The Band of Heathens
Austin, Texas, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
-Austin City Limits Television Taping (Airs Nov 7, 2009 with Elvis Costello as part of 35th Anniversary Season)
- Americana Music Association Emerging Artist of the Year Nominee (2009)
- Lonestar Music Awards Best Emerging Artist (2009)
- Austin Music Awards Best New Band (2007) - www.bandofheathens.com
Past Year National Radio Highlights
-#1 Americana Radio Chart – 2 weeks
-Top 5 Americana Radio Chart – 13 weeks
-Top 10 Americana Radio Chart – 20 weeks
-#1 Euro-Americana Chart – 2 months
-Tapings for Mountain Stage, Woodsongs, XM Radio, and PBS' Austin City Limits Program - www.bandofheathens.com
"The Band of Heathens, an Austin-based group, played the best set I came across during my five nights in town (at SXSW 2009)."
- Jim Fusilli, Wall Street Journal
"With their wealth of wonderful tunes, it's easy to see why Texas music great Ray Wylie Hubbard signed on to produce this fabulous first effort."
- Michael Berick, No Depression
"Their music balances between studio-slick and devil-may-care sloppiness, with equal parts southern rock, '50's R&B, and Louisiana swamp-rock with a punkish swagger, they conjure a post-modern roots rock...This debut may establish the band as the next big thing from Austin." - Vintage Guitar Magazine, The Hit List
"Most bands are lucky to have one good songwriter in the group and super lucky to have two. This band has three poets who can deliver at the top of anyone's lyrical game. They all three are songwriting treasures… one of the best Americana records ever made." - Keith Howerton, Texas Music Times
"This is real spit and sawdust Southern rock with tremendously gritty vocals and scything guitars." - David Knowles, Maverick Magazine
"The Band of Heathens make the transition from live recordings to the studio pleasingly well on this 2008 release." - Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
"If you're an Americana radio station and you don't play this record, then you're not an Americana radio station. The Band of Heathens are, by far, my favorite discovery in the last 2 years." - Mattson Rainer, KNBT
"The Austin five-piece performs its original bar-band country and Americana music exceptionally well." - Pete Freedman, Dallas Observer
"The Band of Heathens' first, self-titled studio CD has a variety of good roots-rock songs that encompass folk and country and even a bit of gospel. It's a good listen." Tom Geddie, Buddy Magazine
"Don't miss this good time excursion into the roots of the Music of today, sure is hard to get its honest grooves and good time feel out of the system. " - Bob Gottlieb, FAME
"Austin is the hub of all things Americana, folk and alt-country. And The Band of Heathens have risen to the top of that heap." - Craig Bonnell, Songs: Illinois
"The Band of Heathens' self-titled album serves as a real treat to country rock and roots rock connoisseurs with its blend of rich vocals, ballad and upbeat sides, and rootsy rhythms propelled by good musicians." - Jeff Boyce, Jupiter Index
“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 release will solidify their reputation in the American music scene.” – Vintage Guitar Magazine
"Leave it to The Band of Heathens to release TWO live albums before their studio debut. Because these guys obviously have their own ideas about how to do things - and that comes through loud and clear on their new record. It was WELL worth the wait. This ain't genericamericana. This is greasy and right." Jody Denberg, KGSR Content Manager
"Remember that you read it here first, The Band of Heathens are headed for stardom!" - Joe Montague, Riveting Riffs
"Smart southern/country rock that has some heartland heart running through it as well. A sure bet for anyone that's ever grooved to that vibe and wants more without it being more of the same." - Chris Spector, Midwest Record
"Definitely recommended: here's a new band that's worth keeping your eyes on." - Lawrence Kay, Joe Sixpack's Record Riot
"The Band of Heathens... kinda like if Rimbaud, Keats, and Rilke strapped on guitars and hooked up with a bad ass rhythm section... literary and sinfully cool." - Ray Wylie Hubbard
“Lord, I love this Austin band! Rootsy, bluesy rock in the best Austin sense that feels like it’s been cooking for decades. Four Stars.” - Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman
“Over the past 16 years I've received my fair share of “recorded live” albums but the Band Of Heathens ”Live From Momo's” truly has no equal. A Top Rank , 5-Star effort by all and in my humble opinion: One of the best albums to ever come out of Austin.” -Eddie Russell, 3rd Coast Music
“Previously, I have been fortunate to catch live performances by such greats as Albert King, B.B. King, James Taylor, John Lee Hooker, Lightnin’ Sam Hopkins jazz great Charles Mingus and The Who. These guys are that good. The Band of Heathens are not unlike The Band back in the early days, the days of “Music From Big Pink.” - Paul Heidelberg, editor, Canyon Lake Times Guardian
“The Band of Heathens are a rich musical mélange of stunning harmonies and dizzying range. Only superstars can comprise supergroups, but the Band of Heathens prove that sometimes a group of top-notch specialists can capture similar magic. FOUR STARS.” - Patrick Nichols, This Is Texas Music - More up to date at www.bandofheathens.com
"The Band of Heathens, an Austin-based group, played the best set I came across during my five nights in town (at SXSW 2009)."
- Jim Fusilli, Wall Street Journal
"With their wealth of wonderful tunes, it's easy to see why Texas music great Ray Wylie Hubbard signed on to produce this fabulous first effort."
- Michael Berick, No Depression
"Their music balances between studio-slick and devil-may-care sloppiness, with equal parts southern rock, '50's R&B, and Louisiana swamp-rock with a punkish swagger, they conjure a post-modern roots rock...This debut may establish the band as the next big thing from Austin." - Vintage Guitar Magazine, The Hit List
"Most bands are lucky to have one good songwriter in the group and super lucky to have two. This band has three poets who can deliver at the top of anyone's lyrical game. They all three are songwriting treasures… one of the best Americana records ever made." - Keith Howerton, Texas Music Times
"This is real spit and sawdust Southern rock with tremendously gritty vocals and scything guitars." - David Knowles, Maverick Magazine
"The Band of Heathens make the transition from live recordings to the studio pleasingly well on this 2008 release." - Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
"If you're an Americana radio station and you don't play this record, then you're not an Americana radio station. The Band of Heathens are, by far, my favorite discovery in the last 2 years." - Mattson Rainer, KNBT
"The Austin five-piece performs its original bar-band country and Americana music exceptionally well." - Pete Freedman, Dallas Observer
"The Band of Heathens' first, self-titled studio CD has a variety of good roots-rock songs that encompass folk and country and even a bit of gospel. It's a good listen." Tom Geddie, Buddy Magazine
"Don't miss this good time excursion into the roots of the Music of today, sure is hard to get its honest grooves and good time feel out of the system. " - Bob Gottlieb, FAME
"Austin is the hub of all things Americana, folk and alt-country. And The Band of Heathens have risen to the top of that heap." - Craig Bonnell, Songs: Illinois
"The Band of Heathens' self-titled album serves as a real treat to country rock and roots rock connoisseurs with its blend of rich vocals, ballad and upbeat sides, and rootsy rhythms propelled by good musicians." - Jeff Boyce, Jupiter Index
“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 release will solidify their reputation in the American music scene.” – Vintage Guitar Magazine
"Leave it to The Band of Heathens to release TWO live albums before their studio debut. Because these guys obviously have their own ideas about how to do things - and that comes through loud and clear on their new record. It was WELL worth the wait. This ain't genericamericana. This is greasy and right." Jody Denberg, KGSR Content Manager
"Remember that you read it here first, The Band of Heathens are headed for stardom!" - Joe Montague, Riveting Riffs
"Smart southern/country rock that has some heartland heart running through it as well. A sure bet for anyone that's ever grooved to that vibe and wants more without it being more of the same." - Chris Spector, Midwest Record
"Definitely recommended: here's a new band that's worth keeping your eyes on." - Lawrence Kay, Joe Sixpack's Record Riot
"The Band of Heathens... kinda like if Rimbaud, Keats, and Rilke strapped on guitars and hooked up with a bad ass rhythm section... literary and sinfully cool." - Ray Wylie Hubbard
“Lord, I love this Austin band! Rootsy, bluesy rock in the best Austin sense that feels like it’s been cooking for decades. Four Stars.” - Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman
“Over the past 16 years I've received my fair share of “recorded live” albums but the Band Of Heathens ”Live From Momo's” truly has no equal. A Top Rank , 5-Star effort by all and in my humble opinion: One of the best albums to ever come out of Austin.” -Eddie Russell, 3rd Coast Music
“Previously, I have been fortunate to catch live performances by such greats as Albert King, B.B. King, James Taylor, John Lee Hooker, Lightnin’ Sam Hopkins jazz great Charles Mingus and The Who. These guys are that good. The Band of Heathens are not unlike The Band back in the early days, the days of “Music From Big Pink.” - Paul Heidelberg, editor, Canyon Lake Times Guardian
“The Band of Heathens are a rich musical mélange of stunning harmonies and dizzying range. Only superstars can comprise supergroups, but the Band of Heathens prove that sometimes a group of top-notch specialists can capture similar magic. FOUR STARS.” - Patrick Nichols, This Is Texas Music - More up to date at www.bandofheathens.com
Discography
Sunday Morning Record (2013)
Top Hat Crown & the Clapmaster's Son (2011)
One Foot In The Ether (2009)
The Band of Heathens (2008)
Live at Antone's (DVD/CD) (2007)
Live From Momo's (2006)
Photos
Bio
Tour Highlights
-250+ shows a year for past 3 years
-‘09 Austin City Limits Television Taping (Airs Nov ’09)
-‘09 Emerging Artist of the Year Nomination at Americana Music Assoc. (AMA) Awards
-‘09 Performance at AMA Awards at the Ryman Auditorium
-‘09 Mile High Music Festival
-‘09 Ski Jam Festival
-’08, ’09, & ‘10 Steamboat MusicFest
-‘08 ACL Festival
-‘08 AMA Showcase & Music Panel on Indie Success
-’07, ’08, & ‘09 Kerrville Folk Festival
-‘08 Big Music Cruise
-’08 & ‘09 Larry Joe Taylor Music Festival
Press
“The Band of Heathens played the best set I came across during my five
nights in town (at SXSW 2009).” – Jim Fusilli, Wall Street Journal
“A wealth of wonderful tunes.” – Michael Berick, No Depression
“This is greasy and right.” – Jody Denberg, KGSR Content Manager
“By far, my favorite discovery in the last 2 years.” – Mattson Rainer,
KNBT Program Director
“Sure is hard to get the honest grooves and good time feel out of the system.” – Bob Gottlieb, FAME
“Their debut may establish the band as the next big thing from Austin.” – Vintage Guitar Magazine, The Hit List
Full Length Bio:
In the course of evolving from loose assemblage to world-class
rock ’n’ roll outfit, the Band of Heathens has built a potent body of recorded work that’s won the Austin, Texas ensemble a fiercely loyal fan base and a reputation as one of its hometown’s most vital musical resources. BoH is also known as one of America’s hardest-working touring acts, while revealing a musical and lyrical depth that consistently enriches an infectious songcraft.
Sunday Morning Record, the Band of Heathens’ fourth studio album (and seventh overall), marks a milestone in the resilient outfit’s development, capturing the musicians’ remarkable creative chemistry along with the deepening melodic and
emotional resonance in the songwriting of founding singer-guitarists Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist. The 11-song set, produced by Austin studio vets and longtime BoH
collaborators George Reiff and Steve Christensen, is the product of an intense period of change within and around the group.
“Sunday Morning Record was born in the midst of change,” agrees Quist. “Life changes, lineup changes, geographic changes. It was a rollercoaster of a year, but that change served the album well and became our muse.”
“We set out to make a record that chronicled the journey of the band through a really difficult and uncertain time,” Jurdi states. “In the midst of all of this, Gordy and I were writing songs, starting families, moving families and trying to find a thread to hold onto with our music.”
The musicians’ journey is documented with insight, humor and empathy on such compelling new tunes as “Shotgun,” “Caroline Williams,” “Miss My Life,” “Girl With Indigo Eyes” and “Records in Bed,” which embody the catchy tunes and punchy
performances for which BoH is known, while showcasing the subtlety and introspection that have become increasingly prominent in the band’s work, with an added emphasis on the acoustic textures that have long been present in its arsenal.
“I really think that this is the most personal group of songs we’ve ever released,” asserts Quist. “We had over 30 to choose from, and they were written while we were pondering some major life changes and digging to find the essence of what the band is.”
Sunday Morning Record — released, like all but one of its prior albums, on the band’s own BOH Records label — also benefits from the powerful rapport between founding members Jurdi and Quist, longtime keyboardist Trevor Nealon, and the most recent addition to the band, Richard Millsap on drums.
“We closed the circle smaller around us,” Jurdi notes. “We worked at George Reiff’s house and kept the vibe as relaxed as possible. We worked fast, cutting a song a day. We worked in the moment, creating songs during the session, changing others, and eliminating the ones that didn’t fit.”
The qualities that make Sunday Morning Record so compelling have been built into the Band of Heathens from its origins in 2005. It was then that Jurdi, Quist and Colin Brooks — all of whom had already issued solo albums and were working separately as singer-songwriters around Austin — joined forces after informally sitting in on one another’s sets at the now-defunct West 6th Street club Momo’s. The like-minded
tunesmiths soon forged a long-term collaboration, and the aggregation became a full-fledged rock ’n’ roll band.
The Band of Heathens’ imposing reputation as a live act was reflected in their decision to launch their recording career with a pair of live albums, 2006’s Live From Momo’s and 2007’s CD/DVD Live at Antone’s. 2008 saw the release of an eponymous first studio effort, produced by iconic Texas troubadour Ray Wylie Hubbard. That album won widespread fan approval and copious critical acclaim, as did 2009’s One
Foot in the Ether, which, like its predecessor, reached the #1 slot on the nation
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