Acclaimed rock ’n’ roll band Heartless Bastards release A Beautiful Life today. The band's sixth studio album and first new music in more than half a decade, A Beautiful Life arrives via Sweet Unknown Records/Thirty Tigers at all DSPs and as a limited edition hand-poured double LP and special merchandise available exclusively from the Sweet Unknown Records Official Store.
Heartless Bastards founder Erika Wennerstrom, elated to share the new record, says, "I’m so happy to finally share 'A Beautiful Life' with the world. I’m so proud of it. I worked with so many lovely and talented folks making this record. What an honor and privilege it is to have the opportunity to share it with everyone. The album for me is a reminder to stay grateful, and as I type this I’m just sitting here thinking how truly lucky I am."
Drawing special attention to the newest single, "Went Around The World," a very near and dear track, Wennerstrom says, "I have had this idea for years, and it finally came together. I wrote the chorus about 6 years ago the second verse 20 years ago. Each piece kind of told me when it was ready, and I was able to connect the dots over time. The chorus seems fitting. I’ve been touring all over for years, and in my off time, I’ve also traveled and backpacked around. Through all that I was really learning to understand myself, and the world around me. I’ve always loved that saying “Life begins that the edge of your comfort zone”. When I experienced new situations I was getting to know parts of myself I’d never known.
She adds, "The “light” in the song is love. We’re all connected to each other no matter what our race, religion, or the country we’re from, male or female, straight or LGBT, but also to our environment, the water that sustains our life, and the different plant and animal species. It’s all family. I care deeply about the state of our environment, but I had gotten so concerned with it that I was in my head carrying the weight of the world. Like “how can I somehow fix this problem?”. I realize I’m no good to anyone, including myself if I don’t take some time to stop and breathe and take care of myself. All we can do is our best. Worrying about things I have no power to control isn’t a good use of energy. These issues are things we have to work on collectively and perhaps to start with, aside from my own individual daily acts, my part can be adding to the conversation with this album."
A Beautiful Life was heralded with the soulful single, “How Low,” alongside an official music video – directed by documentary filmmakers Sam Wainwright Douglas and David Hartstein. “How Low” was met by instant acclaim, with Rolling Stone declaring it to be “a satisfying summer song — with a deeper message in its lyrics,” further noting how the song’s companion video “juxtaposes the vacuous Instagram life with images of poverty, natural disaster, and ultimately acts of kindness.”
LISTEN TO “HOW LOW”
WATCH “HOW LOW”
"How Low" was followed by “Photograph" and then by "You Never Know," which was joined by a cinematic and aesthetically pleasing video, complete with a love story, a zebra, and expressive face paint. In late 2020, the band released the first song from the album, "Revolution," alongside an official music video.
LISTEN TO “PHOTOGRAPH”
LISTEN TO "YOU NEVER KNOW"
WATCH "YOU NEVER KNOW"
LISTEN TO “REVOLUTION”
WATCH “REVOLUTION”
LIMITED EDITION VINYL AND EXCLUSIVE MERCHANDISE ARE AVAILABLE HERE
HEARTLESS BASTARDS TOUR 2021
SEPTEMBER
16 – Little Rock, AR – Stickyz
17 – Columbia, MO – The Blue Note
18 – St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway Nightclub
19– Nashville, TN – 3rd & Lindsley Lightning 100 Sunday Show
22 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line Music Cafe
23 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre
24 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
25 – Covington, KY – Madison Theater
27 – Millvale, PA – Mr. Small's Theatre
29 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair
30 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
OCTOBER
1– Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Live Downstairs
2 – Washington, DC – Union Stage
4 – Carrboro, NC – Cat's Cradle
5 – Atlanta, GA – Smith's Olde Bar
7 – Houston, TX – The Heights Theater
8 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits Festival
9 – Kerrville, TX – Kerrville Folk Festival
29 – New Braunfels, TX – Gruene Hall
30 – Oklahoma City, OK – Tower Theatre
31 – Santa Fe, NM – Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery
NOVEMBER
1 – Tucson, AZ – 191 Toole
3 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up Tavern
4 – West Hollywood, CA – Troubadour
5 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent
6 – Oakland, CA – Starline Social Club Ballroom
8 – Sacramento, CA – Harlow's Restaurant & Nightclub
9 – Arcata, CA – Arcata Theatre Lounge
11 – Eugene, OR – Sessions Music Hall
12 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
13 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile
14 – Missoula, MT – The Wilma
15 – Bozeman, MT – The ELM
17 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Commonwealth Room
19 – Fort Collins, CO – Aggie Theatre
20 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
21 – Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre
24 – Dallas, TX – The Kessler Theater
# # #
EUROPEAN TOUR 2022
JANUARY
24 - Cambridge, UK - Portland Arms
25 - Bristol, UK - Exchange
26 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club
27 - Glasgow, UK - Mono
28 - Newcastle, UK - Cluny 2
29 - Liverpool, UK - District
30 - Manchester, UK - Deaf Institute
FEBRUARY
1 - London, UK - Oslo
2 - Paris, FR - FGO
3 - Brussels, BE - Botanique Rotonde
4 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso (Upstairs)
6 - Hamburg, DE - Molotow Skybar
7 - Berlin, DE - Cassiopeia
8 - Munich, DE - Kranhalle
10 - Vienna, AT - Chelsea
HEARTLESS BASTARDS
A BEAUTIFUL LIFE
(Sweet Unknown Records/Thirty Tigers)
Release Date: Friday, September 10
