• 1998
• Heartworms is Jojo Orme, an English post-punk musician who grew up in Cheltenham. Her mother is Chinese-Danish and her father Pakistani-Afghan. She grew up with the music her mother listened to: Hot Chocolate, Fleetwood Mac, Michael Jackson, Prince, and Arabic and Egyptian music. Orme only discovered post-punk at university. She started listening to The Cure and Siouxsie and The Banshees and fell in love with the gothic culture.
• Orme grew up in a difficult home environment and spent time in foster care. By the age of 16, she was living independently. She helped pay her rent by busking with a repertoire that included First Aid Kit, Jeff Buckley, The Beatles and Oasis. "It was hard, because I had to pay the rent, but also be a child the same time," she told Mojo magazine.
• Orme learned to play guitar by strumming tunes like "Hey There Delilah." She started writing her first songs while living in a hostel.
• The heartworm is a parasitic worm infecting dogs. But Orme's project isn't named after that. She took it from a 2017 album by The Shins.
• Orme is passionate about aviation and World War II military history, and volunteers at the Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon, London, assisting with aircraft upkeep.
  
  Spitfires are a special interest; she has incorporated parts of a downed Spitfire into her art and merchandise, and dedicated the track "Warplane" to a Spitfire pilot.
• Orme frequently performs as Heartworms in vintage military attire, including army jackets and berets, making military imagery a key part of her identity.
• Aside from World War II aviation, Orme also enjoys sketching and poetry. She has cited poets like John Keats and John Cooper Clarke as inspirations.

Comments

More Songfacts:

BloodstreamEd Sheeran

Ed Sheeran's "Bloodstream" was written after an experience taking MDMA during a wedding celebration in Ibiza; it's basically about all the feelings that he got from that time.

Right RoundFlo Rida

An unknown Kesha (known then as Ke$ha) sang on Flo-Rida's #1 hit "Right Round," but refused to appear in the video because she wanted to make a name for herself.

Gangnam StylePsy

Psy's "Gangnam Style" refers to a section of Seoul, South Korea, that is very fashionable. The guy in the song has all the right moves and loves the ladies.

BailandoEnrique Iglesias

Enrique Iglesias' single "Bailando" was the first ever Spanish-language song to reach one billion views on YouTube.

I Can't Stand The RainAnn Peebles

Ann Peebles' "I Can't Stand The Rain" originated from a comment made by the singer to her husband, Don Bryant, when they were preparing to head out to a blues show and it began tipping down with rain.

Kiss On My ListHall & Oates

"Kiss On My List" by Hall & Oates is actually an anti-love song - the kiss is just one item on a list, and by no means the best.

Editor's Picks

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")Songwriter Interviews

Holly Knight talks about some of the hit songs she wrote, including "The Warrior," "Never" and "The Best," and explains some songwriting philosophy, including how to think of a bridge.

90s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

First question: Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson appeared in videos for what artist?

Desmond ChildSongwriter Interviews

One of the most successful songwriters in the business, Desmond co-wrote "Livin' La Vida Loca," "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)" and "Livin' On A Prayer."

Oliver LeiberSongwriter Interviews

Oliver Leiber talks about writing and producing hits for Paula Abdul, and explains his complicated relationship with his father, the songwriter Jerry Leiber.

John Lee HookerSongwriter Interviews

Into the vaults for Bruce Pollock's 1984 conversation with the esteemed bluesman. Hooker talks about transforming a Tony Bennett classic and why you don't have to be sad and lonely to write the blues.

Tim Butler of The Psychedelic FursSongwriter Interviews

Tim and his brother Richard are the Furs' foundation; Tim explains how they write and tells the story of "Pretty In Pink."