If you’re a photographer, “aperture” is the word you use when you’re talking about opening up your lens. In the case of The Head and the Heart, it’s the name of their newest album.
The Head and the Heart is a popular folk and indie band known for their songs “Rivers and Roads,” “Let’s Be Still,” and “Lost In My Mind.”
The Head and the Heart is set to release its first album since “Every Shade of Blue” was released three years ago, with “Aperture“ dropping on May 9 of this year.
In celebration of their new album, I was fortunate enough to attend a press conference held by °1824 where the band was in attendance and opened up about the creative process, the meaning behind the music, and what the record represents for them.
While the name of their upcoming album is “Aperture,” a commonly used phrase in photography, the band used this as the title for their sixth studio album.
Tyler Williams, drummer for the band, explains there is an idea of opening up and coming back together. “Throughout the whole album it’s just it’s kind of an idea of getting back together and of widening the perspective of what these six people can accomplish together and it’s sort of a journey between light and dark and trying to let the light in.”
The theme of reconnection and rediscovery is not just found in the lyrics of the album, it’s actually woven into how “Aperture“ was made. For this new album, the band went back to producing on their own, a shift from their recent records, which had outside producers. This choice allowed them to return to the roots of their sound and creative process, giving them the opportunity to create something that feels truly their own.
Matt Gervais, lead guitarist and vocals, explains, “It’s the first [album] we made since coming back from the pandemic and sort of this period of darkness- individually, emotionally, and sort of on a global scale. And that applied throughout periods of the band’s history and our own personal relationships. There’s this ebb and flow of connectivity and openness. So, coming out of the pandemic was the big eye opener about what our whole role in life is, and what we do as artists and as a band and touring and having that communication with folks who are coming to see our shows.”
The return to their independence in production mirrors the vulnerability in the music itself. This newest album touches on themes of love, loss, hope, and self-discovery.
“There’s still really amazing young folks out there who have interests [in things] that I hope younger people are interested in, you know. So, you all give me hope,” says Kenny Hensley, pianist for the group when asked what gives him hope and inspires him.
With all of the hope and light being spread through this album, guitarist Charity Rose Thielen ties it together.
“Just to tie all of this in, though, the rebirth, like, really springtime and, like the newness and, like seeing little bulbs start to shoot up and then bloom and, you know, cherry blossoms start to just be on fire. It’s like, you know, that is so much like this band, this record, specifically, though. You know, we almost called this “The Head and the Heart 2,” like it is the rebirth of this band. And I think there’s so much hope in death and life,” says Thielen.
Even with all of this hope that the band expresses, there is a sense of vulnerability and raw honesty that comes with it. “Time With My Sins,” the second song of the album, dives into that feeling of wanting to be close to someone and having to let your guard down.
Jonathan Russell, guitarist, recalls, “I started that song like that first verse, many years ago, and was almost too ashamed to like, truly take it head on and talk to anybody about what I was going through, to like, have the awareness of the bigger picture, to like, get out of it. And fortunately, Matty came stepped up and was like, hey, I really love what you started. Do you mind if I take it from here and try and build it out and see where it leads, which you know to your point. It’s like, if you don’t let your guard down, and you don’t feel like you can trust somebody enough to be honest about where you’re at, whether it’s your highs or your lows, like you really can’t continue things.”
The band didn’t just show vulnerability in their lyrics, it was also in how they approached the album as a whole. They even opened up about going to therapy, both individually and as a band.
“But I think through coming back together as a unit, and really like committing to what this band is, which is, you know, it’s, we’re, we’re greater than the sum of our parts, you know. And I think that’s really what aperture is all about, especially the title track,” Williams explains. “It’s about committing to each other in a beautiful way.”
With only three tracks released so far, there’s a lot to look forward to on Aperture.
Williams describes it as “a transmutation of the emotion, you know, from, like, this grief and loss to, how do you make sense of that in a way that, like, makes people okay with what we go through together as humans,” which is a great way to describe how those first three tracks make me feel about the album.
With this, Hensley continues on that therapy track and explains that writing music is a form of therapy for the members of the band. It allowed for, and still allows them to cope with what they are feeling, especially with these themes of grief and loss showing up on the album.
While the album, so far, has nothing to do with photography, the idea of “opening up” is everywhere in it, from the music to the band’s creative process, even to the personal growth they share. And if I’ve learned anything from listening to The Head and the Heart, it’s that their music is best experienced with no distractions. So, when “Aperture“ drops, I’ll be listening as the band intended: staring blankly at a wall, letting everything in the album wash over me.
“Aperture” is out everywhere you can stream music on May 9, 2025.
