Formed in 2009, The Heavy Guilt have become one of the strongest musical forces within America’s Finest City, by creating a blues, folk Americana sound that blurs all respective lines between genres. Join us as we talk about the band, their latest release In The Blood and interview songwriter Al Howard.

 
In 2008, The Heavy Guilt’s founding members Al Howard and Josh Rice had found themselves without a band to call their own. Both are former members of the group Alfred Howard and the K23 Orchestra, which had called it quits at the tail end of that year. After the split of their former project, Howard was unsure which direction music would lead him next. He got together again with Josh to write a handful of songs, which would later become The Heavy Guilt’s debut record. Soon after, Howard’s friend Erik Canzona came aboard to sing over some of the songs that they had written, and in no time they knew they had found the man to front The Heavy Guilt. Thus adding the most integral piece to their musical puzzle. The rest of the pieces include Sean Martin, Jason Littlefield and Jenny Merullo.

The Heavy Guilt have released two records to date, Lift Us Up From This and In The Blood. Both records display the member’s growth as a band, and as musicians. “Every record you do documents both a phase in your life, personally and the life of your bands.” Says Howard. He continues, “Our first record is a delicate handshake. The album was written on a whim and the musicians really got to meet in the studio.” He says of In The Blood, “…We had been playing together for a couple of years, we tried to give it a live feel and the interplay is very pronounced.” The entire record was financed through Howard and Canzona selling off personal possessions to fund the recording and pressing, as well as through rewards given out on Kickstarter. With anticipation growing for The Heavy Guilt’s yet to be recorded third record, if the past is any indicator, the record will be a dynamic rock n roll experience that will blow minds from any turntable in any city in which it lands.

In the way The Heavy Guilt’s debut record, Lift Us Up From This was a proper way to introduce themselves as a group through beautiful melodies and well-balanced folk Americana songs, on their second record they take their songwriting and performing abilities to the next level. In The Blood is an absolute wall of artistic, blues and Americana sound, stating the fact, “We’re still here, and ready to take over the world”. This record also solidified them as a powerhouse band in San Diego. In The Blood, drives from start to finish with a furious force. Delivering a gritty yet funk filled sound that pushes all boundaries between any specific genres.

Using funk bass and drum beats with acoustic and electric guitar tones, all the while mixing in experimental sounds of eerie keyboard and violins with saw blades, chains, radios and anything else song writer Al Howard can get his hands on. “When I joined the Guilt I decided I’d play tambourine for our first gig in hopes of peeling my former band’s fans off of their couches and back into dive bars. Somehow that role grew to banging on copious junk piles with a hammer,” Claims Howard.

The Heavy Guilt have created a sound on their latest release that is reminiscent of a Cat Stevens record. Well, if Cat Stevens hung out in whiskey soaked dive bars during a thunderstorm, with a broken heart ready to unleash a monster of emotions on the world. The track “Wyoming” starts off with a beautiful blend of folk acoustic and relaxing electric guitar riffing, then slowly but steadily grows stronger with each measure. Emotional violins scream along with singer Erik Canzona’s powerful vocal performance, delivering an explosive musical experience. They briskly cruise through the track “Blistered Hands”. Again, mixing folk rock acoustic guitar with a thumping funky bass backbone, while electric organ undertones and experimental sound clips and radio static lie just underneath the surface. The approximately 5 and a half minute track seems to take on a life of its own about a minute and a half in, and transforms itself into a 1970’s-sounding power garage jam session. Electric organ, radio sounds, and other mixed in sound clips take on what seems like a life of their own, all while an electric guitar solo rages along, leading the charge. Just when you think the song is about to derail, it all comes back together perfectly, and you learn what you perceived as a derailing, was a deliberate explosion of rock n roll craftsmanship.

In The Blood is a record we should all own. It holds a style, a feeling and a sound that no true music fan can deny. If you are one of the few who are still unaware of what The Heavy Guilt offer, whether that be in recorded or live form, its time to buy a ticket and get on the train.

Please join us as we interview songwriter Al Howard.
 

Tell us about your newest record, In The Blood: how long did it take to come together and where do you think it ranks in the band’s efforts thus far?

Well, I prefer In the Blood to our first record Lift Us Up From This, but the as of yet to exist 3rd record has gotten me really excited. Every record you do documents both a phase in your life personally and the life of your band. Our first record is a delicate handshake. The album was written on a whim and the musicians really got to meet in the studio. You can hear the tentative conversations between players as they learn the varying dialects of a common language. On In the Blood we had been playing together for a couple of years, we tried to give it a live feel and the interplay is very pronounced. This third album we’ve been spending a lot of time cultivating, we have an eclectic batch of songs that touches all our favorite elements of rock n roll.

What were some of the emotions and feelings showcased throughout the record?

Love and it’s opposite come to mind. Those are the two things that seem to effect the heart and soul most and therefore the strongest hands to shape the clay of a song lyrically. That, and a kind of hunger any young band feels. You want to be heard, you’re one of a litany of people trying to do exactly what you do, that is a unique emotion that fuels our bands dynamics live and on the album.

There have been rumors that The Heavy Guilt are looking to record to hit the studio soon. Can you tell us anything about this?

We’ve got 12 great songs, a few we’ve been testing out live, a few that have only existed in the sweltering heat of our unfortunately east of the ocean garage. It’s a sweaty batch of blues psych and grimy droning rock n roll.

There are 6 people in The Heavy Guilt – what is a typical writing session like? Does everyone contribute or are there one or two main songwriters?

Josh Rice, our keyboardist has written the majority of the music, though Erik and Sean have contributed some of our best songs as well. And so far, I’ve written all the lyrics. Generally Josh, Sean or Erik brings some music to the table and the band collectively works it out, massages it and nuances it and then we just play the shit out of it until it sounds like it needs to. Every Josh song has come lyrics first and he’s a rather unsung prolific songwriter, he’s got binders and binders of great material we’ve yet to touch. Every Sean song has been music first and then I’ll sit down with it and try to figure out what the song is trying to say.

What are some of your all time favorite venues to play? Local and otherwise?

I’m a Casbah man, it’s sweaty and fun. And I always feel rushed and a sense of duty to absolutely destroy shit. I always wind up bleeding at the Casbah and I feel like it’s an honor to have some of my dna etched into that stage. I love the Whistle Stop cause my first band ever was born there and I dig the lack of separation between the audience and the band. There’s something a little punk to it.

You’re famous around town for playing some crazy things onstage for percussion. Where do you find some of these items, and how do the ideas become a reality on stage?

I have a semi secret past life as a spoken word artist. I always wanted to make music, but my singing voice sounds like Fran Drescher’s death rattle, so I wrote lyrics and talked faster than the Micro Machines guy. I also played tambourine. When I joined the Guilt I decided I’d play tambourine for our first gig in hopes of pealing my former band’s fans off of their couches and back into dive bars. Somehow that role grew to banging on copious junk piles with a hammer. I was also going to Swap Meets getting vinyl for the record shop I work at, I’d pick up the occasional saw blade and short wave radio and some chains and then it was anything goes.

The Heavy Guilt has built a solid reputation for fantastic shows, with a couple even performed on sidewalks with buckets for drums. Is that something that band enjoys, or do you feel like its a good opportunity to show a different side of the band?

I’ve always had this “by any means necessary” kinda mentality. You can make as much music as you want, but if you don’t bring it to the people, the people won’t ever hear you. I don’t want to be invasive or annoying. I don’t want to show up at your house while you’re watching Schindler’s List and start banging on a bucket and trying to sell you a cd (unless that’s cool with you), but if there’s a crowd of people with sympathetic ears, I will put every effort towards seeping into them. That’s my job!

Tell us something about a particular show that you will always remember – bad or good – and why it sticks out to you.

One time my mom flew out to see a band I was in and I stepped in dog poo. I thought about it the whole show. I thought it was the hippie in the front, but he left and I could still sense it. That shit haunts me to this day.

What are some of your favorite local bands at the moment? Who do you recommend our readers check out?

I have a hetero crush on John Meeks, I got all nervous and asked him out for burritos once, now we’re friends and he’s an incredible song writer. I like the New Kinetics, Old Tiger, Low Volts, Dead Feather Moon, Bunny Gang I heard this Jeans Wilder song called Sparkler that fuckin floors me. I love the Black Sands and the Midnight Pine, but I’m biased, I’m in both of those bands.

Please finish this sentence… Without music we would…most likely have more bat fights, Dick Cheney would be King of America for his lifetime (he won’t die), we’d all drive hummers with gun turrets and hope for a swift and painless end to it all. El Zarape wouldn’t exist.
 

Thank you to Al Howard and The Heavy Guilt. For info including live dates and how to pick up both records, please visit their official website. For updates follow them on Facebook and Twitter. Band photos by Kassandra Lynne.