What happens when heavy rock, musical theatre and gothic literature collide? For Colchester’s Measure for Measure, the answer might just be a genre of their own: “Disney Metal”. But behind the theatrical sound and sinister stories is something just as compelling: a band finding its feet, and a singer learning to believe in herself.
When Imminent Infinity first introduced Measure for Measure in October, it was the combination of powerful music and elaborate storytelling that caught our attention. Speaking to us now, Heidi opens up about the ideas behind the songs, the people helping bring them to life and the long journey towards the stage.
Not quite rock, not quite metal
“I often make a joke that the band should pioneer ‘Disney Metal’ as a genre,” Heidi says, “but in all honesty that’s probably not far from the truth.”
There is a theatrical streak running through Measure for Measure’s work, alongside heavier influences ranging from Evanescence, Slipknot and Linkin Park to progressive metal and musical theatre. Yet Heidi is keen that the literature underpinning the songs never becomes a barrier to enjoying them.
“You can also just enjoy the music for music’s sake or put your own interpretations on them entirely.”
She often starts at the piano, building the song and its story before presenting rough demos and Guitar Pro files to Wayne. He takes those ideas and helps turn them into full-fledged rock arrangements, sometimes adding riffs and breakdowns or reshaping an entire structure. Occasionally the process runs in reverse, with Wayne providing music for Heidi to write over. The band joke that those tend to be the heaviest songs.
From an old school song to a sinister ballroom
Measure for Measure began taking shape during lockdown, when Heidi revisited unfinished songs from years earlier. One of them, Pendulum, dated back to high school. What started as a teenage reflection on life’s ups and downs found a darker new identity through Edgar Allan Poe’s The Pit and the Pendulum.
Heidi imagined a mechanical ballroom full of possessed dolls, condemned to repeat a deadly dance under the blade of a swinging pendulum. She returned to the lyrics, tightening the connection between the music and her imagined narrative until the two could stand together or apart.
That is the band’s distinctive creative approach: sometimes the song suggests the story, sometimes the story reshapes the song. Their forthcoming track A Sip Away draws on Alice in Wonderland imagery to explore a divided sense of self, while Pendulum leans further towards metal than their debut single.
The world behind Murder in the Streets
The band’s first released single, Murder in the Streets, is more than an introduction to their sound. It opens the door to a steampunk dystopia haunted by a disease called “The Pluck”, which strips away the soul while leaving the body alive.
At its centre is the Duchess, a pathologist struggling with her own infection. Her attempts to find a cure lead her towards increasingly disturbing experiments, setting up a conflict between rival medical factions, the Thaumaturgy and the Alchemists. There’s much more to this story than one video can contain, and that’s precisely the point.
“Murder in the Streets was chosen as our opening piece because it is catchy, demonstrates all of our nuances and it begins a narrative that is concurrent to that of our band,” Heidi explains, adding that she hopes to develop it over a number of years.
Visual storytelling is central to that ambition. Working with Liam and the team at Picta Productions, Measure for Measure are exploring how to create striking images without an enormous budget. For Pendulum, that means using symbolism rather than attempting to recreate every scene literally.
Beyond individual songs, Heidi hopes to develop longer connected narratives, a future concept album and, eventually, published collections of stories under the Measure for Measure name.
Seven years in the making — and the courage to perform
For all the fantastical characters and sinister worlds, one of the most affecting parts of Heidi’s story is much closer to home. She and Wayne have been writing together for nearly seven years, but it took time for the project to become a functioning band.
“I think my own self doubt and anxiety around being on stage held us back for a while,” she admits.
Then guitarist Marcus sent a message saying he’d be interested if she ever wanted to get a project together. Heidi’s response was simple: “Well funny you should say that…”
It’s an understated turning point, but an important one. With a supportive group around her, Heidi has begun growing into the performer she wants to be. She and Marcus have also taken to open mic nights and developed a covers side project, Beyond Measure, which helps fund the main band while giving her more time on stage.
“There’s a lot of camaraderie in our little band now,” she says, “and as someone who is still quite new to performing I feel very supported by the others.”
Finding community in East Anglia
That sense of support extends beyond the band. Heidi speaks warmly of the Colchester and Ipswich music scenes, where she finds musicians willing to encourage one another rather than treat every gig as a competition.
She points to acts they’ve shared bills with, including Hope Ahead, Goat Monsoon and Planet Fatale, as well as musicians such as Jax Deacon, Josh Locke and Lianne Kaye. She also highlights Aethoria as a band to watch. It’s a reminder that grassroots music isn’t just about the artists on stage, but the relationships that keep local scenes moving. It’s a spirit we’ve also encountered in our coverage of Colchester’s Bridget. and our conversation with Bambambinos.
More than a gig
Ask Heidi what she wants an audience to feel after a Measure for Measure show, and the answer sums up the band’s ambitions beautifully. She’s working towards a more fluid, theatrical live set, bringing together music, visuals and narrative so that people leave feeling they’ve experienced a story as well as a concert.
But she doesn’t insist everyone should take the same thing away. Some might appreciate the literary references; others might simply want to dance, sing along and enjoy loud music. All are welcome.
Looking ahead, the band hope to release more singles before an album planned for summer 2027. Heidi also wants them to develop a stronger live sound, reach more listeners and make headway on a second album.
She closes our conversation with a favourite line from Oscar Wilde: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”
For a band dreaming up strange new worlds while finding the confidence to step into the real one, it’s a fitting place to end. Measure for Measure are still early in their journey, but they’re building something that feels entirely their own.
