The bands' story starts in Dayton, Ohio, where Wennerstrom found the name on a multiple choice video trivia game at a bar.
As a songwriting teenager during a time when Guided by Voices and Brainiac were packing local bars and three of the Breeders were still in town, Wennerstrom used to sneak into clubs to check out the scene. "I would just see those people—my music heroes—hanging out at the bar like everyone else," she remembers. "I could see myself in them. It gave me inspiration to do my own thing."
After doing the usual business of playing local shows, the trio set out the following year on a regional tour. One of the first gigs of the trip took them to a bar in Akron, where the Black Keys' drummer Patrick Carney just happened to be one of only a handful of people in the audience. This chance encounter led Wennerstrom and the Heartless Bastards to Fat Possum Records, with whom they released their debut, Stairs and Elevators, in early 2005.
The band moved on with critical praise in their back pocket, including a four-and-a-half star review from Rolling Stone, which took note that, when Wennerstrom “opens her throat on Stairs and Elevators … she sounds like she’s wailing on the shoulders of giants; her sad and angry vocals channeling all the swagger and spit of a young Robert Plant”
By whatever yardstick you care to measure, it was high time for Erika to get out of Dayton.
In true ascetic discipline, she moved to Austin, Texas in 2007 for a change of inspirational scenery and a new recording project. With the help of producer Mike McCarthy (Spoon, Trail of Dead), she assembled a group of musicians with whom she gave the songs life and uncovered yet another layer of Wennerstrom and the Heartless Bastards. Two of the new Bastards aren’t Texas ringers, but fellow Dayton brethren Dave Colvin on drums, and Jesse Ebaugh on bass, who actually played on the original demo that hooked Fat Possum, throw in one Austin native on guitar, Mark Nathan and you’ve got a new unstoppable force that “Take the stage and literally knock everybody down” – NY Times review of the Bastards SxSW record release performance.
The Decemberists’ guitarist Chris Funk said, "It's been a few years since I've had a voice on repeat in my mind. This voice seems to arrive in my ears while sound checking, often before the shows on a pre-show play list and after shows too -- the songs are just perfect and the band has found their spots behind this incredible woman. A unique and enduring artist arrived into our world once again."
The album, entitled The Mountain, (released February 2009) delivers the powerful howl that fans expect from the Heartless Bastards, but also weaves in adventure with mandolins, banjos, strings and Erika’s transcendent voice.
Brimming with confidence and creativity, The album Arrow (released February 2012) sees Heartless Bastards pushing their distinctive sound forward with their most eclectic, energetic collection thus far. The album – the Austin, Texas-based band’s first release with Partisan Records – is marked as ever by singer/guitarist/songwriter Erika Wennerstrom’s remarkable voice, at turns primal and pleading, heartfelt and heroic. Songs like “Parted Ways” and the searing “Low Low Low” expertly capture the Bastards’ multi-dimensional rock in all its strength and spirit. Following upon the difficult introspection of 2009′s acclaimed third album, The Mountain, Arrow stands as a powerhouse new beginning for Heartless Bastards.
“The Mountain was me going through some things after being in a relationship for nine years,” Wennerstrom says. ”This album is kind of like me being comfortable again.”
Runnin
Heartless Bastards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But it is often out of view
It changes paths, it changes forms
Just like our souls
Like they often do
Broke the calm, strain in the back
I was born, driven by fear
But I know I'll be runnin' for years
And I, I hope there's a higher ground
Because I'm going steadily down
And I know, I know I'll be alright
If I, if I just get through the night
I love your way, I love you baby, don't mean maybe
I love your way, and oh you brighten and enlighten
I've been walking, I've been walking sideways
Walking down the street
I won't look back for another minute
There's nothing left to see
I took the long way
Oh, I took the long way
Heartless Bastards' song Runnin speaks to the internal struggles of the human condition. The song's first two verses describe how struggles and challenges are unpredictable and often unnoticed until they are already upon us, changing the very shape of our souls in the process. The singer acknowledges that they were born into this world with a sense of fear and that this fear drives them constantly, leading to them spending their life running away from whatever forces or internal battles they face. The lyrics express the hope for a higher ground, a way out of this struggle and a chance to overcome their fears.
The chorus of the song repeats twice, highlighting the importance of the lyrics' message. The singer recognizes that they are on a downward spiral and fears they won't be able to pull themselves out of it. Despite this, they hold onto the hope that they will be alright if they can survive the night. The final verse speaks to the importance of moving forward and never looking back. Despite the fact that the singer has taken the long way, they have finally realized that they need to keep going forward in order to truly move on from their struggles.
Heartless Bastards' Runnin is a complex song that touches on themes of fear, struggle, hope, and moving forward. Through its lyrics, the song encourages listeners to keep fighting against whatever inner demons they may face and never to lose hope. With its haunting melody and striking message, Runnin is a song that will stay with listeners long after they finish listening to it.
Line by Line Meaning
For every calm there is a storm
Life is unpredictable and there will always be good times and bad times
But it is often out of view
Sometimes these bad times may come unexpectedly
It changes paths, it changes forms
The nature of these bad times can vary and take different shapes
Just like our souls
Our inner selves can also change and be affected by life's trials
Like they often do
This change is a common occurrence in life
Broke the calm, strain in the back
Something troubling has disturbed the peace and caused stress and tension
I was born, driven by fear
Fear is a driving force in the singer's life
And I don't think I'll ever understand
There are things in life that are difficult or impossible to comprehend
But I know I'll be runnin' for years
The artist knows they will be struggling and trying to cope for a long time
And I, I hope there's a higher ground
The artist is looking for a better place or state of being to escape their troubles
Because I'm going steadily down
The singer feels like they are descending or falling into despair
And I know, I know I'll be alright
Despite the difficulties, the artist believes they will ultimately be okay
If I, if I just get through the night
The singer believes that they can endure their troubles if they make it through the immediate hardship
I love your way, I love you baby, don't mean maybe
The singer is expressing their love and strong affection for someone, without hesitation or doubt
I love your way, and oh you brighten and enlighten
This person brings joy and enlightenment to the singer's life
I've been walking, I've been walking sideways
The artist has been trying to navigate their difficult situation in a non-traditional or sideways manner
Walking down the street
The artist is continuing to move forward, regardless of their struggles
I won't look back for another minute
The singer is determined to not dwell on the past or let it hold them back
There's nothing left to see
The past is behind them and there is no need to keep looking back
I took the long way
The artist has taken a difficult or indirect route, but they still made progress
Contributed by Scarlett D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.