The Band of Heathens- August 5th

With their ninth studio album, Simple Things, The Band of Heathens came home—geographically, as they returned to their long time base of Austin for the recording; sonically, in an embrace of the rootsy, guitar based rock with which they made their name; and thematically, with lyrics that speak to appreciating friends and family and our limited time on this planet. It’s a confident, assured statement of a group finding its place in the world amid uncertain and troubled times.
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 ‘There’s a survivor’s spirit within this band that we’ve had from the first record,” says co-founding member Gordy Quist. “I see a lot of artists out there screaming ‘Hey, we’re outlaws, we’re independent!’ and they’re signed to a subsidiary of a major label and live completely within that model. Now we don’t necessarily go around waving that outlaw flag in everybody’s face, but I truly feel we’ve been the ultimate indie band for 17 years. We’ve always been living outside the lines, industry-wise, and that spirit helped us during this time when it was all taken away from us.”

With SimpleThings, they extend this achievement—creatively, personally, and practically—in the face of a challenging and turbulent landscape in music and beyond. “We’ve been able to grow with each record,” says co-founder Ed Jurdi, “all the while doing exactly what we wanted to do—which, believe me, has not always been the best thing for our career or commercial success.”
Learn More