Biography
The Unsacred Hearts draw from a wide range of influences: formative punk rock, outlaw country, warped '60s blues, Dylan rhymes and gutbucket soul to name a few. These and other musical strands are apparent in Unsacred Hearts music but never supplant the band's own original noise. The Hearts have been writing, recording and performing since late 2003. Front-man Joe Willie started the group with hometown friends Travis Harrison (drums) and Dave Siegel (guitar) after the dissolving of their previous band for which Joe served as an outboard lyricist. Bassist/vocalist Andy Ross spent over a year in the band before ing OK Go. He was replaced in 2005 by S. Andy Bean (also of the Two Man Gentlemen Band). In recent years the Hearts' bass chair has been filled by various willing friends. On stage, the Hearts take audiences on sweaty beer-soaked joy-rides, summoning comparisons to Mitch Ryder, Guided By Voices and vintage Clash. Alongside original tunes, you'll often hear twisted reinterpretations culled from the band's repertoire of cover material. Joe Willie, always a In the studio, the Hearts challenge the limitations of their guitar-bass-drums lineup and embrace its simplicity as well. Their debut 2004 self titled EP offers seven songs in 14 minutes of full-throttle, ultra-distilled rock about rock. Their 2006 album In Defense of Fort Useless displays the use of myriad musical textures, from spare experimental country to the meanest punk.
In 2011, the Hearts released The Honor Bar, a long awaited sophomore album which puts Joe Willie's imagistic lyrics and one-of-a-kind speak-singing at the forefront. This is their most fully realized platter to date.
In 2011, the Hearts released The Honor Bar, a long awaited sophomore album which puts Joe Willie's imagistic lyrics and one-of-a-kind speak-singing at the forefront. This is their most fully realized platter to date.
