One Heart Many Hands is Steve Hesselink, a drummer in several great local bands, who is now sewing his heart to his sleeve and doing the solo thing. One Heart is about creating a space, allowing one's voice to come through, as much as possible within a tight-knit music community. And the music is rather nice - intimate and vaguely universal, near and far away, fuzzy and twinkling, and appropriate if you've had your heart a bit broken, or find yourself lost between who you are and who you feel drawn to. Demian was in that precise space when he did this interview.

Who are you, and how did you get here?

My name is Steve Hesselink. I am the drummer from We're Marching On'¦ and The D'Urbervilles, and the everything for One Heart Many Hands.

One Heart Many Hands sounds like a one-man band, a dude with a guitar and a harmonica and a tambourine attached to his foot. How exactly do you make your music?

I play guitar and sing. Sometimes I loop the guitar and drum and sing over that. Sometimes I just drum and sing.

In some ways this is an introspective solo project, but it also seems thematically devoted to your friends, and the name evokes a heartwarming community modus. Would you say the band works on both levels?

The band originated because I felt isolated from my friends when they all basically moved to Toronto, and I didn't want to, so I moved with my girlfriend to Kitchener. The project is about friends and community but it is also about not being so attached to that community that you forget who you are inside.

Are you still playing with We're Marching On'¦ and The D'Urbervilles?

The D'Urbervilles are great guys, and they're young and haven't been doing this as long so they're less jaded, which is awesome. We're Marching On... will be starting up again in March. Tim, our fourth member, is in China '˜til then but we plan on playing a lot when he gets back. Both are really fun and I look forward to all the shows to come.

How are those two projects most different from the new one for you?

Well, the D'Urbervilles and We're Marching On... are quite the same. I go in, play the drums, do a bit of singing, but they are both very high energy and exhausting. Playing by myself I've decided to make the songs however they turn out, so some are high energy but some are quite mellow. It's just nice to be able to do whatever I want. .

Who or what is the Social Arts Club? Is it like a hub for bands from around/outside Toronto?

Social Arts Club started out thinking about being a mini-label but now is just a group of friends and people we love who are connected. New people are added to the club if they want to be and if it makes sense. It's basically a group of friends who all want each other to do well.

I grew up in Toronto and still wonder what it was like to grow up in suburbs and small towns. Would you say that indie rock plays a really big part in forging identity and community?

I grew up outside of Fergus, which is just north of Guelph. I started playing music when I was in high school, mainly because of my family. My dad was huge into music as are both of my brothers. But I grew up in the country so I didn't have a huge influence of friends to tell me what I should like or not like'¦ I have always tried to be a part of a community but not be engulfed by it. I have great friends in all kinds of cities in Canada, from my brother's band People For Audio in Montreal, to Ohbijou in Toronto, to Bocce in Waterloo. I love that I don't really feel like any scene is home to me anymore.

Any friends to whom you would like to shout out, while you have the chance?

I don't know if I can swear or not in this but if I can I say fuck you Kyle Donnelly, and I also say I love you, Mandy.

Anything else that you'd like us to appreciate about your music? Any philosophical final thoughts?

I think the one thing I strive for in almost everything I do is honesty. I don't try to be anyone else and I don't want anyone to try to be me. This project for me is about being honest with myself and if people don't like it I think that's great. At least they have an opinion.

By Demian Carynnyk