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The Band of Heathens CD Release Show w/ Haley Cole & Dillon Myers
October 10, 2013 @ 9:00 pm - 11:55 pm
THE BAND OF HEATHENS
Since emerging as a favorite new live band out of Austin TX in the late 2000s, the Band of Heathens has toured relentlessly, building a devoted following and landing on some of the finest stages in music. Over three studio albums and hundreds of shows each year, they’ve evolved as a group and broadened their sound.
Their most recent studio album Top Hat Crown & The Clapmaster’s Son spiked the already potent punch with a dash of jammy psychedelia. And their four-disc, twovolume, live DVD release called the Double Down – Live in Denver (Vol. 1 & 2) features the band’s live variations and extensions of original material mostly from their last two studio albums. The rich and righteous vocal harmonies and legendary live shows that set TBoH apart from the beginning have just gotten better.
In 2012 The Band of Heathens experienced the first lineup change in 4 years with the departure of Colin Brooks, Seth Whitney, and John Chipman. So going forward, songwriting frontmen Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist are complimented by the rhythm section of drummer Richard Millsap, bassist Ryan Bowman and keyboard player Trevor Nealon. With a growing resume of key shows and broadcasts to their credit, (Bonnaroo, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits TV Show and ACL Festival among them), the slightly rejiggered Band of Heathens has never enjoyed so much renown or optimism.
The band got its start in late 2005 when a group of likeminded songwriters established residency gigs on the same night of the week at Momo’s, a club on Austin’s famous Sixth Street. Friendship, sit-ins and harmony jags gelled into something quite rare: a band with multiple front-men, each with enough humility and passion to invest in the larger project. The sum transcended the parts, and very quickly, word spread about TBoH’s special chemistry. The strong voices up front all played a role, whether as leaders or locked together in harmony.
The show’s-the-thing focus led them down a somewhat unorthodox path: launching their recorded career with two live discs, “Live from Momo’s” and “Live at Antone’s”, released in 2006 and 2007 respectively. The Heathens took their time getting their first studio album out, but when that eponymous debut was released in 2008, they proved they could write and record a coherent statement that measured up to their show. They followed relatively quickly with One Foot In The Ether toward the end of 2009. Both shot to the top of the Americana chart and remained there for months, a longevity rare in any format of music.
Top Hat Crown & the Clapmaster’s Son, released in 2011, stretches further, without breaking faith with the feel and integrity that got the Band of Heathens this far. The positive reaction from fans and critics vindicated the group’s hopes that the album would show growth. Blurt magazine said that “in a crowded roots rock field, (their) diversity sets them apart.” And “it would have been easy for [them] to play it safe on Top Hat Crown & the Clapmaster’s Son,” said Pittsburgh’s Daily News. “But they decided to tweak their formula a bit and the results are truly memorable.” And American Songwriter ruled it “an album that begs to be listened to from start to finish.”
The Band of Heathens has been honored as Best New Band at the Austin Music Awards, and has been nominated in various categories at the Americana Music Awards over the past few years. The Wall Street Journal’s Jim Fusilli called theirs the best set at South By Southwest 2009. And the rest of the press has been equally effusive: The Dallas Morning News calls them “a must-see show.” Maverick magazine says they’re “magnificent.” For The Chicago Tribune, the band felt “refreshingly different,” and The New York Times called their show at Brooklyn’s Union Hall “hungry, unflagging and lean.”
The Band of Heathens continues to be distinguished by creative collaboration and their epic live shows, which have earned them a strong fan base of folks who appreciate improvisation and a good jam, but crave a great song. And while songwriting and vocal duties are chiefly handled by the guys at the front of the stage, they are decidedly a five man band, benefitting from the equal input of all. It is truly a band that needs to evolve to survive, and the fans have rewarded that growth at every turn.
The Band of Heathens on Facebook | The Band of Heathens on Twitter | Official Website
HALEY COLE
I could tell you where Birch, Texas, is but that would also require you to know where the other two towns are that surround it. Let’s just say it’s not easy to find, which is appropriate because talent like Haley Cole is not easy to find either.
Haley was born into a family full of talent and grew up singing alongside her parents and 3 sisters. By the time she hit 16, she was equipped with a guitar and the determination to make a music career happen for herself. Inspired by the hard work of her blue collar family and instilled with the same ethic, Haley began performing anywhere she could find a microphone. Starting out at local venues, it wasn’t long before she found herself on well-known stages like Hurricane Harry’s, Dosey Doe’s, and the former Texas Hall of Fame. In her short time on the Texas Music Scene, Haley’s incredible voice and clever lyrics and composition has elevated her to opening for the biggest names in the industry such as Drew Womack, Bart Crow, Ryan Beaver, Max Stalling, Brandon Rhyder, The Rankin Twins, Bri Bagwell, Jason Eady, Folk Family Revival, Jason Cassidy, and Mickey and the Motorcars, just to name a few.
Haley’s kind heartedness, fun personality, and love for her fans leave a lasting impression on every stage she plays. Haley dreams of being the next Miranda Lambert, and has every ounce of talent needed to do so, but she is also very humble about her career in music. She says “If I make it, great, if not, at least I can say I gave it my all, but either way I will keep creating honest music for the fans I cherish as long as they continue to listen.”
Haley released her first professional project on February 22, 2013. The seven song self-titled EP, all originally written, is a cornucopia of Country, Americana, and folk with a touch of rock and bluegrass flavors. Her album features Drew Womack, one of the biggest songwriters in country music, on the amazing track “Devil in Disguise” and look out for her forthcoming single “Satisfied” on a radio near you next month. Do yourself a favor and check out Haley Cole’s album on iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby.com, Spotify, Facebook, and her website www.haleycoleband.com – because just like Birch, Texas: talent like Haley Cole is hard to find.
Haley Cole on Facebook | Haley Cole on Twitter | Official Website
DILLON MYERS
Dillon Myers is a southern/rock/country/rock singer/songwriter originally from Dallas, TX who has made Aggieland a home for himself in the past few years after spending a year living in town and playing around the area.