Head for the Hills never disappoints their hometown crowd. That’s why this year they’ve taken it up a notch and scheduled two very anticipated Halloween shows at Cervantes’ in Denver (October 29) and the Aggie Theater in Fort Collins (October 30), featuring special guests Peter Rowan & The Free Mexican Air Force.
Scene had the pleasure of catching up with three of the four Head for the Hills band members – Joe Lessard (fiddle, vocals), Matt Loewen (bass, vocals) and Adam Kinghorn (guitar, vocals) – to talk about their upcoming Halloween shows and what they’ve got in store for us this winter.
What’s new with Head for the Hills?
Matt: Recently we got named Colorado’s Best Bluegrass Band by Westword magazine; we’re honored and couldn’t be happier about that. Also we’ve been developing new material, some of which is covering new ground for the band, so that’s exciting. Joe: We will be making a high quality live matrix mix of the Mishawaka show from this past May available for free download via our website.
Adam: We have been keeping busy writing and rehearsing new material for our upcoming shows and future release. After having such a busy summer, it’s gratifying to have the time to really explore some of our new ideas.
New material! Is there any chance for another album in the near future?
Joe: Yeah, we’re really eager to record these new songs as soon as possible. We’ve always been a bit reluctant to call ourselves a “bluegrass” band and it’s going to be harder than ever to call this record a “bluegrass” album. I hate to use a word as amorphous as “indie” but there’s no question we’re taking some cues from that world in terms of subject matter and compositional approach. Also, since the album is no longer the dominant format for releasing music, we’re excited to explore the possibilities of putting out a five-song EP or a single next. We’re just having fun with the currently undefined nature of the music business.
What challenges do you have as a band?
Adam: As a whole, our own personal influences vary quite a bit musically. One of our greatest challenges is being able to incorporate all of our individual influences into our collective songwriting. The real fun is watching a tune come to life after someone introduces it to the band and seeing all of our personal influences take effect.
Any special surprises for the Halloween shows?
Joe: Oh yes. But being that they are surprises, my lips are sealed.
Matt: Of course! Look for some special visual additions as well as musical ones.
How do you feel about sharing the stage with Peter Rowan?
Adam: Playing with Peter Rowan is truly an honor and I’m sure it will be an unexplainable experience as well as a great milestone for our band’s progression.
Head for the Hills w/ Peter Rowan & The Free Mexican Air Force – October 30, Aggie, 8pm, $20. For more information, check out at www.headforthehillsmusic.com.
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