The Hearts have been making music together for about 15 years. The band’s chemistry and versatility over this time have created an authentic, rootsy sound. Now the Edmonton group is getting ready to launch a new album, Traces, and vocalist-guitarist Jeff Stuart says it’s made in Alberta.
“We worked with Emily Bachynski at Bitter North Sound Studios,” says Stuart. He describes Bachynski as “super talented for all things music,” and says that this album was made to align closely with what the band does live.
“We recorded all the bed tracks live off the floor. Emily had the space and the technical skill to capture what we do as a band. We wanted more of a true representation of what we bring to the live shows, and let that come through. Emily captured such nice sounds, and we had to really think about what to add. We wanted to be careful not to crowd it to much. Sometimes the magic is in the notes you don’t play, or in leaving some breathing room.”
Stuart says the The Hearts are excited to launch the album and play live shows again. “We love to get in front of people. Connecting with audiences is about what it all about. We’ve had some exceptional opportunities right here in our own backyard, our own province. There is so much support in the community. Bands here are eager to support each other. It’s the only way to do it. That’s how you create a music scene.”
After the album release parties this month, Stuart says he hopes that more shows will be scheduled soon. The band has gotten some attention and radio spins from faraway places, including England. “A lot of Alberta acts find their niche in different places around the world, and we’ve noticed that we’ve gotten some attention in the UK, so we want to explore that market a bit.” But he adds, it’s pretty hard to resist the appeal of Canadian summers. “We love the long summer evenings in northern Canada, and we have such beautiful festivals here, so we hope a few of those are in our future, too.”
Hear Jeff Stuart from The Hearts in conversation with Grant Stovel at 8:40am MT on Friday, November 8th’s Alberta Morning.
The Hearts have an Edmonton album release party for Traces at Ritchie Hall on November 10, with special guest Shaela Miller. Find info at https://www.thehearts.ca
