Takin' a Walk with Buzz Knight: Celebrating 20 Years of Band of Heathens and Their New Album 'Country Sides'

Summary

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Takin' a Walk with Buzz Knight: Celebrating 20 Years of Band of Heathens and Their New Album 'Country Sides'

Podcast: Takin' A Walk - Music History with Buzz Knight
Date: February 24, 2026
Guests: Gordy Quist & Ed Jurdi (Band of Heathens)
Host: Buzz Knight

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Episode Overview

Buzz Knight sits down with Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist of Band of Heathens to celebrate their 20-year journey as a band, the delayed yet phenomenal success of their song “Hurricane,” and the creative spirit behind their latest album, Countrysides. The conversation offers an intimate look at the band's origins, their philosophy on collaboration, stories of resilience, and how music continues to provide meaning and healing—not just for their fans, but for themselves.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Magic of Momos: Band Origins in Austin

• Early Vibe at Momos (04:00–06:31):

  • The band’s beginnings were marked by informality—rehearsal was essentially “not allowed,” leading to spontaneous, magical moments on stage.
  • The “lightning bolt moment” was finding their sound in singing three or four-part harmonies.
  • Austin’s collaborative music scene and venues like Momos offered a nurturing ground for the band and its members.

  Quote:

  “One of the rules was that rehearsal was not allowed…part of that spirit of not taking things too seriously led to some magic. The first time we realized the magic that really spoke to us was us singing together—like three and four part harmonies. I think that’s where we realized, okay, this is something special.”
  — Gordy Quist (04:29)

• Acknowledging the “Instigators” of the Scene (06:31-09:17):

  • Paulo Vesey (owner of Momos and first manager), Kate Tomic (co-owner), Guy Forsyth, Dan Dyer, Susanna Shoffel, and John Pattillo (Fat Caddy Records) among others, were vital to the Heathens’ journey.
  • The Austin community was tight-knit and supportive, fostering not just the Heathens but the local music ecosystem.

  Quote:

  “He was responsible for getting us together... There was a very small sort of structure that allowed us to do exactly what we wanted to do without any of the bigger music industry pressures. That’s really why we were able to hit the ground running.”
  — Ed Jurdi (07:23)

2. The Art of Collaboration & Endurance

• 20 Years Strong — The Secret Sauce (10:52–12:51):

  • The foundation lies in mutual respect, shared drive, creativity, and the ability to adapt as life progresses.
  • The importance of compromise in creative work is emphasized—often leading to better results than individual vision alone.

  Quote:

  “What we’ve learned in this band is that we actually, by listening to each other, by compromising, actually, we sometimes make things that far surpasses what our initial vision was. ...the compromise has been something like a superpower of the band...”
  — Gordy Quist (12:51)

  • Bonus anecdote: Ed's dog Poncho “sings” during at-home recording sessions, displaying a playful side of the band.

3. "Hurricane": Platinum 14 Years Later

• The Unlikely Journey of a Hit (14:40–18:10):

  • “Hurricane,” first released in 2011, became a platinum hit in 2025, many years after its initial release.
  • The song was a reinterpretation of Levon Helm’s version—slowed down, moodier, and not designed for radio.
  • Discovery was organic; there was no major label push, just grassroots growth via fans and live covers.

  Quote:

  “People keep sending me videos of bands in bars singing our version of it, and it kind of took on a life of its own that had nothing to do with promotion... It really happened organically.”
  — Gordy Quist (17:00)

  • On the gradual nature of the “breakthrough”:

  “You mentioned the word breakthrough. I would say it's more like... Andy Dufresne, he hammers his way out of prison with the little ball peen hammer. It was more like that.”
  — Ed Jurdi (18:33)

4. The New Album: Countrysides

• Album Concept and Meaning (22:37–24:49):

  • The title Countrysides is purposefully ambiguous—referring to rural landscapes, divisions in America, music sides (A/B), and even food (side dishes).
  • The intent was to make a soul record with country flavors, inspired by the likes of Dobie Gray.

  Quote:

  “Our country is really divided right now... There's a magic in creating a space and an environment and a vibe that creates more magic.”
  — Gordy Quist (23:24)

• Lead Single “High on Our Own Supply” (24:49–25:52):

  • The song is a self-celebration of the world the band has built together and a meditation on music as a tool for processing life.

  Quote:

  “It's about us... We've built this world around ourselves that we've wanted to live in, and we've done it through music...”
  — Ed Jurdi (24:59)

5. Evolving the Live Show

• From Loose Jams to Intentional Journeys (25:52–27:53):

  • The band’s live shows have gone from chaotic and spontaneous to structured yet still improvisational, aiming to build a powerful emotional journey each night.
  • They embrace a variety of influences—introspective, swampy blues, country—and focus on tension and release in their sets.

  Quote:

  “I think we've gotten better at creating powerful moments that we know how to really build tension up and then release it… it's fun... we're still having fun.”
  — Gordy Quist (27:45)

6. Music as Salvation

• Music’s Transformative and Healing Power (27:53–32:36):

  • Both Ed and Gordy reflect on how music (and the band) has saved them personally, offering comfort during tough times and forming a cornerstone for life's challenges and celebrations.
  • The act of making and performing music is framed as a way of healing—for themselves and their audience.

  Quotes:

  “The thing about music specifically... It's always given me more than I could ever give back to it.”
  — Ed Jurdi (29:53)

  “It's healing, it's magical, it unites people in a really divisive time... I feel especially grateful to have this job in a time like this, when I feel like we need music.”
  — Gordy Quist (32:06)

7. What Do They Hope Fans Take from Countrysides?

• Meaningful Resonance (32:36–34:33):

  • The band creates because they have to; they hope audiences find their own meaning and make the songs part of their lives.
  • They aspire for their music to serve as a consistent thread of positivity in divisive times.

  Quote:

  “...this idea that we could be some sort of thread of positivity and something good that people could consistently rely on and go to...”
  — Ed Jurdi (33:36)

8. “Taking a Walk” with the Greats

• The Classic Closer (34:33–36:24):
  • Ed would take a walk with his grandfather, reflecting on legacy, music, and the “iconic generation.”
  • Gordy opts for enlightened figures—Jesus, Buddha—to ask “a ton of questions,” especially about divergence between intent and practice in modern spirituality.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|------------------|-------| | 04:29 | Gordy Quist | “One of the rules was that rehearsal was not allowed…part of that spirit of not taking things too seriously led to some magic.” | | 07:23 | Ed Jurdi | “There was a very small sort of structure that allowed us to do exactly what we wanted to do without any of the bigger music industry pressures.” | | 12:51 | Gordy Quist | “By listening to each other, by compromising...sometimes [we] make things that far surpass what our initial vision was.” | | 17:00 | Gordy Quist | “[‘Hurricane’] took on a life of its own that had nothing to do with promotion... It really happened organically.” | | 18:33 | Ed Jurdi | “Breakthrough—it’s more like Andy Dufresne… hammers his way out of prison with the little ball peen hammer.” | | 23:24 | Gordy Quist | “Our country is really divided right now... There’s a magic in creating a space and an environment and a vibe that creates more magic.” | | 24:59 | Ed Jurdi | “We’ve built this world around ourselves that we've wanted to live in, and we've done it through music...” | | 27:45 | Gordy Quist | “We've gotten better at creating powerful moments... we're still having fun.” | | 29:53 | Ed Jurdi | “It’s always given me more than I could ever give back to it.” | | 32:06 | Gordy Quist | “It's healing, it's magical, it unites people in a really divisive time...” | | 33:36 | Ed Jurdi | “That we could be some sort of thread of positivity and something good that people could consistently rely on and go to...” |

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Important Timestamps

• 04:00 – Band formation at Momos; the origins of their collaboration.
• 07:23 – Recap of “instigators” and community influence in Austin.
• 10:52 – What keeps the Band of Heathens together.
• 14:40 – The story behind “Hurricane” and its belated success.
• 22:37 – The various meanings of Countrysides; album inspiration.
• 24:49 – The lead single, "High on Our Own Supply" explained.
• 25:52 – How their live show evolved over two decades.
• 27:53 – Reflections on how music and the band have “saved” them.
• 32:36 – Hopes for what listeners take away from Countrysides.
• 34:33 – The “take a walk with anyone” question.

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Episode Takeaways

• The Band of Heathens’ longevity is rooted in mutual respect, artistic compromise, and finding joy in the creative process together.
• “Hurricane” serves as a testament to authenticity and the unpredictable (and sometimes glacial) rewards of making art on your own terms.
• Their new album Countrysides is simultaneously a product of soul, country, and ambiguity—mirroring both the American zeitgeist and their own musical journey.
• Above all, both the band and their music are committed to being a force for connection, healing, and positive energy in challenging times.

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For fans of independent music, stories of resilience, and the behind-the-scenes journey, this episode is a master class in authenticity and collaboration. The Band of Heathens offer not only hard-won wisdom but also warmth and humility, reminding listeners why music matters—now more than ever.

Transcript

[Buzz Knight]

Taking a Walk I'm Buzz Knight and welcome to the Taking a walk podcast. Now, 20 years into their career, most bands, they're coasting on nostalgia or chasing trends. The band the Heathens, they just went platinum 14 years after releasing the song their version of Hurricane, which has streamed over a billion times, becoming an anthem of resilience. And that found its audience not through viral manipulation, but through something far more powerful, authenticity and endurance. Now with a new album, Countrysides, this Austin bred collective is proving that the best stories in rock and roll aren't written overnight. They're lived, earned and built brick by brick. Today on Taking a Walk, we're going to dive deep into two decades of defying convention, the unlikely journey of a platinum hit, and why sometimes the sides are the main course.

[Tara Davis Woodhull]

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[Buzz Knight]

Taking a Walk well, Gordie and Ed from the Band of Heathens, welcome to the Taking a Walk podcast.

[Gordy Quist]

Thanks for having us.

[Ed Jurdi]

Good to be here, man.

[Buzz Knight]

So congrats on the new music, which we're gonna certainly talk about. But I want to start at this place called Momos in Austin where those late night jams kind of spawn the band of Heathens. What was it about that room that in that moment that made you guys realize you had something special that was worth pursuing all these years later? Gordy, what do you think that was

[Gordy Quist]

a special time and place? You know, I think the early days of the band, nothing was really taken very seriously. One of the rules was that rehearsal was not allowed. And so there were lots of train wrecks on stage at those Wednesday night weekly gigs. But I think part of that spirit of not taking things too seriously led to some magic. And I think the first time we realized the magic that really spoke to us was us singing together like three and four part harmonies. I think that's where we realized, okay, this is something special. So maybe we ought to take this a little further.

[Buzz Knight]

Ed Gerdy, did it connect you immediately? Did you know there was no turning back?

[Ed Jurdi]

Well, I don't know if it was that definitive, but what I would say in addition to, you know, with Gordy, I would echo all those sentiments. I think, you know, I know he made to Austin to play music I moved to Austin to play music, and we had both been there probably less than a year at that point. And I think what drew us to Austin was this idea of there being a really great scene, you know, a really. A great place to collaborate with other musicians. And I think, you know, just being a big fan of a lot of the music that had come out of Austin, I think when we found that, we found each other and we found that gig in Momos, to me at least that sort of was like, hey, we. Now we're here. Like, we are. We are part of this. Of this fabric, you know, that. That Austin has kind of weaved historically with musicians. And this is our. This is kind of our piece of it. So I had a really great, you know, great feeling and a great sense of belonging to that scene and that group of collaborative artists. It wasn't just the Heathens. There was. There's a lot of other bands playing at Momos and a lot of. A lot of love and a lot of guidance from. From people who, I think, facilitated stuff like that. I like to call them instigators. You know, they really. They were responsible for putting people together and just, you know, just kind of seeing what happened, it was. It was really wide open in that sense, which was. Which was fantastic.

[Buzz Knight]

I love the term instigators. Maybe they were even co conspirators. Who were some of those folks that you want to maybe single out?

[Ed Jurdi]

Well, I have to say Paulo Vesey, who owned Momos and who was the band's first manager, he. He loves. Loves music and musicians, and that's why he owned that club. You know, it wasn't to make money or to be rich.

[Gordy Quist]

It was.

[Ed Jurdi]

It was to be a part and give back to the scene. And he, you know, he was responsible for getting us together, introducing us to each other. And then, you know, I mean, there were so many other great musicians on the scene at the time, like, you know, Patrice pike and Guy Forsyth, Dan Dyer, Susanna Shofel, who later went on to become Paul's wife, and they have kids together. And then, you know, some. Maybe some people you haven't heard about as much, like. Like a guy named Drew Smith, who is a great singer, songwriter. There's also a guy named John Pattillo who owned a small independent record label called Fat Caddy Records, and he was responsible for us making our first record. You know, he. He became a fan in the band and had a couple of bands on his little indie label and was coming down a lot of the Wednesday nights and said, hey, you know, if you guys want to make a record, we would love to put it out. So you know, there was just, it was very organic. I hate using that word. Cause it's, it's really cliche. But there was a very small sort of structure that allowed us to do exactly what we wanted to do without any of sort of you know, sort of some of the, the bigger music industry pressures. And I think that's really why we were able to kind of hit the ground running and it allowed us to really thrive, I think at an early point, which gave us a lot of confidence.

[Buzz Knight]

Gordy Quist, you want to single out anybody that you remember from those days.

[Gordy Quist]

It's funny, as Ed was going, I was thinking of some people and then Ed kept getting to each one. I would say Paul and Kate too. Kate Tomic was a co owner in Momo's and in addition to loving music and taking care of the musicians and making all musicians welcome, not just the people on stage, but it's where you wanted to go hang out on nights you weren't playing too. It was a great community. And I would say that's one thing about Paul and Kate is that it was a. They really created a beautiful community of people, musicians, fans of music. And there's a magic in creating a space and an environment and a vibe that creates more magic. It really, they. Paul has since done that at numerous clubs since Momo's closed down. So really it's, you know, it's. The music was special but also I would say the people, you know, all around the whole, the whole scene really was a beautiful thing, I have to say.

[Buzz Knight]

This is mostly just the audio first podcast, but we do record the video and use it for social media and the episodes are often put up from video. You guys have two of the most beautiful looking backdrops of anybody that's ever been on been on the, the show. Gordie, you're in Austin at this tremendous studio. Maybe you can tell folks about it. And Ed, it looks like you're still celebrating a version of Christmas in Asheville, North Carolina, aren't you?

[Ed Jurdi]

Yeah, it's. It's a psychedelic Christmas here and I just realized these lights I have, there's like different settings and one of them is, one of them is like aggressive. I'm going to. So I'm going to put it on the non pulsing setting for the rest of the, the rest of the interview.

[Gordy Quist]

That's okay.

[Buzz Knight]

Whatever you want to do. Talk about that studio. Gordy.

[Gordy Quist]

Oh yeah, I'm here this is the finishing school. It's. It's our. It's our studio here in Austin. Tons of old analog gear and microphones and lots of rooms to track live. This is where we've done our last few records and a bunch of other artists also. It's a great space. We feel really lucky. We did Hayes Carl's last record here. Patty Griffin did her most recent record, that's up for a Grammy. She did that here. So it's definitely feel spoiled with this studio in this space.

[Buzz Knight]

It's beautiful. It really is. You guys have been together for 20 years now, which in today's music landscape is pretty revolutionary. What's the secret sauce behind this great collaboration?

[Ed Jurdi]

Oh, my dog has things to say about this. Well, I think, you know, I think the first thing is, is the respect.

[Buzz Knight]

We welcome dogs too, by the way. Don't worry.

[Ed Jurdi]

Yeah, he's. He's just like, hanging out on my feet here, whining, you know, I think. I think a mutual respect, first of all. And I think that, you know, this is something that you couldn't have calculated. But I think over the years, it's become apparent, like, there's a compatibility between Gordy and. I think. I think in terms of our. Our drive in musically, I think our love for music and our desire to want to write and create and make music. I think that's something. The longer that you do this, you sort of. You fall into more simpatico sort of groups of people, because the longer that you do this, it kind of gets. It kind of weeds out people. You know, there's. When you're young and you're getting started, everyone's excited about. I want to be in a band and get on stage and we have some drinks and we can meet some girls and whatever. And then, you know, when you realize that, like, that is about 1% of the whole. The whole thing, you need something else that motivates you. And I think, luckily we've been. We've both been motivated by similar things over the years.

[Buzz Knight]

Ed, what's your dog's name, by the way?

[Ed Jurdi]

His name is Poncho. Poncho, come here, buddy. Come here. Come on. Come say hi. Come say hi. Come say hi. Oh, he's not happy. He's not happy.

[Buzz Knight]

Oh, come on, Poncho.

[Ed Jurdi]

Here, buddy. Here he is.

[Buzz Knight]

Oh, what an adorable one.

[Ed Jurdi]

He's a big luggage. Has.

[Buzz Knight]

Has Poncho ever sat in and participated in any recording sessions?

[Ed Jurdi]

Oh, yeah, When I. Whenever I set up a microphone in here, he. He has a desire to sing he's got a little bit of husky in him, so he's very. He's very vocal. He likes to sing.

[Buzz Knight]

Poncho's adorable. Yeah, he's a good boy. God. What do you think the secret's been, Gordy, to this longevity?

[Gordy Quist]

Ed hit on. On a lot of it. But as an artist, when. When you're young and starting out, you. You feel this drive to follow your internal guide and your internal voice, making art and making choices. And I think really great music can be made that way. However, what this band has taught me, and I think Ed and I learned this early in the band, is that when you're teamed up with collaborators, that you trust and respect and you appreciate whatever. You appreciate the art that they've made and therefore trust their internal voice as well. It's kind of counterintuitive as an artist to compromise, I think, because I think the artistic drive is to follow your instincts. But I think what we've learned in this band is that we actually, by listening to each other, by compromising, actually, we sometimes make things that far surpasses what our initial vision was. And I think that's rare. And I think that it may just be random chance. The way that we found each other and the way the people that we've had in this band and the way that it's worked, somehow there's enough respect there that there's the fine line of compromising and staying true to yourself. Like, we're able to juggle all of those things in a way that still feels good to each one of us individually as artists. But then also we've learned that the compromise has been something like kind of a superpower of the band, kind of like allowing the band as a whole set to have a voice and a

[Buzz Knight]

style, you know, One of our favorite things on the Taking a Walk podcast is following these great indie music journeys like. Like yours, and kind of chronicling where the, you know, the career breakthroughs really occur. Let's talk about Hurricane going Platinum in 2025, 14 years after you released it in 2011. One of the most fascinating music stories, certainly, that I've heard. Walk me through what that moment felt like when you got that news

[Ed Jurdi]

that,

[Gordy Quist]

you know, that song, that recording is. So it's. It is an interesting story. We probably started working on that record in 2010, and we had this album. It had these Gulf coast themes. Ed had a song about the oil spill that had happened a few years earlier. I had a song inspired by Marie Laveau in New Orleans, had a Song inspired by, strangely, some of the conquistadors that shipwrecked in Florida in the 1500s and traveled along the Gulf Coast. So the record had this kind of Gulf coast subject matter and theme. That song, Hurricane, you know, we had heard the. The Levon Helm version from, like, 1979 or 1980 that's on this American sun record, and it kind of felt like he missed the mark production wise. It felt like it was trying to be a remake of, like, up on Cripple Creek. It was a little, like, bouncy and happy. And so we. We kind of turned it on its head and didn't think too much about it. We're just like, hey, this song kind of fits the vibe. Like, let's. Let's treat it a radically different way. And it went on the record. It's way too slow for radio. It's way too long for radio. The record came out. We all were really proud of it, but it didn't really. I don't think. I don't know if our fans liked it initially. It was a little. It had some weird psychedelic moments and felt like our fans were kind of. For the First Time, was our third record, and for the first time, it felt like our fans were not, like, on the same page with us. And so we, you know, kept soldiering on and making records. But, yeah, like, I don't know how many years later we started realizing, like, oh, this hurricane song keeps. People keep sending me videos of bands in bars singing our version of it, and it kind of took on a life of its own that had nothing to do with promotion or. Or trying to make it a hit song or trying to do something with it. It really happened organically. So I. I don't know. Yeah, we didn't really get news of it. Hitting platinum first was like, a gold record, and somebody said, hey, you should look into the data, because, you know, we are our own label. We're. There's nobody tracking this stuff outside of us. And so for us, it was kind of like somebody said, hey, you should. You should count up your streams and submit, because this thing might be gold. Or, you know, and apparently it had been gold for a while before we knew that it was. And then I think just in this last year or two, it. It hit platinum. So it. It just goes to show, it's a strange business. There's that. You know, one of the beautiful things about streaming is that, like, things can just take on a life of their own if. If people like it, you know, I

[Buzz Knight]

mean, you do have to sort of keep a little bit of an eye on it. Not that any of the big streaming companies would take full advantage of. Of the numbers or anything. Right?

[Ed Jurdi]

Yeah, we'll leave it at that.

[Buzz Knight]

No, yeah, but over a billion streams. I mean, it became this, this anthem during, you know, hurricanes obviously, which we have too many of, including Katrina. So you must have had some sense in the midst of this that this song had this special meaning during difficult times.

[Gordy Quist]

It.

[Ed Jurdi]

It did, but it was so. It was so long after the fact. I mean, you mentioned the word breakthrough. I would say it's more like. Have you ever seen the movie Andy Dufresne? He. He hammers his way out of prison with the little ball peen hammer. It was more like that. I have to, I have to look up what the name of the movie is. I. I like just literally had a massive brain fart.

[Gordy Quist]

Goshenk Redemption.

[Ed Jurdi]

Thank you.

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Geez.

[Ed Jurdi]

Good man.

[Gordy Quist]

What do you.

[Buzz Knight]

What, what does Gordy win? What is. What prize does he win?

[Ed Jurdi]

I had like, I actually had it in my head before you started talking and then it went away and I was like, Andy Dufresne.

[Gordy Quist]

I looked it up. I don't get a prize.

[Ed Jurdi]

Darn.

[Buzz Knight]

It's an amazing story. It's an amazing song and I just love chronicling it.

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We'll be right back with more of the Taking a Walk podcast. Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory services by Public Advisors llc. SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosure is available at public.com disclosures

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[Public Investing Ad Voice]

Welcome back to the Taking a Walk podcast.

[Buzz Knight]

So let's talk about countrysides. The title itself, it isn't kind of a statement.

[Ed Jurdi]

First of all, I think we're, we've, we've never been too much about hitting you over the head with any messages, but I think it's a little bit of I always want to be provocative, you know, and I want to always want to Kind of imply things, but also leave things to the listeners. Imagination and ideas. I think that the title of the record, and we kind of batted around. It's. You know, you can sort of take it in a lot of different directions in terms of what it means, what the implications of it are. I don't know if Gordy. If you want to illuminate that anymore. I tend to like to leave things in the shadows, but maybe there's a better way to say that I'm different

[Gordy Quist]

from Ed in that I'm excited by all the different meanings and I want to talk about them all. Ed likes to leave it. Leave it a little more up to the listener. You know, we got. We got excited about that title because it. To me, it meant so many different things. Our country is really divided right now. And there's a. There are sides in our country. There's the obvious, you know, countrysides. You know, bucolic view to countrysides. There's A and B sides, like sides being songs. And then there's food. You know, the side dishes sometimes are better than the main course. But, you know, I think, to me, the record is kind of all those things. And we set out to make, like, a soul. A soul record that had country flavors on it. So we wanted to lean into pedal steel and kind of like a. A reference to. I mean, we were throwing around these, like, early Dobie Gray records that are kind of. These soul records, but they have this Southern. They have country flavorings to it. And that's where we started out. That's what we were kind of, like, aiming for in the studio. And sometimes you nail that, and sometimes it takes on a life of its own and becomes something else. But that's. That's kind of where we were coming from.

[Buzz Knight]

I love High on Our Own Supply. That's getting a lot of talk as the lead single. Can you tell us anything about that song?

[Ed Jurdi]

Yeah, I mean, I think that song is almost like a. You know, it's like a eponymous song from the band without the name of the song being the Band of Heathens. You know, it's. The idea is really about. It's about us in terms of, you know, we've built this world around ourselves that we've wanted to live in, and we've done it through music, you know, and that's. That's how. That's kind of our lens for processing and looking at the world. But it's also our lens for, you know, for celebrating all the, you know, all the emotions that. That we go through in In. In life. And really, it's a. I think ultimately it's a song about celebrating that, you know, about this idea that, hey, everything that we need to. To do the things we want to do, we have. We have all these tools. It's our imagination and not channeled through our hands and our voices. You know, just kind of. It's really like a really. Kind of a mantra about music.

[Buzz Knight]

I love the array of places that you guys have performed at. You know, everything from the clubs in Austin to the Grand Ole Opry. Red Rocks, Bonnaroo. How is the live show over these 20 years evolved?

[Gordy Quist]

I think the live show started off in our early days. It was very. There were no rules. There was no set list. It was very. It was very loose. We embraced the idea of train wrecks in front of the audience, kind of just going for it all the time. And I think that the band and the live show has morphed into something that is. We still write a fresh set list every night, but I think we have a little bit more structure to. We're trying to build a journey every night that allows room for going forward and for stretching out. There's a lot of improvisation and a lot of moments for us as musicians to stretch out and do something that. Try for something that may or may not land. I don't know. I think we've gotten better at creating powerful moments that we know how to really build tension up and then. And then release it. And I feel like we've embraced the different, you know, over the 20 years now. We've had moments of. We've had records that are very introspective, singer, songwriter records. We have records that are more swampy, bluesy. We have some records that are more country. And so I think the show has kind of evolved to embrace each one of those flavors in different ways, you know, while on this journey of tension and release throughout the, you know, 90 to 100 minutes.

[Ed Jurdi]

And

[Gordy Quist]

it's. It's fun, I think. You know, I think the challenge is to have fun with it. And we're. We're still having fun.

[Buzz Knight]

You know, we produced this other podcast. It's called Music Saved Me. It's ultimately about how music saves and transforms lives over 20 years of making music together. How has the band saved you?

[Ed Jurdi]

That's a good question. Well, I mean, I think that's the preface to that is the music has certainly saved all of us, I think, individually. And then I think collectively it's just been. It's been a touchstone, you know, I mean, I think in the band internally, you know, we've had. Everyone's met their wives and gotten married and had children and lost loved ones, all these things. And it seems like the music. The music is always. It always remains, you know, it's always there. It's always, you know, for me at least, it's always a comfort. It's something that you can always go to that when. When everything else doesn't seem to make sense, that seems to make sense. And I think that's also a testament to. To, you know, to the commitment that Gordy and I have made to each other and to this band, you know, that I think. I think people rely on a lot of things to help them through difficult times. And I think that's a wonderful thing. And I think the thing about music specifically that I've always recognized about it is that it's always given me more than I could ever give back to it. And I think within working in the context of the band, I think we're all aware of that being the framework. You know what I mean? So if we just show up and we're present for it and we allow it to do what it does, like, I think that's. I think that is most of our job, just showing up and being present for it. I think whenever I've had expectations of what music's going to do for me or like I was going to deliver my life or change it or whatever, there it, you know, it becomes an imbalance. And it's kind of just like. It's almost like you get a. You get a little. You get a little head check and music's just kind of like, hey, hey, remember when you were 10 years old and you sat in your room and you played guitar and. And that was all you needed? Like, that's still all you need. It kind of, you know what I mean? It's just. It's sort of. It's eternal. It's always. It's always giving like that.

[Gordy Quist]

Ed, when you were talking about high in our own supply, you know, this life that music has given us where it's our job to be creative, I think all of us, whether your. Your profession is one where you're creative or whether it's not. I think we're all meant to be creative beings. And I think that creation process manifests in so many different ways from having children is an obvious one. You know, say your. Your children would be the. The most important and greatest songs you'll ever write is how you. How you live for them to See and model. But I think that music has given me this opportunity to partake in that creative process, like, in a very intense way that has been a teacher for me in life. And then I would also add that the most powerful music has been for me as a music fan and as a listener. It's always been in, like, my darkest times and my worst days. Music has been the most powerful and has helped pull me out of that. I think getting to go out on tour, make records, create what you hope to be the soundtrack to people's lives, and then go play shows every night, going out on stage, I think about myself in my worst times, going to a show and that show, pulling me out of those dark times. I think about that every night I go on stage. And it's a gift to be able to do that with music. It's healing, it's magical. It unites people in a really divisive time. And so I think it's just been an amazing gift to be able to do that for a living and get to partake in the magic of how music can both heal people, but also heal the divisions, you know, society wide and culturally. It's amazing. And it. You know, it's a. It's kind of a shitty time right now in our country with all the divisiveness. And I think that also makes it especially. I feel especially grateful to have this job in a time like this, when I feel like we need. We need music.

[Buzz Knight]

Is there something that you guys hope that people take away from countrysides that maybe they haven't gotten from your previous work?

[Gordy Quist]

That's an interesting question. I don't. I have to think about it. I don't really think about, like. I think when we're writing or writing new material and making records, I'm not usually thinking. It's. It's. It's strangely in a vacuum. Like, I don't really think about it. A lot of times a record will be a reaction to the previous record. Like, hey, we did this. Now let's, like, do something radically different. A lot of times I feel like that is one thing we think about. Ed. I don't know. Is there anything.

[Ed Jurdi]

Yeah, well, I think a couple things. Like, we make these records because we have to, and we need to write songs and play music. That's kind of our job as musicians and in this band. But ultimately, like, they don't. The songs mean nothing unless people take them into their lives and sort of, like Gordy mentioned, they make them the soundtrack to their lives. So I think I think more than anything, I would just hope that this music resonates with people in a way that's meaningful and that's something that they want to share with. With other people around them. I think on a really basic level, that's kind of how it works into Gordy's point. In a time where there's so much to focus on that's divisive and full of noise and really negatively laced, just this idea that we could be some sort of thread of positivity and something good that people could consistently rely on and go to, you know, because it's just something that's, you know, again, to use cliches, it's something that's come from our heart and come from our soul and come from a deep place to me, of benevolence and of goodwill. You know what I mean? I think we always lead with that, and I hope that's sort of without hitting people over the head with that. I hope that's sort of the message of the music and the feeling that we provide to people when they're listening to our music.

[Buzz Knight]

So, in closing, since we do call this podcast Taking a Walk, I do have to ask you the question, who would you take a walk with, living or dead?

[Ed Jurdi]

I take a walk with my grandfather, who I was named after, my dad's dad. I never got to meet him. He died after he found out that my mom was pregnant with me. And I've heard nothing but great stories about him, and I guess he was also a pretty great amateur musician. One of the gray generation, which I think is in the rearview mirror, really seems to be like the iconic generation of America in terms of saving the world from fascism and then, you know, kind of exporting the great ideals of America to the world. So I think. I think I get a lot out of that. I think that would kind of inform a lot of a lot of who I am in a way that it's probably subconscious or unconscious, because I just. It was never. You know, it was never tangible.

[Buzz Knight]

Gordy, you could have two, by the way. I allow for two answers to the question for those that can't single out one, because it's meant to be a difficult question.

[Gordy Quist]

I'm reading a bunch of strange mysticism stuff right now. I would probably go on a walk with, like, Jesus or Buddha or somebody enlightened. I mean, Jesus would be the easy one culturally in America, but. But honestly, I feel like he was. I feel like modern Christianity has gone astray from what I think he intended. And I. I'D have a ton of questions trying to get to the bottom of it.

[Buzz Knight]

Gordy Quest and Ed Jerdy, the Band of Heathens Congratulations on Countrysides. It's an honor to be able to have you on Taking a Walk and you're welcome back anytime you want.

[Ed Jurdi]

Thanks Buzz. Appreciate it. Thanks Buzz.

[Buzz Knight]

I'm Buzz Knight and thanks for listening to the Taking a Walk podcast. Now please check out our companion podcasts produced by Buzz Night Media Productions with your host Lynn Hoffman. Music Saved Me Showcasing the healing power of music and comedy Saved Me Shining a light on how laughter is the best medicine. All shows are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and are part of the I Heart Podcast Network.

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