he Band of Heathens came out swinging in 2017, and continue to build buzz behind their acclaimed new LP and rapturous live performances. They recently shared their new music video for their twang-laden cannabis anthem “Green Grass of California”, which debuted on High Times and was subsequently covered by Rolling Stone. “The result is a campfire sing-along that traces the history of California’s most hippie-approved crop,” writes Rolling Stone.
Last week the group returned to their hometown of Austin, TX for SXSW, where they played a steady string of shows spanning the event. Their near-ubiquitous live presence throughout town culminated the evening of March 17th, when they hosted the “SxSW Decompression Session” at the Hotel Van Zandt. The night included a bevy of guest performers and friends of the band who shared the stage, while The Band of Heathens presided over the evening as equal parts house band, emcee, and local representatives of Austin’s thriving music scene. Among the night’s highlights was a musical tribute to Chuck Berry; a rollicking version of Berry’s classic “You Never Can Tell” that featured country artist Zach Schmidt. Rolling Stone took note, writing that “The tune lets Austin-based Band of Heathens and guests play to their strengths, replacing Berry’s melodic leads with a dense, multiple guitar attack.” Watch the performance HERE.
Special guests at the “Decompression Session” included Bobby Whitlock (of Derek & the Dominos), The Texas Gentlemen, Brandy Zdan, Carl Anderson, and many others.
On January 13th, The Band of Heathens released their new album Duende, the band’s fifth studio album (and eighth overall), marking their tenth anniversary as a group. Duende first premiered with an exclusive stream on Rolling Stone Country. Since then it has climbed to #1 on the Americana Music Association radio chart, with “All I’m Asking” reaching #22 on the Triple A charts as a single. The album has been similarly acclaimed in the press, with Popmatters in declaring Duende to be “the first notable Americana release of the New Year.” Duende is currently available via iTunes and Amazon.
The group has also released an EPK video to provide an introduction to Duende, as well as a snapshot of where the band currently finds themselves creatively. Watch it HERE.
U.S. Tour Dates:
03/24/17 – Denver, CO – Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
03/25/17 – Fort Collins, CO – Hodi’s Half Note
03/28/17 – Los Angeles, CA – Bootleg Bar
04/13/17 – Athens, GA – The Foundry
04/14/17 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
04/15/17 – Nashville, TN – The Basement East
04/18/17 – St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway
04/19/17 – Kansas City, MO – Knuckleheads Saloon
04/20/17 – Little Rock, AR – Revolution Music Room
04/21/17 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
04/22/17 – Dallas, TX – The Granada Theater
05/05/17 – New Braunfels, TX – Gruene Hall
05/06/17 – Conroe, TX – Americana Music Festival
06/13/17 – Richmond, VA – The CAMEL
06/14/17 – Annapolis, MD – Ram’s Head Onstage
06/15/17 – Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theater
06/17/17 – Hunter Mountain, NY – Mountain Jam
06/21/17 – Washington DC – The Hamilton
06/22/17 – Durham, NC – Motorco
07/04/17 – Longview, TX – Fireworks and Freedom Celebration
07/13/17 – Mendocino, CA – Mendocino Music Festival
07/14/17 – Navarro, CA – Redwood Ramble
07/29/17 – Maryville, TN – The Shed Smokhouse & Juke Joint
