Photo Credit: Meg Sagi
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Nashville artist Heather Bond makes radiant, cinematic indie-pop laced with elements of disco and R&B. Her lyrics reflect on everything from love, seduction, and heartbreak to social media, nostalgia, and politics, with an easy, modern intelligence enhanced by crystal-clear vocals and crisp harmonies. Her sound is both elegant and eclectic, evoking the breezy clarity of piano-pop artists like Norah Jones and Regina Spektor mixed with the jazzy, experimental range of Fiona Apple.
Now poised to release her sophomore solo album, The Mess We Created, Bond presents a diverse and distinctively groovy new collection, written in close collaboration with renowned bassist and producer Viktor Krauss (Lyle Lovett, Bill Frisell, James Taylor, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss). “We didn’t have a plan for our sound; we just wanted to create interesting music,” says Bond. The duo’s first collaborative single “The Mirage” (track 2 on The Mess We Created) became one of the year’s top 100 most played songs on Nashville’s Lightning 100 radio, inspiring Bond and Krauss to continue working together on what would ultimately become the full-length album.
Collaborating expanded Bond’s creative process: An experienced songwriter and pianist, she began writing dynamic melodies to unique bass lines crafted by Krauss, and together the pair took advantage of Krauss’s extensive collection of vintage musical equipment. The resulting sound is enjoyably tricky and difficult to categorize: completely modern while hinting at an earlier musical era. No software synths or reproduced samples were used. “Heather has a classic voice,” says Krauss. “As a producer, I felt it was important to make music that could be appreciated for decades—not just for right now."
Born in Texas and raised in Louisville, KY, Bond spent the summer after college waitressing, saving money, recording demos, and preparing to move to Nashville. “There was never a plan B! A career in music was always my future,” she says. She earned a name for herself performing live, often sold-out shows at local venues, including Nashville’s iconic Bluebird Cafe. Soon after, she signed with Modern Works Music Publishing and Whizbang Music Licensing, which led to a list of international television placements, including Jane the Virgin, Charmed, and Sesame Street, as well as numerous high-profile cuts, including “This Time” featuring Joss Stone. Bond quickly became a sought-after songwriter, cowriting with artists and producers in Nashville, Los Angeles., and New York. She also appeared on television, playing piano on several episodes of ABC’s hit series Nashville. In addition to her solo work, Bond is a singer, songwriter, and keytar player for retro electropop “supergroup” The Daybreaks with whom she continues to release new music.
Bond released her debut solo album So Long in 2015, produced by GRAMMY-nominated artist Matthew Odmark (Jars of Clay), and in 2019 was selected by GRAMMY-winning producer Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock, Shawn Colvin, Madeleine Peyroux, Tracy Chapman) as the only American woman artist included in Beyond Music Volume One: Same Sky. The 13-track, cross-cultural compilation featured artists from all over the world and received critical acclaim, including a nod to Bond in Forbes: “Bond, a composer of heartfelt ballads and singer-songwriter tunes one could easily imagine at home on the radio, really establishes herself as the Sara Bareilles of the group.”
Bond’s second solo album The Mess We Created is a refreshing, well-crafted, and unique collection featuring first-rate musicians. The songs reveal a maturity gained from years of experience in the music industry. With Krauss as the primarily instrumentalist, along with L.A. drummer Matt Chamberlain (Lorde, Tori Amos) and Jano Rix of The Wood Brothers, the album is vibrant, idiosyncratic, and rooted in rhythm. Each song showcases Bond’s effortlessly agile vocal delivery, shifting from the smooth purity of Sade (in “Resist”) to the cheeky sweetness of Kylie Minogue (in “Ich Weiss Nicht”) to the delicate depth of Parisian singer Keren Ann (in “Fountain of Youth” and “Fate”). The album closes in an energetic punch with the spritely, beat-driven single “Feel It.” Bond is eager to perform these new songs and connect with audiences across the world again soon. The Mess We Created is set for release on February 25, 2022.