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ACL 2009 preview: Heartless Bastards
Erika Wennerstrom performs with her band, the Heartless Bastards, during SXSW earlier this year at Stubb’s.
Deborah Cannon/AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Erika Wennerstrom’s gritty growl seethes anguish, but her lyrics favor empowerment over negativity. “I consider my songs to be positive,” the Heartless Bastards’ lead singer says. “Maybe I’m singing about something bad that’s happened, but it’s about coming out of that situation.” Cases in point: “Could Be So Happy,” “Wide Awake.” (The Austin-based band, whose collection “The Mountain” drained music critics of superlatives earlier this year, performs at 3 p.m. Sunday on the Dell stage.)
American-Statesman: How was Lucinda (Williams)’s wedding (onstage Sept. 18 at First Avenue in Minneapolis)?
Erika Wennerstrom: It was great. I was really flattered that she invited me. It was a really nice experience.
Has she influenced you as a songwriter?
Well, more since I’ve toured with her. I had heard her before, but when we toured together I became a huge fan. I think it’s inspiring to open for a really great songwriter like that.
Did you write the songs on ‘The Mountain’ after moving (from Ohio) to Austin?
I can’t remember how that happened. Songs just pop into my head, and I feel if they’re catchy enough, they’ll stay there. I don’t record them or anything. Eventually, I’m like, “OK, I really need to try to finish this and form the words.” I was writing the whole album around the same time, and sometimes I just work on a little bit of one here and another there.
How has living in here impacted you as a songwriter?
You know, as far as I’m concerned, I’m a creative person, and I’m gonna be a creative person wherever I am. I absolutely love living here, but the lyrics (on “The Mountain”) are about changes in my life that I could’ve formed other places. I’m not going to attribute my creativity on this album or taking sounds in a different direction to living in Austin.
It’s hard to deny certain peripheral sounds creeping in, though.
I will say that since we moved to Austin I’ve been influenced by old school country. In Ohio, radio plays new country, which I’m not really into. I did a side project called Sweet Tea with Alex Maas from Black Angels, and we did an old Ray Price cover and the June Carter and Johnny Cash version of “If I Were a Carpenter.” Maybe geography will influence my next album.
Well, you’ve been traveling a lot, and that must have an influence.
Yeah, I would say that touring influences me a lot. Some days we’ll be in the van and I’m looking out the window and there’s this giant mountain. I might have a song in my head all day driving through the mountains. New things influence me, but I really think that (our sound is) shaped by things that I grew up with.
It seems to translate well at ACL, since this is your third time at the festival. What do you look forward to this weekend?
I like ACL because it’s just the right size. The stages are spread out, but it’s pretty easy to get around. I’d say my favorite part is that I run into a lot of people I know, and that was the case even before I lived here. It’s always nice to see familiar faces. This year, I’m looking forward to seeing Andrew Bird and the Decemberists and Them Crooked Vultures. I’m most excited about seeing Levon Helm.
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