Nearly 30 years after the group’s disbandment and final album release, an unreleased song from the indie rock group Heatmiser has been shared to the public. The track, titled “Silent Treatment,” is off the upcoming 30th anniversary release of Mic City Sons, the group’s final release. The release of “Silent Treatment” comes a month ahead of the July 25th drop for the anniversary release. The track can be found on YouTube.
This album is not the first time fans have gotten a taste of unreleased Heatmiser tracks. In 2023, Third Man Records teamed with surviving members of Heatmiser to release The Music of Heatmiser, a compilation of unreleased tracks especially from the band’s earlier history. This upcoming release, however, delves deep into the band’s final days and the messy fallout of its disbandment. Mic City Sons released in October of 1996, when the band had already broken up earlier in the fall of that year. The tension between the group reflected in Mic City Sons, which became a swan song for the band. “Silent Treatment” is one of the tracks where these emotions can be felt in full.
The peppy track was written by vocalist and guitarist Neal Gust, about late bandmate Elliott Smith. “This one is about Elliot and me not talking, and him giving me the silent treatment,” Gust said. “I didn’t know what else to sing about.” Smith had a blossoming solo career at the time which was a major factor in the disbandment as Smith, a focal member of the group, had begun putting less and less into Heatmiser. Gust continued, “he became such a thing on his own, and then just disappeared from the plans we’d made together. It sucked.” “Silent Treatment” is one of many tracks off Mic City Sons 30th Anniversary Remaster that is set to not only treat Heatmiser fans to more of the group’s short-lived alt rock style, but give more understanding to the emotions of the bandmates as they braced for the oncoming split.
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