HEYOKA

Heyoka biography
US band HEYOKA was formed back in 1970. They became a popular act in their local scene, and was played extensively on local radio stations. Over the years the band got supporting slots for many major artists, with Van Halen and Judas Priest among the more noteworthy of the bands the opened for. They also started to land gigs outside of their home state Texas. From 1975 and onwards they released a succession of singles, and along with their manager Bill Angelini they made an attempt at gaining a breakthrough on a national level. They almost succeeded, when they released the track Video Madness as a single in 1982 and the song was picked up by the then fledgling TV station MTV. However, due to copyright issues concerning sound effects used on the song it was quickly pulled from the channel, and two years later the band decided to call it a day following cycles of seemingly endless gigging and rehearsals, recording sessions without any direct result, the abrupt change in the musical climate that came with the 1980's and other aspects of life of the kind that is hurtful for a band's continued existence.

Heyoka never got the chance to release any albums while still active, but in 2012 local Texas label ShroomAngel Records managed to get hold of master tapes of the material recorded by the band, and subsequently released the archival collection The Spirit of Revelation. Thus ensuring that fans of this band from years past finally was able to buy their music, while also ensuring that their legacy was preserved for posterity.