Heartless Bastards turned quite a few heads this year at SXSW, and the indie rock band will get the chance to play to even more people across the land via a North American tour. The Austin-based quartet, fronted by feisty vocalist Erika Wennerstrom, will be busy this summer, touring through August as support for some of the music biz’s heavy hitters – including Jenny Lewis, Andrew Bird, and the Decemberists. They are also scheduled to appear at several festivals, including the Philadelphia Folk Festival on August 15 and San Francisco’s Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival on August 30.

Recently, the Bastards taped a live set for the esteemed public television music program “Austin City Limits”; this is scheduled to hit American television screens this fall. Alex Maas (of the Black Angels), a good friend of the band, is a special guest on the episode, duetting with Wennerstrom on an evocative reinterpretation of the Tim Hardin-penned ’60s folk hit “If I Were a Carpenter”. Have a listen.

If I Were a Carpenter, performed by Erika Wennerstrom and Alex Maas

Wennerstrom and Maas (with Dave Colvin and Jesse Ebaugh of Heartless Bastards) have also been hard at work with a side project, Sweet Tea, taking on classic country and adding their own spin to it. A studio version of “If I Were a Carpenter” will be the band’s first single, to be available digitally later this month and physically on September 1. A limited edition 7″ single will also be released later this year.

Tour dates
Jul 10 – Greek Theatre – Los Angeles (supporting Andrew Bird)
Jul 11 – Marquee Theatre / Tempe (supporting Jenny Lewis)
Jul 31 – All Points West Music & Arts Festival / Jersey City
Aug 02 – Osheaga Music and Arts Festival / Montreal
Aug 03 – Kool Haus / Toronto (supporting the Decemberists)
Aug 05 – Orpheum Theatre / Madison (supporting the Decemberists)
Aug 06 – Metro / Chicago (supporting the Decemberists)
Aug 07 – Lollapalooza / Chicago
Aug 08 – Egyptian Room / Indianapolis (supporting the Decemberists)
Aug 11 – Royal Oak Music Theatre / Royal Oak, MI (supporting the Decemberists)
Aug 14 – Byham Theatre / Pittsburgh (supporting the Decemberists)
Aug 15 – Philadelphia Folk Festival – Schwenksville, PA
Aug 16 – Mountain Park / Holyoke, MA – (supporting the Decemberists)
Aug 25 – Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre / Salt Lake City (supporting the Avett Brothers)
Aug 26 – Knitting Factory / Boise (supporting the Avett Brothers)
Aug 28 – Paramount Theatre / Seattle (supporting the Avett Brothers)
Aug 29 – Britt Fest / Jacksonville, OR (supporting the Avett Brothers)
Aug 30 – Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival / San Francisco
Oct 03 – Austin City Limits Festival / Austin

Heartless Bastards: website | myspace | @ Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ | Tour Stop: Maxwell’s in Hoboken, NJ 2/4

Photo: Joshua Hammond

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