For Immediate Release--Heyward Howkins to release Be Frank, Furness LP on November 5, 2013.
Whether insisted upon or lovingly squelched, “candor” marks the pervasive theme on Be Frank, Furness—the swift successor to last year’s acclaimed The Hale & Hearty LP
(produced by Chet Delcampo). This go-round Heyward has captured an even
more honest and relaxed vibe with the help of co-producer Ben Riesman
(Le Fits, Bart Davenport) and mixing engineer Quentin Stoltzfus (Mazarin/Light Heat, The Walkmen, Lilys, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah).
Many of the tracks were rendered to tape with a full band in a
cavernous trolley repair depot that was being transformed into a
recording studio right under Howkins’ feet—imparting palpable warmth,
breadth and unpredictability into the sessions that ultimately became Furness.
While most of the central thematic figures on The Hale & Hearty
were too far gone—beautiful but broken, these folks still have a chance
and in some cases get a free pass—if for one night only—like the couple
in “Sweet Tea Oleander.” It’s a slippery ballad where the “whole
night’s a pardon from guilt now departed”and a newly sprung couple sip
from a questionable brew just to have “anything to break up this
candor.” It's a sweet but toxic mixture of Nathaniel Hawthorne meets Cool Hand Luke.
In
the title track, Heyward cleverly casts the famed Philadelphia
architect Frank Furness into the role of his butler and demands verity
(and clarity) when he poses the question—“how could I get so mashed by a
neutral spirit’s glass and not come out straight bitters?” The song
portrays a familiar tension between the inner-city and the privileged
outskirts where Furness may hold both the keys to reconciliation and
your parent’s liquor cabinet—“I should have quit this Main Line mess.
They were first world problems, yes. Turned into first world debt.”
Speaking
of family, Heyward takes his name from his five-times grandfather
Thomas Heyward (dubbed “The Singing Signer”), founding father and signer
of the Declaration of Independence. On “Brite Kites,” Howkins takes his
fascination with family history and familial connections in a new
direction, setting to music a poem written by his mother. Layers of
history combine to speak through one voice as perspectives collide and
push thoughts from long ago into the present.
Heyward
first garnered attention in the early 2000s as the lead guitarist for
The Trouble With Sweeney, with releases that included the widely praised
I Know You Destroy and Fishtown Briefcase—both records landed on Rollingstone.com's Editor's Top Picks of the Year.
Howkins
is also a founding member of The Silver Ages, the critically acclaimed
choral group featuring singers from a wide array of Philadelphia-based
bands, including David Hartley (Nightlands, The War on Drugs, BC
Camplight), Charlie Hall (Jens Lekman, The War on Drugs, The Lindsey
Buckingham Appreciation Society), Brandon Beaver (Buried Beds,
Nightlands), Zach Miller (Dr. Dog) and Dan Matz (Windsor for the Derby,
Birdwatcher).
Though
dark themes creep in as many of the songs' characters struggle and face
the hardships of life, ultimately the album is defined by Heyward's
embrace of the playful and celebratory. With melodies that pull you in
(such as the buoyant album opener, “Nogales”) and lyrics that evoke
feelings and situations both specific and universal ("Then ran your
first love Billy / All of ours really," Heyward sings in the Stacker
Lee-infused “Praline Country”).
The Praline Country split 7" single release with Seattle's Oh!Pears is also now available through the BITBY Records store: http://bitby.tv/topics/shop/
Best,
Heyward
HeywardHowkins.com
http://heywardhowkins.
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