Performer is excited to premiere the new track “Unspoken” by The Head, off their new EP Millipedes, out Nov. 13. LISTEN BELOW and leave a comment.
Singer/bassist Mike Shaw has this to say about the song: “The lyrics to ‘Unspoken’ kind of just came out on the spot as we were playing the music. So you could definitely say it’s a stream-of-consciousness type of song. The music itself came very similarly. We were all just messing around with chord progressions in our rehearsal space until a melody formed. There wasn’t much planning or second guessing with the song. It was born out of pure instinct…We’ve been on the road a lot lately, and we have a different relationship with the songs on the new EP now that we’ve been playing them live. The studio has its limits, whereas the road allows us to change the nuances in our songs night by night. The road gives us room to experiment.”
The new EP from The Head is a rollicking, five-song crash course in fusing pop perfection with gritty, fuzzed-out rock & roll. With the three-chord Troggs-style simplicity of opener “Jesus” and the Midwestern indie-rock of “Raincoats”; with phased-out New Wave daydreamer ”Pebbles on the Ground” and would-be ’90s alternative anthem “It Ain’t Easy,” Millipedes is the unified vision of a band that knows its history, and a thing or two about reinventing it in the now. Just ask the legendary artists who have taken The Head under their wing—Big Star’s Jody Stephens, producer Mitch Easter (R.E.M., Pavement), John Vanderslice and Guided By Voices’ Doug Gillard to name a few. The band has also held their own on stages with the likes of Primal Scream, Dream Syndicate’s Steve Wynn and garage rockers Those Darlins, and have been spotlighted by outlets such as SPIN, Magnet and PopMatters.
Pre-order Millipedes on iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/album/id1033319942?ls=1&app=itunes
Asked what’s is in store for The Head for the remainder of 2015, they have just two words—“heavy touring.” since the start of summer, the band has been spending at least two weeks on the road each month. It’s given them a chance to bring additional life to the new EP’s vibrant cuts, and to treat crowds to fresh new songs that are still taking shape. “We’re always trying out new material live,” Mike says, hinting at what fans should expect on the band’s upcoming 45-date U.S. tour, which spans from August to November. “From here on out,” Mike says, “the road is pretty much going to be our home.”
Upcoming tour dates…
Sept. 21 – Nashville, TN – Springwater
Sept. 22 – Indianapolis, IN – Hoosier Dome
Sept. 23 – Chicago, IL – Quencher’s
Sept. 24 – Carbondale, IL – PK’s
Sept. 25 – Bowling Green, KY – Rocky’s Bar
Oct. 6 – Chapel Hill, NC – The Cave
Oct. 7 – Richmond, VA – Emilio’s
Oct. 8 – Philadelphia, PA – The Pharmacy
Oct. 9 – Brooklyn, NY – Muchmore’s
Oct. 10 – Boston, MA – PA’s
Oct. 27 – Chicago, IL – Emporium
Oct. 28 – Indianapolis, IN – Melody Inn
Oct. 29 – Carbondale, IL – PK’s
Oct. 31 – Murray, KY – Freedom Skate Shop
Nov. 3 – Florence, AL – The End
Nov. 4 – Nashville, TN – The Basement
Nov. 5 – Memphis, TN – Buccaneer Lounge
Nov. 6 – New Orleans, LA – Saturn Bar
Nov. 10 – Richmond, VA – The Camel
Nov. 11 – Philadelphia, PA – Bourbon and Branch
Nov. 12 – Brooklyn, NY – Don Pedro
Nov. 13 – Boston, MA – Lilypad
Nov. 14 – Newport, RI – Jimmy’s Saloon
Nov. 16 – New Haven, CT – Anna Liffey’s
Nov. 18 – Harrisonburg, VA – Golden Pony
Nov. 19 – Raleigh, NC – Slim’s
Nov. 20 – Greensboro, NC – New York Pizza
Nov. 21 – Greenville, SC – Radio Room
Nov. 28 – Atlanta, GA – Drunken Unicron (Record Release show)
**photo by Valheria Rocha**