Unlike what their name would suggest, the Band of Heathens isn't out to rabble-rouse--instead they're here to play their distinct style of Americana and sweet, southern comfort.
Hailing from Austin, Texas, the group came together when members Colin Brooks, Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist shared the same bill at the well-known local club, Momo's. Like the best of club meetings, they don't quite remember how the band came together, but what resulted was a group fronted by not one, but all three musicians. Granted, it must not be an easy thing to share the narrow spotlight between three members, but they seem to handle it pretty well--no black eyes just yet (that we know of).
While the Band of Heathens cite influences like Tom Petty, Leon Russell and the Grateful Dead, the really interesting part is how the band combines and balances its own songwriters. Each of the three singers take turns with songs, giving the band the benefit of have a multi-faceted sound the audience can visually perceive. Three bands for the price of one: not too shabby. It's interesting to see how much the sound can vary depending on who sings, from lovelorn to mischievous to exalted.
And just a testament to the talent they bring to their live performances, the Band of Heathen's first two discs were live recordings, the even second includes a DVD. Any band ballsy enough to start off with that must have the skills to back it up. Individually, the frontmen have had plenty of practice, each member having releasing two of his own recordings before venturing in to the Heathen's realm. So when they came together, the band was already poised and ready to hit the stage.
Poised they were, upon our purple glitter Yahoo! chairs in our intimate music room. Watch the Band of Heathens play "Enough," "Polaroid" and "Should Have Known" off their latest album Top Hat Crown & the Clapmaster's Son, out now. And yes, you get to hear all three of them sing lead.
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