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| Photo: Greg Giannukos |
Duende
by Matt Chrystal
Band Of Heathens are celebrating their tenth year as a band and just released their fifth studio album, Duende. The Austin, TX-based band will be bringing their brand of Americana roots rock to Roy's Hall in Blairstown, NJ on Sunday January 29th. I caught up with BOH's co-founder, Ed Jurdi, to talk about the making of the new album and the supporting tour. Oh, and we touch on the theme of interpersonal connections in relation the band, other musicians, and the country as a whole.
CoolMattyC: The title of your recently released fifth album is Duende, from what I've gathered, it translates loosely to "connections" or "the search for self." That title seems pretty fitting, not only for the times, but also as a theme for this collection of tracks. Songs throughout the album touch on connections with others ("All I Am Asking"), on the disconnect in society caused by the reliance on modern technology ("Cracking the Code"); and "Road Dust Wheels"speaks to the connection of Mexican migrant workers to the American Dream. How did you come to find the perfect album title to reflect all of this?
Ed Jurdi: I think "duende" came up pretty early in the process, probably even before we started recording. Gordy [Quist, BOH co-founder] and I had a conversation about album titles, and that word just came up. It's the idea of finding an authentic self or the essence of something or heightened state or the soul, if you will. So the word "duende" was just somewhere in the back of our minds, but I am not sure that we set out to make a concept album.
There definitely are some threads throughout the record. Like you said, the idea of connection is there, whether it be with a person or the larger world, virtually or literally. These are topics we talk a lot about amongst the band. Whether it be on an interpersonal level or a larger level, these are things that people seem struggle with at different times, whether we are conscious of it or not.
CMC: Can you speak about process of formulating the tracks that make up Duende?
EJ: For this album, Gordy and I wrote most of the songs. Everyone in the band does write songs. It just happens that, for this album, the majority of the songs were co-written by Gordy and me. Scott Davis, our bass player, co-wrote some songs too.
A lot of times, Gordy and I will shoot emails back and forth about certain songs. At one point, when we got started, we had a dropbox of about 40 songs. Then, we whittled that down to about 20. We then recorded about 18 or 19 of those. It was definitely a process of compiling tracks, playing stuff back, and getting the band together and just seeing what everyone is really into. There would be an initial demo that just had an acoustic guitar, or a piano or maybe just a vocal track; but it really becomes The Band Of Heathens when the song gets put through the mill of everyone having input and ideas until the song becomes something that can live on its own. The magic of this band is the collaborative process and everyone having really good and really strong ideas on how to make every song sound the best that it can.
CMC: Your previous album, Sunday Morning Record, was, as the title implies, pretty laid back. On Duende, the band really kick it up a few notches in the energy department. Was there anything in particular that led to the change of pace?
EJ: I think this record is just more reflective in terms of keying in on the band just being a great rock n roll band. It's the way we play collectively. There's an energy when we play our live shows, and I think we were just trying to be more aware of that energy when we were in the studio. I think that came across on this record. It's more indicative of what our live shows are like in terms of the pacing and the tempo. We have some ballads and some slower numbers on there; but, overall, the record is just a little bit more up-tempo and higher energy than previous records.
CMC: This is the band's tenth year. Now that you have reached this milestone, can you reflect on some changes that you have noticed as the band has grown? Maybe there was something you noticed in terms of the songwriting process, or life on the road together, or maybe you don't stay out to party as late as you all used to?
EJ: All of the above! I think we can actually stay up and party as late as we used to. We just choose not to most of the time because nobody wants to feel like shit the next morning. We have really just grown up as people while in this band. We have gotten married and started families. People and relationships have gone in and out of lives. These relationships inform basically everything that we do, whether consciously or subconsciously. We have been experiencing life through this prism that we have just traveling around as this band. We are really comfortable being on the road together. We are comfortable when we get to go back home too. We have been lucky and fortunate to experience life's highs and lows together. Some we experienced together inside a van or on a tour bus while going venue to venue. We have made so many friends on the road, and that web of experiences gets wider and wider the longer we do this and that is really rewarding for us on many levels.
CMC: This current tour includes stops at several intimate venues. You played City Winery in NYC just the other night. What was your take on playing there and coming from Austin to play in the NY/NJ area?
EJ: New York City is just one of my favorite places. The show was great. The fans were just great. We have always had a good reception when coming out to NY and NJ. There seems to be a hunger for American roots music in this area, and I feel we are able to provide that in our own way and through the way we play and interpret roots music. We have just always had great gigs when we come this way and I'm really looking forward to playing Sunday in NJ. I have heard really good things about the venue in Blairstown.
CMC: The tour also features some dates that have Band Of Heathens opening for Los Lobos. What have you learned from working with those rock n roll vets?
EJ: They are a band that everyone in Band Of Heathens loves! They are amazing. They have been around for over forty years, and that is a testament to people being able to work together and collaborate and remain friends while doing it. They all hung out after the show, and it was such a good time. They are super generous, down-to-earth guys. They are the model of how we want to go forward, how we want to treat other bands and how to treat fans and how to go about pursuing endeavors creatively. They are tops in all those regards!
CMC: On dates that you are headlining, you have a variety of opening acts supporting you at different stops throughout the tour. And I assume, coming from Austin, TX, you have access to many great emerging bands. So who have you been listening to these days or who can you recommend for people check out?
EJ: We have had a great run of shows with the National Reserve. They are a lovely group of fellas. They are really killer. I've really been liking Hiss Golden Messenger's new record, Heart Like a Levy. I just really dig it. I have also been listening to Brent Cobb. He had a record that came out a few months ago.
As a band, we have all just been listening to a lot of old R&B, soul and country stuff lately.
CMC: Let's end where we started: Talking about connecting with others. From everything you have said, it sounds like the band are in a really good place and having strong personal connections is essential to the achieving that "good place." With all that said, what are your thoughts on the current political climate? Do you think we can all find that "good place?"
EJ: I always try to be consciously optimistic. The marches and protests that happened this past weekend were all pretty amazing. It was amazing to see people come together and vocalize peacefully. I'm sure there are people who will say they are confident in saying what they think is going to happen one way or the other, but I really just do not know what is going to happen. And that is not because I am uniformed. It is because there's a bit of a wildcard factor going on right now.
Band Of Heathens live in our own little bubble. We are a little gang cruising around the country but the older I get and the more people I meet, I realize that I am interested effecting change on smaller levels. I want to know what things are in front of me, what things I can control. I want to know where I can participate that will actually effectively make change. I want to be good to my family, to my friends, to people in my community. It sounds like some hippy cliché, but I do feel like the energy of doing good things where you can is contagious.
We get caught up in all the noise that is going on, but there is tons of good going on out there. It's just not something the media is talking about, and it is not something that gets advertised. Maybe we should all shut our TVs off and go talk to our friends. I talk to people all the time that I don't agree with on political and social issues but it doesn't lead to a problem. It's ok to not agree with everyone. What is not ok is when we do not listen to others and we yell at each other because we do not respect other people's opinions and perspectives.
Sure I sound cliché, but that is what makes America great. It is people being allowed to vocalize their concerns; and, at some point, come to a rational compromise on how society can run based on input from everyone. My hope is just that we get back to having a little more civility, to have the ability to sit in a room and talk to each other.
CMC: So basically… Duende!?
EJ: Right on!
Duende is available now on BOH Records.
Band Of Heathens will perform at Roy's Hall in Blairstown, NJ on Sunday January 29th.
For more info please go to: www.BandofHeathens.com
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