Sugar Sand Stitched up is the atmospheric first single from the debut LP ‘The Hale and Hearty’ from Philly singer-songwriter Heyward Howkins. Watch the video that doubles as a short film on youtube.
Heyward first came to prominence in the early 2000s as the lead guitarist for The Trouble With Sweeney, twice featuring on Rollingstone.com‘s Editor’s Top Picks of the Year before amicably disbanding in 2004.
Heyward takes his name from his five-times grandfather Thomas Heyward (dubbed “The Singing Signer”), founding father and signer of the Declaration of Independence. The 21st century Heyward follows in those footsteps, being a founding member of The Silver Ages, the critically acclaimed choral group featuring singers from a wide array of Philadelphia-based bands. He often credits the group’s vocal workouts, hazy afternoon rehearsals, and rich catalog of traditional material as a catalyst for his own unique style of song writing and his distinctive voice.
The LP features songs grounded in local surroundings but also effortlessly ventures into more fanciful territory. “Young Bowerbird / He made an offer / Stacked high for a lady that’s wandering by,” Heyward sings in Plume and Orange, a mournful but ultimately hopeful tale of the last two birds on Earth. “She’s through with talking / They’re the last two with a body still walking.” Even when faced with the apocalypse, the pair still find time to bicker about daily life.
The title song pulls together the album’s recurring theme of feeling a deep connection to a time and place but simultaneously remaining on the outside. “Go on, have another bump ’til it all feels right,” Heyward sings. “Look at your crowd / They are so hale and hearty.”
For more details visit https://www.heywardhowkins.com or follow @HeywardHowkins on Twitter. And whilst you’re at it, why not follow us as well?! @flaneurzine
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