“I was a shy awkward 25-year-old, but I managed to wrangle some great musicians to join me for a few days in the studio,” said Wennerstrom. “It was the last week of 2002. The day after we finished the tracks, they imploded Riverfront Stadium. I have fond memories of staying up all night, celebrating the recording being finished and watching the implosion at sunrise.
“I gave the finished demo to almost every single person that walked in the bar I worked at in Cincinnati,” she continued. “I went through three CD burners. People were really digging it, and it got put on a few jukeboxes in town. It helped pave the way to putting a band together. It really has been such a long journey. It’s hard to believe I’ve managed to do this for a living at all, let alone 20 years. I’m a grateful human.”
The formative years
Demo session participants Ebaugh and Colvin re-entered the band’s universe later, but the first official version of Heartless Bastards was a trio with Mike Lamping (bass) and Kevin Vaughn (drums). This lineup played its first show in August 2003.
“It was at the Comet in Cincinnati with The Henchmen and the Legendary Shack Shakers,” Wennerstrom said. “A lot of it is hazy, but I used to play so loud, like ear-splitting loud. A Vox AC30 (amplifier) on 10. I’m positive I was a nervous wreck because the stage took a lot of warming up to for me. It took me years to be able to speak more than a few words to the crowd.”
Her nervousness didn’t negatively impact the band’s advancement. While some act’s toil in obscurity for years before breaking through, that wasn’t the case with Heartless Bastards. The group signed to Fat Possum Records in 2004 and released its debut, “Stairs and Elevators,” in February 2005. It received a “Download This Now” spotlight in Entertainment Weekly and a three-and-a-half-star review in Rolling Stone magazine. Wennerstrom was also featured in Guitar Player magazine. She admits if she could travel back to the hectic early days, she would share some words of wisdom with her younger, driven self.
“I think advice on being present would be good,” she said. “We’re never where we want to be, because then we wouldn’t have anywhere to go. Stop and appreciate the world around you and where you’re at in your life. Be gentle with yourself. Trust yourself.”
Seasons of change
Fat Possum released the band’s second album, “All This Time” (2006), which was recorded at Ultrasuede Studio in Cincinnati. The following year, Wennerstrom packed up the operation and relocated to Austin. Lamping and Vaughn left before the sessions for “The Mountain” (2009), which was recorded by Mike McCarthy. It had an expanded group of players, which was a big contrast to the stripped-down bluesy garage rock sound of the first two Heartless Bastards albums.
Mark Nathan (lead guitar), who played on “The Mountain,” joined the group in August 2008. Wennerstrom also brought back Dayton natives Ebaugh and Colvin. Although she has been out of Ohio for 15 years, that Gem City connection remains important.
“I owe so much of my life in music to Dayton’s rich musical history,” Wennerstrom said. “It has been a huge source of pride and inspiration for me. The Breeders, Guided by Voices, Brainiac, and many other great bands we’re a huge influence. I love my hometown and cannot wait to return Friday.”
“The Mountain” was the band’s most successful release, reaching 150 on the Billboard album chart, but it was its last for Fat Possum. Heartless Bastards moved to Brooklyn-based Partisan Records, which released the commercially and critically successful, “Arrow” (2012). The album cracked Billboard’s Top 100, peaking at No. 78. It was produced by Jim Eno of Spoon and featured Ebaugh, Colvin and Nathan, who also appeared on the follow-up, “Restless Ones” (2015).
Growing creative aspirations
Wennerstrom stepped out of the confines of Heartless Bastards for “Sweet Unknown” (2018), her first solo album and final release for Partisan. She assembled a band for that solo tour, which backed her during a slot at Dayton Music Fest in 2019. Ebaugh and Lauren Gurgiolo (guitar) from that project were joined by Jesse Chandler (keyboards), Gregory Clifford (drums) and Kevin Ratterman (percussion) for Heartless Bastards’ sixth album, “A Beautiful Life” (2021). The expanded group recently completed dates in the United Kingdom in support of the album, which Wennerstrom produced with Ratterman and Danny Reisch and released on her own Sweet Unknown Records.
“This tour we just wrapped up was our second this year and since COVD restrictions lifted,” Wennerstrom said. “We were in the UK and the EU back in June and then recently returned to the UK for a second trip. Pre-pandemic, Heartless Bastards hadn’t been there since 2015, but I did do some dates in 2018 in support of my solo album, ‘Sweet Unknown.’ It was a short run. We just did seven shows. They all went great. It was probably my favorite tour yet over there.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Charting a path forward
Once Heartless Bastards’ 2022 dates come to an end, Wennerstrom will turn her full attention to the follow-up to “A Beautiful Life.”
“My focus is just aimed on writing the best possible album I can right now,” she said. “We have a lot of time off from the road next year. A lot will depend on when the album is finished and how we plan to release it. It’s all a bit up to how quickly an album comes together. The songs kind of tell me when they’re done. I have a ton of song ideas, but I really need to hone in on the lyrics and message. I find it hard to write on the road. I get a lot of inspiration and melody ideas while touring, but I really need more down time to work them out.”
With the major 20-year milestone looming, it’s hard not to reflect on the early days of Heartless Bastards. However, rather than dwelling on past accomplishments, Wennerstrom remains focused on the future.
“I’d like to think the young me would be inspired by the older me,” she said. “Honestly, I’m becoming the person I always wanted to be. I used to spend a lot of time worrying about things that don’t really matter. A lot of publications said this recent album was the best of my career. I think I’m still giving it my best with each album. I’d like to think the best is yet to come.”
Contact this contributing writer at 937-287-6139 or e-mail at donthrasher100@gmail.com.
HOW TO GO
Who: Heartless Bastards with Jess Lamb & the Factory and Visitor
Where: The Brightside, 905 E. Third St., Dayton
When: 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16
Cost: Advance tickets are $25 general admission, $50 VIP with special seating and early admission
More info: 937-410-0450 or www.thebrightsidedayton.com
Artist info: www.theheartlessbastards.com
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