you can get this off your mind
A little face the truth is more like it

“The song is about recognizing your faults and seeing the opportunity for growth because of them,” Dorta tells Atwood Magazine. “It’s easy to hate yourself after you’ve acted a fool and it’s good to be hard on yourself, but it’s important not to dig yourself into a hole so deep that when you finally decide to look up, you can’t see the light anymore. The song really is just about mindfulness.”

“To Me, From Me” signals the beginning of (what we can only hope is) a delightful new chapter in Body Heat’s burgeoning artistry. “To Me, From Me” glows with its polished production and finessed songwriting. Dorta’s intimate lyrics shine with poetic grace as she dives into herself:

Tried to find my place behind my tongue
But it hurts just watching you
Dragging when you should be moving on
I can’t imagine how stuck you are
In your shoes I could lend you my wings

“We recorded the track over a few days at our friends studio called City Of Progress in Miami, Florida,” Matt Horner explains. “Musically, we started with a basic drum break and pretty much just worked around it with jazz style guitar, analogue keyboards (wurlitzer, mellotron), and a session stand-up bass player. Production-wise there are a lot of little peculiar parts that shine through specifically while listening with headphones. There are certain parts that you might notice on the second or third listen.”

“To Me, From Me” boasts a summery heat in its feel-good vibes, courtesy of the pulsing keyboards and surrounding harmonies. As winter sets in, the song takes us to place full of warmth and bright, radiant rays of light; it’s a blissful daydream, a chance to depart from the present moment while following in Dorta’s footsteps to observe ourselves, and engage in some worthwhile reflection.

I want to see you
Break open the windows
It could be that simple
If you want it to
I want to see you
Open up and let go
Grow and drop the ego
That’s been holding you

Body Heat are still less than a year old, and the world is truly their oyster: They can play with stylings, instruments, lineups, etc., making music they want to make when they feel like making it. The beauty of this DIY project is that they have chosen, early on, to not limit themselves. The only way we’ll know what Body Heat might make next is by waiting and listening – and with “To Me, From Me,” they’ve caught our attention.

Stream: “To Me, From Me” – Body Heat

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? © Zack Rogers
art © Colin Czerwinski

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:: Body Heat Tour Dates ::

^w/ Dark Black

1/2 – Denton, TX – Backyard On Bell*
1/3 – Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad *
1/4 – Las Vegas, NV – Bunkhouse Saloon^
1/5 – Ely, NV – Club Rio ^
1/6 – Salt Lake City, UT ^
1/7 – Boise, ID – The Shredder^
1/8 – Yakima, WA – Brews & Cues^
1/9 – Seattle, WA The Kracken^
1/10 – Portland, OR – Hawthorn Hideaway^
1/11 – Ukia, CA – Ukiah Brewing Co.^
1/13 – Reno, NV – Holland Project^
1/14 – San Francisco, CA – El Rio^
1/15 – Los Angeles, CA – Rec Center Studios^
1/16 – San Diego, CA – Whistle Stop^
1/17 – Tijuana, BC – Mustache Bar^
1/18 – Long Beach, CA – 4th at Vine^