On their new album, Aperture, beloved Seattle folk rockers The Head and the Heart have returned to their DIY roots. Singles like “Arrow,” “Beg Steal Borrow,” “Blue Embers,” “Time With My Sins,” and “After the Setting Sun” are getting traction and in some cases climbing the AAA (Adult Alternative Airplay) charts. During their career they’ve landed prime time mainstage slots at Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits. Now they’re returning to SLO County for the first time since 2011.
This is a band at the top of its game. Guitarist and vocalist Jonathan “Jon” Russell and percussionist and vocalist Tyler Williams joined me on a Zoom call to talk about their band and its impressive 16-year run, during which they’ve dealt with some changes. One founding member exited the band due to drug addiction. Two members are now married to each other. There are six members total, which is a lot of opinions and personalities to juggle. How does it all hold together?
“Loosely,” Russell laughed. “Our relationships have waxed and waned. Most of us are now married and have children. It’s not all that dissimilar from our own marriages, you know? It’s just a larger one. You get out whatever you put in, so we’ve learned over the years to work at our relationships.”
“A lot of therapy,” Williams piped in.
“Truly,” agreed Russell.
They’re not kidding, by the way.
“I remember watching that Metallica documentary and they had a therapist at the time, I was just like, ‘I can’t believe this. This is ridiculous,’” Russell continued. “You know, as a guy who’d probably been in a band for a couple of years, you just don’t think that far ahead, and now that we’ve been together almost 16 years, you find yourself doing things that you never thought you’d do, and it’s for the benefit of your relationship. We’re better off for having done it.”
The group has come full circle on their new album. Formed in Seattle in 2009 through an open mic night, their first self-titled and self-produced album was DIY right down to burning copies onto CDs and selling them in sewn denim sleeves cut from their own jeans. They eventually signed to Sub Pop, who re-released the record.
After two records on Sub Pop, they signed to Warner Bros. On their newest, their sixth studio album, they’ve reasserted control over the creative process, self-producing and releasing it on their own label, Every Shade of Music, under exclusive license of Verve Label Group.
“You work really hard to get to this place where you think you want to go,” Williams explained. “You think, ‘Oh, this is the hallowed music industry where David Bowie came up in and Prince and all these amazing artists.’ But then you start to realize that when you build that team around you and put these people in place, you lose a little bit of autonomy and that ability to move nimbly. I think this record was really about getting to a place where we’re trying to get as close as possible to the source of the spark of inspiration and capture that on record, and honestly, the less people you have between you and that source of inspiration, the better it comes across to the listener, we think. So, yeah, we’re just trying to get back to listening to ourselves.”
They went into the recording process without a label. They’d left their management company. It was just the six of them answering to each other.
“Whatever the six of us felt and enjoyed in that moment, that’s what we went with,” Williams continued. “And that was refreshing, honestly. It was like a rejuvenation process for the band.”
The results speak for themselves. Critics are gushing over Aperture and its immediacy, calling it a “return to form” and their best album in years.
“A lot of the songs were written and recorded in the same session,” Williams said. “They weren’t overdone or demoed out. The idea was to capture as much live writing and improvisation as possible.”
Williams also thinks the band has never been better live, calling recent shows “the best shows we’ve ever put on.”
“It’s kind of wild, you know? We just did a stadium concert with The Lumineers in Seattle, and it felt like we were playing to 200 people because it just felt so effortless and so great to perform these new songs, combined with the classics,” Williams added. “It’s almost like we’re hitting this other level, which is refreshing after 16 years of being a band. It never really feels like we’ve peaked, if that makes sense. We’re hoping to continue that.”
Nederlander Concerts presents The Head and the Heart on Friday, Sept. 26, in Vina Robles Amphitheatre (doors at 6, show at 7:30 p.m.; all ages; $55 to $402.50 at ticketmaster.com). Opener John Vincent III is amazing in his own right. Should be a magical night!
Other Nederlander Concerts shows this week at Vina Robles include the (basically) sold-out Rod Stewart on his One Last Time Tour on Sunday, Sept. 21. The only tickets available are verified resale tickets (doors at 6, show at 7:30 p.m.; all ages; $180.55 to $1,322.50 at ticketmaster.com).
Country singer-songwriter Chase Rice on his Go Down Singin’ International Tour comes to Vina on Thursday, Sept. 25 (doors at 6:30, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $35 to $283.80 at ticketmaster.com), with Hannah McFarland opening. In addition to his critically acclaimed new album Go Down Singin’, Rice has had hits like “Eyes on You,” “Ready Set Roll,” and “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.”
Buena Vista tribute
The SLO County Jazz Federation presents masterful Cuban pianist Jorge Luis Pacheco in a tribute to the Buena Vista Social Club on Saturday, Sept. 20, in SLO’s Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church (1701 Fredericks St.; 7:30 p.m.; all ages; $35 general admission at my805tix.com or $25 for Jaz Fed members and $10 for students; visit slojazz.org for more information.). His trio includes Reinier Mendoza (Orquesta Akokan) on percussion and Geron Lazo-Quiroga on bass.
“I first saw Jorge Luis Pacheco at the Havana Jazz Festival in 2011,” Jazz Fed member and KCBX Jazz Liner Notes DJ Fred Friedman said. “I have seen him several times since. He is a phenomenal piano player, one of the best I have ever seen.”
From Havana, the young pianist has been hailed as “fiery” with “flying hands.” Pacheco’s music combines Cuban jazz, Cuban and Afro-Cuban music, American jazz, and classical.
Ready to rage?
Numbskull and Good Medicine present Brass Against on their What Better Time Than Now tour at The Siren on Wednesday, Sept. 24 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $24.41 or $70.76 VIP meet and greet at goodmedicinepresents.com), with all-female Babes Against the Machine opening.
Brass Against plays high energy brass interpretations of Rage Against the Machine, Tool, Soundgarden, Black Sabbath, and Run the Jewels, as well as their own compositions, in a live show that’s garnered a global audience. Formed in 2017, the band was inspired by our polarizing times.
“I wondered what I could do as a musician, and my first idea was to do a performance of ‘Killing in the Name’ by Rage Against the Machine with a choir and an orchestra,” bandleader Brad Hammonds said in press materials. “I really felt like we needed Rage Against the Machine during that time period.”
The group has grown into a “collective,” with a revolving reservoir of performers.
“We always love playing our originals and they always do really, really well,” Hammonds added. “At our shows, we play ‘Killing in the Name’ halfway through the set and people go nuts. Tool is one of those bands that has diehard fans, too. We’ll mix it up; the encore is usually ‘Back in Black’ by AC/DC. It’s hard to describe how much fun it is because you look down at the set list and you can’t wait to get to the next one. It’s always exciting.”
Also from Numbskull and Good Medicine, see NYC shoegaze band Hotline TNT on their 2025 Path of Totality tour at Club Car Bar on Thursday, Sept. 25 (7 p.m.; all ages; $22.87 at goodmedicinepresents.com) with Toner and Combat Naps opening.
Fly by
The Turkey Buzzards—Dylan Nicholson (vocals and guitar) and Eric Patterson (bass and vocals)—are such an amazing live duo. They emanate a real back porch or around-the-campfire vibe, as they describe their sound. They play The Siren on Tuesday, Sept. 23 (7 to 10 p.m.; 21-and-older; $13.17) with Mothra opening.
Also this week at The Siren, check out Ian George & The Knee Pockets on Friday, Sept. 19 (7:30 to 10:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; free). They don’t really sound like not Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros, but they have a similar vibe.
Big week at R&D
SLO Brew Live at Rod & Hammer Rock has a phat week lined up beginning when Luvlab Collective presents an evening of EDM with Ardalan on Saturday, Sept. 19 (doors at 8 p.m.; 18-and-older; $23.27 presale at my805tix.com), with openers Okay Ajay, Sam Stearns, and Shawna Mox. Ardalan’s breakout hit “Mr. Spock” remains a dance floor favorite. Expect a curated event with live painters, performers, immersive visual projections, and a marketplace of creative crafts.
On Saturday, Sept. 20, it’s the fourth annual Rod & Hammer Ranch Whiskey Festival (noon; all ages; free). There’ll be line dancing (noon to 1 p.m.), then live music from Dusty Souls (1 to 2:30 p.m.), the Shawn Clark Family Band (3 to 4:30 p.m.), and Josh Rosenblum Band (5 to 6:30 p.m.). Also enjoy mechanical bull rides, axe throwing, smoked meats, a local craft market, and for those of age, whiskey.
After the daylong festivities, stick around for the main event on the big stage and see Donavon Frankenreiter (doors at 7 p.m.; all ages; $44.20 at ticketweb.com), with Max MacLaury opening. Frankenreiter, a former pro surfer turned musician, will bring his “laid-back grooves, philosophical lyrics, and soulful delivery,” the club announced.
LA-based pop singer-songwriter Nate Sib plays on Sunday, Sept. 21 (doors at 7 p.m.; all ages; $29.27 at ticketweb.com), with Kimj opening. Sib, a multi-instrumentalist, brings “electronic dance music energy and alternative experimentation twisted up with just the right amount of basement-born trap grit,” his bio explains.
Hipster twang act Chaparelle plays on Wednesday, Sept. 24 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $35.45 at ticketweb.com). Featuring singer-songwriters Zella Day and Jesse Woods, they’ll remind some listeners of country music’s golden age of duets like George and Tammy or Gram and Emmylou.
Irie Third Friday
You can get your monthly reggae fix starting this Friday, Sept. 19, when the inaugural Irie Third Friday kicks off at Liquid Gravity with Eric Cotton and One Love Bomb (7 to 9 p.m.; all ages; $12.66 at my805tix.com).
I’ve been following Cotton’s career since 1986 when he started Rock Steady Posse, which for years was a mainstay of the local club scene. He eventually headed to the Bay Area where he fronts the electrifying show band, The Cheeseballs, but a few years ago he moved back to the Central Coast and started The Upside Ska.
He continues to work with The Cheeseballs and The Upside Ska, but One Love Bomb is his newest endeavor, and it includes former members of Rock Steady Posse, Cardiff Reefers, and Militia of Love. These guys deliver feel-good Cali roots reggae.
Food will be available from Caribbean Love Flava, and Bali Isle will have a clothing booth.
Hard rock heaven
Ready for a five-band dose of rock ’n’ roll? SLO’s Humdinger Brewing has an epic lineup throwing down on Sunday, Sept. 21 (7 p.m.; all ages; $15). Limbo, No Tears for Dead Billionaires (NT4DB), The Vargo Paradox, Hot Tina, and AIP (Artificially Intelligent Primitives) are all on the bill.
“It’s been pretty cool to have all the new music promoters around town, and we’re super stoked to be invited by Central Coast Music Productions to help fill out this killer lineup,” Hot Tina’s Che Kelly said. “We’re starting to see an intermingling of ages, genres, and more inclusive lineups where all genders are represented. We’ve written a bunch of new music and are super pumped to share our punk voices with people, reiterating the importance of sharing thoughts and space and supporting a community atmosphere.”
¡Fuego Latino!
The Bunker SLO will host a very special concert this Sunday, Sept. 21, when husband-and-wife duo Alma Sangre plays
(8 p.m.; all ages; $10 at my805tix.com).
“I’m teaming up with Neal Losey from KCBX to bring Alma Sangre to SLO,” promoter Abe Gibson explained. “I think it’s been nearly 10 years since they last played in the area, at Sweet Springs [Saloon].”
The duo includes Antonio Aguilar and Meg Castellanos, also members of Totimoshi & All Souls, and according to Gibson, they “dig deep into their Latin roots seamlessly mashing up Spanish, rock, and gypsy jazz guitar with Latin rhythms and flamenco dance. Inspired by the grit and emotion of [Costa Rican-Mexican singer] Chavela Vargas, Alma Sangre’s music is poetic and filled with dramatic tension.”
Gibson, a percussionist, will open the night “with music for 12 roto-toms.”
The not too distant past
Celebrate the music of the aughts when Slacker University presents It’s a 2000’s Party in the Fremont on Saturday, Sept. 20 (9 p.m.; 18-and-older; $40.14 at prekindle.com).
“Experience a nostalgic blast from the past,” organizers announced. “This electrifying event celebrates the iconic 2000s era, featuring the decade’s biggest hits across pop, hip-hop, and rock genres. Embrace the Y2K fashion and culture as you dance the night away to tunes from Britney Spears, Eminem, and more.” ∆
Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Sept 18-28, 2025.