By Lauren Miller
Online Associate Editor-in-Chief
The Head and The Heart
Favorite song: Rivers and Roads (personally I may have given the video “100 views” at least)
Vibe: Mellow
sounds like: Lumineers, Of Monsters and Men, The Avett Brothers
The Head and The Heart is the epitome of indie folk. Bearded and so granola, their chill vibes make you want to take an afternoon to lie back and watch the clouds. Personally, they make me want to go out west and spend my days hiking the mountains or reading in a local coffee shop.
When listening to The Head and The Heart, the mellow and relaxed sounds wash over your body creating an immediate soothing effect. This is done with simple chords on an acoustic guitar and drums; they also utilize the piano, violin and sometimes tambourine or banjo (used in Down in the Valley). Their lead vocalists: Josiah Johnson, Jonathan Russell, and occasionally Charity Rose Thielen for the higher parts, all have a pure sound with a raspy undertone and harmonizing ‘oohs and ahhs’ accompany the instruments and achieve the perfect indie sound.
Any song off of their second album Lets Be Still (came out October 2013) is a prime example of this. Not only does their sound speak to you, but their lyrics do as well. Rivers and Roads puts into words exactly what all high school students will experience during graduation, ”A year from now we’ll all be gone/ All our friends will move away/ And they’re going’ to better places/ But our friends will be gone away.” If the idea of that soon happening sang in Russell’s melancholy voice doesn’t make you tear up, then you may want to schedule a doctors appointment and check if you still have a heart.
It’s not all lowkey harmonies, though those are very important. In songs such as Lost in My Mind and Josh McBride the tempo in the picks up and your foot can’t help but tap, nor your head not bob.
Across the board The Head and The Heart does not stray from the common indie sound, but it’s not a bad thing. They excel in that genre and shouldn’t change, ever. Also within the ‘constraints’ of indie folk, they have explored a variety of tones, tempos, and mix of instruments making each individual songs uniquely different, but keeping the overall sound the same.