Band of Heathens 'self-titled' album

Immensely popular Austin-based musicians The Band of Heathens take one more step beyond their Texas borders when they unveil their self-titled studio release on May 20, 2008. The five “rough around the edges” members of The Band of Heathens have a grit and authenticity reminiscent of other notable fan-driven rock bands like Little Feat, The Black Crowes and Drive-By Truckers.

Known for their live recordings, The Band of Heathens present a polished studio album that showcases the individuals who came together partly by accident and marks their actualization into a unified band. The Band of Heathens were making a name for themselves long before they actually had their present moniker. While performing in other bands at the same venue, the guys began to jam together and were affectionately called the Heathens. Before long, the Austin press picked up on the name, which later evolved into The Band of Heathens. The Band of Heathens' brand of Southern rock soon garnered the Austin Music Awards "Best New Band of the Year" accolade in 2007.

Living and performing in the live music capital of the US, The Band of Heathens have been able to forge musical relationships with local luminaries, many of whom contribute their talents to the new record. Produced by Ray Wylie Hubbard, the studio release features guests Stephen Bruton, Patty Griffin and Gurf Morlix. With no single front man, Ed Jurdi, Gordy Quist and Colin Brooks are each showcased in their vocal delivery, songwriting and guitar interplay. The unified front downstage is cemented by a heavy groove courtesy of Seth Whitney on bass and John Chipman on drums.

Touring all over the United States has also added layers of flavor to their songs. With raucous favorites like, "Bumblebee" and "Jenny Was a Keeper," the audience participation is a key ingredient. The guys definitely do not disappoint those looking for a live vibe on their latest record. The Band of Heathens' fans will eat up the buoyancy of "Cornbread" and the old time rhythm of "Jackson Station." Conducive to dancing and swaying, the release is a record that, refreshingly, does not take itself too seriously. There is a comfort and ease in the material and lyrics; a perfect marriage of roots and jam allows the casual tone of the songs work anywhere from a back porch party to a packed club.

Even in their studio effort it is clear The Band of Heathens loves playing this music they create together. The five will continue their aggressive touring schedule supporting the new material and honor the relationship with their fans. The studio release will make their creative mélange more accessible to a variety of audiences in 2008 and solidify their reputation in the American music scene.

song by song
Don’t Call on Me (Jurdi) – I wrote this song when I was living in New Hampshire, during a particularly brutal winter. It had been 5 or 6 days holed up with nowhere to go, nothing to do and nobody to talk to, yet, I was surrounded by all of the things I needed to do that couldn’t wait. This song was a letter written on a frozen windowpane to anybody that would listen. – E.J.

Jackson Station (Quist/Jurdi) – I had this song kicking around in my head for a few months, mainly the first verse and the old-timey melody and feel. One afternoon, Ed and I got together with some guitars and some wine and hammered out a couple different versions of how the song could go. A week or two later, we whittled it down to the version on the record. –G.Q.

Maple Tears (Quist/Carroll) – Adam Carroll started writing this song after getting stranded at the U.S. / Canada border for 5 days, missing half of a string of dates up in Canada. Apparently Adam didn’t get the proper work visa and the border guards caught him. He spent the next few days writing in an upstate New York motel room. Adam got the song started there and when he got home he came by my place and threw it on the table. A few weeks later we finished the song, Adam made some edits, I made some edits, etc. It’s a North American country love song. Patty Griffin really brings the recording to life. – G.Q.

Heart on my Sleeve (Brooks) – This song flopped around with one leg for a long time. The chorus had arrived healthy and happy with very little modification on my part, however in the vague outline for the verses, I couldn't get what I wanted to say to sound how I wanted it to sound. I think you just have to let songs ferment sometimes. One day, after months of struggling, the verses just popped out. – C.B.

Second Line (Quist/Jurdi/Brooks) – I brought this one to Ed and Colin and we worked on it for an afternoon exploring different lyrical and musical ideas. Eventually, I tied it all together as a soul-marching, foot-stomping, New Orleans ride home. – G.Q.

40 Days (Jurdi) – I always imagined this as a song that 2 people could sing to each other about the way they feel, because sometimes that’s the hardest thing to do. It’s a love song, plain and simple. – E.J.

This I Know (Jurdi/Quist) – This song is really an affirmation that I know nothing. I had an idea for a song about trying to get your shit together, but invariably something always gets in the way. Gordy helped me put together the 2nd verse, which has some of my favorite lines in the song. – E.J.

Unsleeping Eye (Quist) – I started this song in California and finished it on a notepad on my knee driving home to Austin at 5am from Dallas after a show. This was recorded all live in one take, except for an organ overdub and some background vocal layering. – G.Q.

Cornbread (Brooks) – When I first moved to Austin there was a B&B right around the corner from my house. I immediately adopted the owners as my new Austin family. I would go over there for coffee every morning and Kevin would constantly throw me one liners he thought would make good songs. "Cornbread" was his idea and I guess I wasn't getting enough to eat. – C.B.

Nine Steps Down (Jurdi/Quist) – I had a melody for a string band tune pop into my head. I had been thinking about putting that against a Cajun rhythm, so it was danceable. The song is basically a flashback for a guy stuck out on an oil rig with a huge storm bearing down on him. As he meets certain doom, he recalls his life in a flash. Gordy brought some great lyrics to this one and helped complete the picture. – E.J.

Hallelujah (Brooks) – The guitar riff for this song was something I had a long time ago. Ironically it finally found a home in this song, which is really about finding a home. – C.B.

biography
THE BEGINNING
The formation of The Band of Heathens is as natural and organic as the music they create. In early spring 2006, the three principle songwriters, Colin Brooks, Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist, were sharing the bill every Wednesday night at the venerable Austin club Momo's. Originally, it started as each songwriter performing his own set. But in a short time they started sharing the stage equally and collaborating on each other's songs, with bassist Seth Whitney as the anchor of the rhythm section. The Wednesday night series was billed as "The Good Time Supper Club." Largely improvised and unrehearsed, the shows quickly gained in popularity and word spread throughout Austin that if you wanted live music on Wednesday night, Momo's was the place to be.

A misprint in a local paper billed the act as "The Heathens." The moniker stuck and soon The Band of Heathens began to cultivate a loyal and growing legion of fans that immediately took to the expert musicianship, the finely-crafted songs and the band's distinct quality of having three front men, each one of whom sings, writes and plays lead guitar. In March 2007, drummer John Chipman joined the band and helped fortify their country-soul-rock-and-roll sound.

THE BEST NEW BAND
In May 2006, The Band of Heathens teamed up with the Austin label Fat Caddy Records to record two Wednesday nights as a snapshot of the scene at Momo's. In October 2006, the critically acclaimed Live from Momo's was released to the public. Live records normally don't get the attention and airplay that studio efforts do, but with Live from Momo's, program directors, club owners and media around the country started to take notice of this upstart Austin band. Word was spreading about their legendary live shows, and the crowds continued to grow at both their Wednesday night residency and on tour.

During 2007's South By Southwest Conference, the band members were invited to attend the Austin Music Awards ceremony at the Austin Convention Center. That night The Band of Heathens accepted the award for "Best New Band" as well as runners-up awards for "Band of the Year," "Album of the Year," "Song of the Year," "Best Record Producer" and others. Individually, members of the band were also recognized by the Austin music community as nominees for "Musician of the Year," "Best Male Vocalist," "Best Bass Guitar" and "Best Acoustic Guitar."

Band member Gordy Quist explains that the Austin Music Awards verified what others had seen, but the band's members hadn't caught on to. "We thought of it as a side project for a long time," he relates. "Eventually, it got to a point where the chemistry was undeniable, and we were having such a good time with it, that evolved into a band." Colin Brooks adds, "To be embraced like that by Austin was astounding. I certainly feel more at home in this band now, and that includes my own band, than I have in any other band." While appreciative of the award, Ed Jurdi may be the voice of reason among them. "I'm not sure winning the award made much of a difference," he asserts. "What we're experiencing just may be a natural progression, in terms of songwriting and arranging for the band."

THE SECOND LIVE RECORDING
The "Best New Band" from Austin, TX spent the rest of 2007 living up to that accolade and acting as de facto ambassadors for the "Live Music Capital of the World" with extensive touring throughout Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Mississippi, Georgia and Louisiana. Word spread quickly about this traveling band of minstrels and as the fan base grew, people took notice.

A by-product of that touring and growth was a live DVD recording project proposed by M.E. TV, Austin's music television station. The station was looking to capture one of Austin's finest up-and-coming bands, and on June 1, 2007, at the legendary Antone's nightclub, they got what they were looking for.

It's rare for a band's first two releases to be live recordings, but then there's nothing typical about The Band of Heathens. Live at Antone's - simultaneously released on DVD and CD in January 2008 - has furthered the buzz and acclaim about both the band and their live shows.

Regarding the DVD, Krystal Halfmann from LoneStarMusic Magazine writes, "The Band of Heathens were 'on' that night and thankfully, the quality of the recording lets that detail shine through. The extraordinary appeal of the Live at Antone's records is that it showcases The Band of Heathens' main asset, the fact that every one of them is so freakin' gifted. Not many acts can pull off having three front-men and three songwriters, but each band member's talent and style meld together seamlessly."

FINALLY, THE STUDIO ALBUM
When The Band of Heathens finally entered the studio to record their long-awaited debut studio effort, they assembled a collection of their best songs, employed the legendary songwriter Ray Wylie Hubbard to produce and called on a few special guests (Patty Griffin, Gurf Morlix, Stephen Bruton) to help out. The final product is a self-titled, polished studio debut that is sure to be on many "Best of" lists for 2008.

With a world-class recording, The Band of Heathens decided to bring on a team of high-caliber music industry pros to promote and distribute the release nationally. They include: Al Moss of Al Moss Promotions (The Flatlanders, Delbert McClinton, Steve Earle) at the helm for Americana Radio, Clay Neuman of APEX for Texas Radio, Lindsay Reid of Reid Promotions for Triple-A radio, Kissy Black and Lotos Nile Media (Blue Highway, John Prine, Stoll Vaughan) for publicity, and Alexis Kelley of Livewire Entertainment as retail marketing and sales liaison. The band also signed with Third Coast Artists Agency for booking representation. Scheduled for a May 20, 2008 release, The Band of Heathens will be released on BOH Records, a label started by the band, and will be distributed nationally through Burnside Distribution.

THE FUTURE PLANS AND TOURING
With a new release out in May, the band will be touring extensively this year; expanding their existing markets and entering into new key regions. The excitement that Austin shared with the band at the very beginning is being felt in places like Denver, Nashville, Atlanta and beyond. The band has been approached about touring with some of the top names in alt-country, and the level of interest from both industry insiders and fans is steadily growing. They will continue to bring their unique brand of Texas twang and country soul to anyone who is curious, willing to listen and hungry for the American rock 'n' roll that The Band of Heathens deliver.

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Band of Heathens - self-titled