T-minus 10 hours until this band’s highly-anticipated The Tonight Show performance, which gets us all just that much closer to their Central Park concert on Wednesday. We can’t wait for their gloriously alternative Americana melodies to take over our senses and spread wide over the crowd and city foliage.
The Head and The Heart are going back to basics. The band, established in Seattle 16 years ago, released the melodic LP Aperture back in the spring, and it puts a modern spotlight on both their DIY roots and simpler times during the folk music revival. That surge circa 2009 is when this group, alongside the likes of Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers, hit their stride.
Now these bands are coming back in a big way. This second wave of folk music is helping The Head and The Heart reach a whole new audience, as well. They have always had a Fleetwood Mac vibe, and that band’s influence shines through not only on their latest single “Beg Steal Borrow,” but with their entire catalog. (Go back, dive in, listen to it all. You’ll hear it.)
Some of The Head and the Heart’s classics include “All We Ever Knew,” “Missed Connection,” and the recent “Virginia (Wind In The Night).” These are staples that will last a lifetime in the ever-changing music landscape. Let’s face it, folk music has its heroes throughout history, but The Head and the Heart are this millennial’s go-to band.
I sat down with piano player Kenny Hensley via Zoom to talk about the band’s history, the fantastic reception of Aperture, and AI’s unwelcomed place in art.
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How does Aperture compare to 2022’s Every Shade of Blue?
This is our sixth LP, and we self-produced our first two albums. We did it on a very DIY and on a budget. The band started by playing open mic nights, and we came together very organically. Then we signed to a major record label and we found ourselves wanting to explore other areas, so we started working with producers and writing with others outside of the band trying to do as much as possible. This time around, we were done with our Warner record label contract and we didn’t have anyone directing us or suggesting that we do different things. We then went to the studio, went back to basics, and wrote together from scratch like we did in the early days with our first album.
You are on an indie label now?
Yes, we are on Verve. It’s a subsidiary of Universal. It’s the best of two worlds. Our first two albums were on Sub Pop. It was my favorite label in high school. Then we went to a major label and now we are in between a major and indie label.
How else has the band evolved since getting together in 2009?
So much! We could write a book on it. I was 21 years old when we first started this band. I moved to Seattle when I was 21. I trusted in my music writing ability and moved up to Seattle because I liked the music scene there. I happened to meet Jon [Russell] and Josiah [Johnson], who I started the band with. I was the youngest in the band. We have been through a lot.
Do you pay attention to the critics and reviews?
I don’t personally pay attention to it too much. I used to in the early days because it was really exciting to get a review in general. Now with social media I try not to. It shouldn’t dictate our direction or our influence… as long as the reviews are honest.
How do you come up with the melodies for the songs?
It’s about tinkering around and looking for something that pleases the ear. If you find something, you go from there and share it with the band. Nine times out of 10 I sit down and play on piano for 15 minutes and I get frustrated that nothing comes out, but if I find something that I love right away, I could work on it for hours. Then you come up with a Head and the Heart song. Some days I feel inspired more than others. I have a hundred voice memos on my phone.
Do you think more folk bands are coming out of the woodwork now?
If somebody hasn’t heard of us, I tend to say folk-rock-pop. I say we are a combination of all those things. When we first started going there was a folk revival going on with The Lumineers and Mumford & Sons. I think there’s another resurgence now.
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Any thoughts on Brian Wilson’s legacy?
It was sad when he passed. I’m a huge fan and he’s on my Mount Rushmore. I never saw him live. We did a cover of “God Only Knows.” What a genius – I love him. He was the greatest harmony and melody writer. He’s up there with Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan.
What are your thoughts on AI in music?
There were some posts on this AI band a few weeks ago. It’s scary. I love music and the art that surrounds it deeply. It would be sad for that to go away. Sometimes I wish I was born in a different era because of it.
We don’t use AI in our music, though!
The band is playing Summerstage.
Yes, on July 30. We have a few days off before and we are playing Fallon two nights before. We played once in 2018.
New York City is always a blast and there’s a handful of cities you look forward to on a tour and that is one of them.
FOR TICKETS TO SEE THE HEAD & THE HEART IN NYC ON WEDNESDAY & ASBURY PARK ON THURSDAY, CLICK HERE! STREAM THEIR NEW RECORD BELOW!
