A CONVERSATION WITH THE HEAD

If you haven’t had a chance to hear the music by Atlanta-based band The Head, it’s time to visit their website and check out their work. This hard-working band is serious about their music, and it shows in their dedication to touring and recording. The debut EP, Millipedes, came out in 2015, after which the band ramped up their tour schedule, playing over 100 shows a year the past couple of years. As if touring at that rate wasn’t enough, they used the time when not on stage performing to work on more songs, and are excited to have a new LP releasing later this year. Here at Madison records we’re excited to be working with such a talented group. We took a few minutes to talk with the guys in the band -- Jack Shaw, Mike Shaw and Jacob Morrell -- in order to share their story with you.

MR: How did the three of you end up coming together to form a band?
Jack: Mike and I are twins, and we’ve been making music together basically all our life. We met up with Jacob in high school, and we just sort of instantly became friends and started jamming out together. We officially formed the band in high school and played a few local shows. We continued to play together even while we were in college, getting together on weekends and doing shows throughout the southeast. But it wasn’t until we graduated from college that we decided to make the band a full-time endeavor. That’s when we recorded our EP, “Millipedes,” and hit the road with a pretty full tour schedule.

MR: How do you guys work together?
Jack: It’s really 100% collaborative. We all work together to write and arrange songs, and that’s how it’s always been. For the songs on our new album, “Space,” we were writing while on the road. We were traveling together anyway, so it gave us time to throw out ideas and work on things.

MR: Where do you find your inspiration?
Jack: We all love the British bands of the 80s and 90s. The Stone Roses, The Verve, and Echo & the Bunnymen have influenced our music in some ways. We also really admire R.E.M. Even more than their music, what all of these bands have is an ability to work together and write music together that’s really inspirational. We especially look up to R.E.M., being a band from Georgia as well. They have such a great story of starting out at the grassroots level and then making it big. They really worked hard and their story is one we aspire to.

MR: What was it like working with Madison Records on your new LP?
Jack: The experience of working in a studio itself was great. It wasn’t just recording in our basement, we had great equipment to work with. We were able to experiment a lot, and really work to get the sound we were looking for. Plus, Tanner and Wyatt are great people with a lot of talent. They understood our vision and helped us bring our songs to life.

MR: What can your fans expect from the new album?
Jack: Most of the songs on “Space” were written right after we decided to make a go of the band full time. There’s a sense of urgency about it, because we were writing on tour and were constantly on the go. But there’s also an overall theme of starting a new chapter and embracing life. My favorite song on this album is “You.” I really like the sonics of this one and how it sounds in the studio. The recording is awesome.

Mike: My favorite song on this album is “Don’t Know Why,” mostly because of how we wroteit. It was written and recorded in the studio in a real improvisational way, which I think gives it an intimate feel.

Jacob: My favorite on this record is “Zoey.” It almost feels like a club song with its drum and the interplay between vocals and guitars. It was a blast to record and is always one of my favorites to play live.

Of course, just because the album is recorded and waiting for release doesn’t mean the guys in The Head are resting on their laurels. They’re as busy as ever, playing for audiences across the country. Be sure to follow the band to see when they’ll be playing at a club near you, and be one of the first to get their new album this summer.