American garage rock band Heartless Bastards have recently announced additional tour dates featuring many headline and festival slots throughout the US. The summer tour now extends into September, as further on the road support of the band’s recently released record ‘Arrow’ (Partisan Records). We managed to get a quick Q&A session with the band…

Q: What are some of the places or people that inspired the songs on Arrow?

A: Some influences on this album are Thin Lizzy, T Rex, Ennio Morricone, Nancy Sinatra, Lee Hazelwood, Black Sabbath, and Neil Young. Some places that inspired the songs are my home town of Dayton OH, the west texas town of Marfa, and the Big Bend area, a trip through the Appalacia, and Arkansas.

Q: What is the most fun you’ve ever had writing a song? Either actually writing it or the situation that inspired it?

A: It’s a really great feeling to complete a song. The most fun for me starts when i bring a song into the band, and we start putting the idea fully together. It’s great to see a song come alive, and then to go and record it, and then to take it on the road from there. I couldn’t really pinpoint a specific song that was the most fun write though. Honestly the whole initial process for me is pretty cathartic.

Q: Who encouraged you the most to pursue a career in music?

A: I always had supportive parents that told me I could do anything if I put my mind to it. They didn’t encourage me toward anything specific though. I think they we’re just prepared to support me in what ever I chose to do. I was always pretty private about singing. I never sang in front of anybody on my own. I did in choirs, but that’s kind of a different thing. I didn’t really talk about it much with my friends. One day I just started getting the courage up to play some solo songs at bars.

Q: What historic musical moment do you wish you were present for?

A: A ticket to The Last Waltz would of been pretty amazing.

Q: What artist would you most like to work with, dead or alive? And why?

A: Marc Bolan with T Rex. They’re one of my favorite bands of all time.

Q: What is your favorite musical decade or time period? And why?

A: Honestly I’d be lying if I said I had a favorite decade. I used to think it liked the 60’s the most, but there are so many great things out of every decade from the early 1900’s with the birth of Jazz Blues to the 90’s with artists like Jesus and Mary Chain, Spiritualized, and Radiohead.

Q: If you could have any artist explain the meaning of one of their songs who would it be and what song?

A: It’s not something I really wonder about. If the meaning isn’t obvious, I appreciate the abstract quality, and I am usually pretty content with not knowing.

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