MUSIC

Band of Heathens' easygoing gigs becomes full-time job

By Peter Mongillo
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Monday, September 14, 2009

Life has led Austin's Band of Heathens in unintended directions. The band formed organically, a collaboration that became a side project that became a full-time job. A trip last year to the Americana Music Conference in Nashville led to a coveted spot on the "Austin City Limits" show. Casual recording sessions and the idea of an EP turned into a new full-length album, in stores Tuesday, that is sure to reinforce the band's place in the Austin music scene.

Though the album's title, "One Foot in the Ether," might sound appropriately heathen-like, guitarist Gordy Quist explains, "it's not something where we feel like we have to go around destroying hotel rooms to live up to it." In fact, band members didn't even pick their name.

In 2006, Quist was playing a residency at Momo's casually dubbed "The Good Time Supper Club" along with singer/songwriters Ed Jurdi, Colin Brooks and Brian Keane. They shared a drummer, and played guitar and keys in each other's bands. "It kind of became this rotating cast of four different bands with the front man just rotating every hour, and finally someone called and said, 'hey why don't we just try having everyone stay on stage," Quist says.

Momo's owner Paul Oveisi, who briefly managed the band, says that decision was natural. "We were just trying to collectively think of an idea to spark the night up," he says. "It wasn't like we were trying to conquer the world."

Although Quist says he doesn't know exactly where the band's name came from, Oveisi says that it originated when he was on deadline to list a show, and the band hadn't been able to come up with a name everybody liked. Thinking of a colleague who jokingly referred to people in the music business as heathens, Oveisi went with that, and it stuck.

Originally billed as the Heathens, they found out the name was already taken, and the Band of Heathens was born. The current lineup includes Quist, Jurdi and Brooks as well as bassist Seth Whitney and drummer John Chipman. Keane has since left the band.

The easy-going backstory matches the music. The new album is ready-made for sitting on the back porch with a cold beer, a rock 'n' soul affair evocative of Little Feet, The Band and The Black Crowes. The opening track, "L.A. County Blues," is an homage of sorts to the late Hunter S. Thompson (the album title came from a lyric in the song); it trades on the familiar, a laid-back guitar keeping time with Jurdi's Southern-rock vocals.

"Ether" is the Band of Heathens' fourth album, and its second studio effort. 2006's "Live From Momo's" was released by local label Fat Caddy Records, but every album since, including 2007's "Live at Antone's" and last year's self-titled studio debut were self-released, an arrangement that affords the band a much appreciated freedom. "We got an offer from one label that we were psyched about, but it ended up that we decided we'd be better off in the long term not owing somebody five albums," Quist said.

The release isn't the only big event this fall for the band. Next week the group will attend the Americana Music Festival and Conference in Nashville, Tenn., where they're competing alongside another Austin band, the Belleville Outfit, for the best emerging artist award. Last year, "Austin City Limits" producer Terry Lickona caught some of their set in Nashville.

Lickona said via e-mail that the live show made him a believer. "They blew me away, and I ended up staying through their entire set until 2 a.m. I made it a point to go out and catch their next show in Austin at Stubb's, and I went back to see them again at least twice." He invited them to appear on the show, which was recorded in July.

When the episode airs on Nov. 7, the band will share an hour with Elvis Costello, who taped his appearance last week.

pmongillo@statesman.com