The Head and the Heart is on a pretty good run. The first time they played in St. Louis was last June at the Duck Room. That show sold out. They were invited to play at the highly respected Newport Folk Festival last July along with several other major festivals. They were invited back to Newport this year. Their latest show in St. Louis brought them just a few blocks east of the Duck Room to the much larger Pageant. Yep, that’s a pretty good run.

One thing they don’t seem to be doing is letting this quick rise get to them. When the folks at Show Me Shows asked them if they would be interested in doing a bare bones video shoot on a nearby roof top, they accepted. I was lucky enough to get an invite for a bit of a behind the scenes look at how these videos come together. All I had to do was bring a cooler of beers.

From a layman’s perspective, it all seemed pretty simple. Jonathan had a guitar, Josiah and Charity had their voices. Jarred had a couple cameras and Ryan had a couple microphones that were plugged into a laptop. In reality, there’s a lot of planning that goes into coordinating all of the moving parts. Shoot locations needs to be reserved. Exact spots for the shoot need to be decided on at the last moment to make best use of the light and to minimize various noises coming from industrial air conditioners and head on collisions on the street below. Seriously, there was a head on collision at the exact moment the band walked out onto the balcony. At least that served as an ice breaker and an excuse to joke around for a few minutes. Full disclosure: I was nervous to be meeting one of my favorite bands.

In the end, everything worked out just right. The band played two songs beautifully. The video looked great and the audio was fantastic. The beers were enjoyed (Schlafly APA and Deschutes Red Chair, in case anyone besides me gives a shit) and the mood was light. Everyone involved made it look easy.

And if you’re wondering how their show was at The Pageant later that evening, it was just what I’ve come to expect from this band. A truly passionate performance that’s not without its faults, but whose faults make it more endearing. I have had the great fortune of seeing this band three times over the past eight months. They’re growing right before our eyes and I think they’re gonna be alright.

A big thank you to Show Me Shows and KDHX for allowing me to tag along. It’s something I’ll remember for a very long time. Check out their full write up and interview over at KDHX.