“We’re here right now/Feels good to have each other/When it’s time to go/We’ll
give the feeling to another” “Before the Day is Done”
When The Band of Heathens decided to dub their sixth studio album of original material
Stranger (its first since 2017’s Duende), the veteran band, formed in Austin, TX nearly 15
years ago, had no idea how prophetic that title would turn out to be.
Although the name references the famed existential Albert Camus novel and Robert
Heinlein’s sci-fi classic Stranger in a Strange Land, it also touches on the “strangers” who
make up the band’s loyal fan base, who supported the band during this period with all
touring canceled.
As co-founder Ed Jurdi acknowledges, it is certainly an unusual time to release a new
album. “The strangest,” he says. “Maybe no time stranger. Since we started, there have
been sweeping, revolutionary changes in the music business, but, in this global
pandemic, we’re just a microcosm.”
“We’re really fortunate that we have been able to turn directly to our fan base during the
pandemic,” adds fellow co-founder Gordy Quist. “The last few months we’ve spent four
nights a week live-streaming personal private concerts to fans, and one night a week
publicly live-streaming with the whole band Zooming in from their respective homes in
California, Texas, North Carolina and Tennessee. At first it seemed very strange until
these walls started coming down and we realized how connected we are by the fabric of
music.”
Extending the metaphor of Stranger even further. The Band of Heathens traveled to
another city, Portland, OR, with a brand-new producer, Tucker Martine [The
Decemberists, My Morning Jacket, Modest Mouse, Camera Obscura], and the result is
something different – a more airy, intimate atmosphere, with added emphasis on
songcraft and intricate arrangements set in a spacious sonic landscape that reinvents the
band’s sound. These are songs stripped of pretense, but teeming with the emotion borne
of personal experience, as has been The Band of Heathens’ method from the very start.
Stranger moves off into a new place, but still echoes the group’s artful songwriting and
multi-layered narrative observations.
Songs like “Vietnorm,” inspired by bassist Jesse Wilson’s stoned viewing of Cheers,
noting the arrival of George Wendt’s character Norm, and the rhythmic “Truth Left,” which
takes on the politicization of information, enforce the social criticism the band has begun to
increasingly tackle in its music, while still striving for inclusivity. The British Invasion-
by-way-of the Everly Brothers sound of “Dare” examines the notion of “fake news” vs.
“good” and “bad” news, while “Call Me Gilded” focuses on how language itself functions
to define reality, concluding actions speak louder than words, in love and life.
“With how politically charged the atmosphere has been as of late,” says Gordy, “I’m
interested in seeing what happens when you pull a politically-diverse bunch of people out
of the social-media echo chamber, and make em sit down and have a beer together over
a rock n roll show. Where words fall short, music can be a common point.”
“South by Somewhere” and “Asheville Nashville Austin” each deal in different ways with
a favorite topic of The Band of Heathens – life on the road and the pull of home. The
former is about reinventing yourself without selling out or chasing trends, while Jurdi
describes the latter as dealing with “travel and mobility, but also individual identity.”
The thumping percussion and eerie organ in “Black Cat” takes a real-life podcast tale
about the son of a seven-foot Portuguese immigrant to New York City at the turn of the
century who helped build the Brooklyn Bridge and later killed a panther with his own hands
in an underground cage match and sets it to an expansive, psychedelic tune that creates
its own apocryphal universe.
Stranger turns out to be an apt metaphor on both a meta – it’s an apt description of the
current world – and personal metaphor in our increased estrangement from one another
in silos defined by economy, politics, race or religion.
The album closes with a yin-yang, one-two punch for the current zeitgeist. The
Dylanesque “Today Is Our Last Tomorrow” is reminiscent of a woozy “Rainy Day Women
#12 and 35,” a rousing rockabilly tune that is BOH’s version of R.E.M.’s “It’s The End of
the World As We Know It,” feeling fine in the face of apocalypse now.
“I just remember watching a bunch of news stories, like the California wildfires and border
immigration skirmishes,” says Ed. “It seemed like DEFCON 1, and I figured, if we’re going
to go out, we might as well party at the same time.”
“Before the Day Is Done” ends Stranger on an elegiac hopeful note. “I was thinking of
being present, trying to stay positive,” insists Gordy, who came up with the idea. “And
while those two songs are sonically on opposite ends of the spectrum, I like experiencing
them back to back there at the end.”
So, while Stranger hits the streets, The Band of Heathens are hoping they’re not far
behind.
A 45 date nationwide tour in promotion of Stranger is booked for the fall, but uncertainty
in the music industry and re-opening nationwide is a real concern.
“Gordy and I have been doing a lot of personal concerts via Zoom,” says Ed. “We’ve both
got a really good audio and video set-up and we’re trying to present as much of a real
concert experience as possible.
We’re also researching Drive-in Movie touring. Our nature is to be proactive, but there is
a realization that a lot of this is out of our control.”
With their new album, The Band of Heathens have done their part. Now, it’s up to the
rest of us. Stranger things have happened.
JUNE 2020
THE BAND OF HEATHENS REIMAGINE SOUND ON TOPICAL NEW RELEASE STRANGER OUT SEPTEMBER 25TH
LIGHTHEARTED ANTHEM “TODAY IS OUR LAST TOMORROW” OUT TODAY LISTEN/WATCH HERE
NASHVILLE, TN – Austin’s The Band of Heathens return with Stranger, their most inventive release to date, on September 25. The follow up to 2017’s critically acclaimed Duende, the band recorded this new effort in Portland OR with producer Tucker Martine (The Decemberists, My Morning Jacket, Modest Mouse). New track “Today is Our Last Tomorrow” is a sardonic take on the divisive nature of media. “I heard it on the news, a version of the truth, was it fact packed or fiction and fable?” begins the song, and the creative video parodies the sentiment with caricatures of world leaders, politicians and media figures. LISTEN/WATCH HERE.
“This song is about our obsession, both as a culture, and within the media, with doom and gloom,” says co-founding member Ed Jurdi. “If you’re watching the network news channels, it seems like the world is literally going to end once or twice a week. They’re constantly fanning the flames of our divisions and shortcomings, with hardly a mention of the daily triumphs and victories.”
The album title references the famed existential Albert Camus novel and Robert Heinlein’s sci-fi classic Stranger in a Strange Land, but it also touches on the “strangers” who make up the band’s loyal fan base and who continue to support the band during this period with all touring canceled. In lieu of live shows, the band has been spending four nights a week live-streaming personal private concerts to fans, and one night a week publicly live-streaming with the whole band “Zooming” in from their respective homes in California, Texas, North Carolina and Tennessee. Co-founder Gordy Quist notes, “At first it seemed very strange until these walls started coming down and we realized how connected we are by the fabric of music.”
With Martine at the helm, Stranger emphasizes songcraft and intricate arrangements set in a spacious sonic landscape that reinvents the band’s sound. The songs teem with the emotion borne of personal experience, as has been The Band of Heathens’ method from the very start. Stranger moves off into a new place, but still echoes the group’s artful songwriting and multi-layered narrative observations. Martine’s influence amplifies the unique voice that The Band of Heathens has created throughout their celebrated career, making Stranger their most engaging release thus far.
The album kicks off with the groove, funk sound of “Vietnorm,” moving into the British Invasion-by-way-of the Everly Brothers vibe of “Dare.” “Black Cat” was inspired by the real-life adventures of a Portuguese immigrant to New York City at the turn of the century. The gorgeous harmonies on ballad “Call Me Gilded” echo the quiet nature of love. “Asheville Nashville Austin” celebrates the band’s traditional country influences and musical journey. The Band of Heathens continue to touch on the quest for truth on “Truth Left.”
Although a 45 date nationwide tour in promotion of Stranger is booked for the fall, the band realizes the uncertainty due to Covid19 in the music industry and that re-opening nationwide is a real concern. Whether it is live or via the screen, Band of Heathens are committed to reaching their fans and bringing more “strangers” in as friends.