Take the Long Ride with Heavy Feather

Oh hellll yeah! It’s been a minute since we brought you a record this hot that spins this cool. Ladies and Gents, HEAVY FEATHER. These guys get it, man. This is how you do stoner rock. No, scratch that. This is how rock ‘n’ roll was meant to be. And wouldn’t you know it? They’re from Stockholm. Sweden once again rules the day! Sweden, where the waters of bluesy stoner goodness flow freely with endlessly rich variation! Heavy Feather have indeed been blessed by the Scandinavian stoner gods, you know the kind that prefer to smoke that dank reefer as opposed to slinking lightning bolts on their foes.

'Débris & Rubble’ (2019) fresh, vibrant, and vital with the blood of the Feel Good Era running rich within its veins. The band’s name covers the feeling of the music perfectly. Free-spirited, yet substantially riff-driven, with strong vocals and deft songcraft. Think of this as Skynyrd-worship, but with a female vocalists. Not sure if it’s been done before, but it absolutely works for Heavy Feather.

We’re blessed to live in an era with some damned good vocalists in this genre. Lisa Lystam is absolutely enchanting, with vocals that are lush and beautiful, but never there to show off their full power, simply to serve the needs of the song. Though their range and style may be different, I couldn’t help but reflect back to my own childhood when mom would play Olivia Newton-John records while cleaning the house. Like Olivia’s earliest work, though, there is but the slightest hint of classic country as the album rolls along, providing a nice bittersweet touch that kept the songs from feeling at any moment trite.

The album churns along as smooth as Cream, with songs like “Long Ride” (surely the long-awaited romantic standard the scene has been missing) and the album’s touching final number, “Whispering Things,” which concerns two souls falling away from each other. “Why do we keep whispering things, when both of us know what whispering means?” (I’ll admit, this brought a little mist to my eyes).

As you can tell, the lyrics are immediately relatable. In “I Spend My Money Wrong,” Lystam sings of staying up too late, partying too hard, and ending up a little short-changed toward month’s end. And “Where Did We Go” may be one of two instances in which I enjoyed hearing cowbell in a song (the other being Holy Grove’s “Aurora”).

After spending weeks mining the depths of depressive doom and dank sludge for a new podcast series called Poem of Pathos, Heavy Feather came as a welcome pick-me-up. Certainly, Débris & Rubble will make a fine companion for the long drive from festival to festival this summer.

Look for the new album by Heavy Feather to release on Friday, April 5th, out via The Sign Records – which has shaped up to become a scene-defining label over the past several years. Pre-orders for the digital release are happening here, and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear if vinyl will eventually follow. In the meantime, Doomed & Stoned is streaming it all for your listening pleasure.

Give ear…

Some Buzz

Longing for bands like Free, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Cream? Heavy Feather (SWE) serves up that late 60s and early 70s rock vibe that will bring listeners back in time yet still offer hope about the future of rock n roll. It´s retro rock filled with air and honesty.

Heavy Feather takes it back to the roots on their debut album Débris & Rubble, set to release April 5, 2019 via The Sign Records. It’s raw, real, and heavy riff-based rock. While the band is influenced by the greats of the '60s and '70s, they have created their own unique style.

Their high ambition has pushed the quartet forward, making them proud of the roughness they perform on stage. Featuring former members of Siena Root, Lisa Lystam Family Band, Diamond Dogs, Stacie Collins and Mårran, Heavy Feather believes that organic roots rock deserves more attention in the world’s rock scene today.

And with Débris & Rubble, Heavy Feather is sure to garner some of that attention. Their airy riffs packaged in a heavy sound, full of rawness and authenticity, will leave listeners with an ardent desire for more.