From day one, The Band of Heathens have remained proudly, fiercely independent—turning down label offers, maintaining complete ownership of their catalog, building their audience one show at a time.
“That was the whole thing to us, the idea of being in a rock and roll band is freedom, right?” says guitarist-vocalist Ed Jurdi, “We grew up with icons and heroes that not only represented music, but a lifestyle, an attitude, and a way of doing things. Those ideas molded us in our youth and we’ve carried them with us ever since.”
The Band of Heathens’ latest and ninth studio album, Simple Things, is a recommitment to a “way of doing things” they’d never truly left. Geographically, they’d returned to Austin, the city they’d found their sound; sonically, the rootsy, guitar-based rock with which they’d made their name dominates the record; thematically, the lyrics sung in 3 and 4 part harmonies speak to appreciating friends, family, and our limited time on Earth.
Look out for opening act Good Looks, another band out of Austin; though relatively unknown now, they’re making a name for themselves in the greater Hill Country area, collaborating and trading songs with writers like Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker and Buck Meek and performing at Kerrville’s Folk Festival last year.
