Urban Heat are a 3-piece American post-punk band from Austin, TX. Their sound fuses dark 80’s stylings with modern flourishes, with Jonathan Horstmann’s throaty baritone delivering musings on existence and romanticism against an unrelenting industrial gothic pulse. Joined on stage by Kevin Naquin and Paxel Foley, Urban Heat’s live show is undeniably energetic and engaging, earning them slots at Austin’s Levitation and Seattle’s Freakout Fest in 2021. They released 6 singles between 2019 and 2022 and while the pandemic saw their SXSW 2020 performance canceled, they returned in 2022 as official artists.

2022 was a banner year for the band, with a national tour and a performance at Austin City Limits. They received the most votes of any Sonic Guild grant recipient and were named Artist of the Month for July by KUTX 89.9. In January 2023 the band was nominated for Band of the Year and received the award for Song of the Year in the Austin Music Awards.

“A lightning rod of dark electro/proto-punk/new wave/synth wave/part goth/part industrial sound that is all the things but…simultaneously transcending them into something fresher.” – Laurie Gallardo, KUTX 98.9