WFUV Presents The Head And The Heart presale codes

Rooted in Seattle, The Head and the Heart came up on busked harmonies and piano-led folk that grew into radio-ready Americana.

From Pike Place to big rooms

A key chapter was co-founder Josiah Johnson stepping away in the mid-2010s, shifting the front line toward Jonathan Russell and Charity Rose Thielen with Matt Gervais adding guitar color and harmony. That change tightened the focus on dual lead vocals and gave the arrangements a cleaner, slightly poppier lift without losing the campfire core.

Songs that carry the room

Expect a set that revisits Rivers and Roads and Lost in My Mind, threads in All We Ever Knew, and makes room for Honeybee for a late-set lift. Lighting often sits in warm ambers and soft blues, with dynamic swells that track the quiet verse to big chorus arcs. The room skews mixed in age, with pairs of friends and couples, a few parents with kids in earmuffs, and a gentle chorus from the floor on the biggest lines. You might spot denim jackets with park patches, well worn tote bags, and a fan or two jotting set notes in small notebooks. Trivia worth knowing includes a self released debut later reissued by Sub Pop and early harmony parts road tested on long drives between Seattle and Richmond. To be clear, these setlist and staging notes are informed expectations rather than a locked script.

The Head and the Heart, The Chorus Community

The scene is friendly and low key, with flannel and broken in denim alongside sundresses and boots when the weather leans warm.

Warm layers, warmer voices

You will hear soft hums during verses and a full voice push on the end of Rivers and Roads, plus the round of oh my my that tags Lost in My Mind. Many fans carry small film cameras or tuck a notebook in a tote, a nod to the roots in coffeehouse storytelling. Merch often spotlights nature art and hand drawn fonts, with screenprinted posters, a simple heart logo tee, and vinyl that tends to sell first.

Traditions, not trends

Between songs, the crowd gives the stage room to breathe, then snaps back with clean claps on the kick to start the next tune. You may hear quiet shout outs to early club shows or the first time someone heard the self released record, which adds a gentle sense of shared history. After the finale, people linger to trade favorite lines instead of racing out, which suits the music's patient pace.

The Head and the Heart, Under the Hood

The show is voice forward, with Jonathan Russell's warm tenor paired to Charity Rose Thielen's clear harmony and the bite of her violin.

Harmony first, then lift

Songs often start lean on acoustic guitar or piano before the full kit, bass, and tambourine step in to widen the frame. Arrangements favor simple chord moves and steady midtempo grooves, which keeps the chorus lines easy to grab without feeling thin. Live, the band leans on tension and release, pulling the music down to a near whisper before a final lift that lands like a group exhale.

Small choices, big feel

A small but telling detail is how Kenny Hensley dials a gentle tremolo on the keys during big refrains, which makes the harmony glow without turning muddy. Guitar parts keep to ringing shapes and open strings, and the rhythm section leaves space so the vocals sit on top. Expect a few songs to stretch with extra tags or a crowd echo, but the pacing stays tight and rarely drifts. Lights usually frame the music with warm ambers and a cool backlight, more mood than spectacle.

The Head and the Heart's Kindred Company

If you favor melody first folk with big group vocals, The Lumineers sit close by in sound and crowd energy.

Neighboring trails, shared maps

Lord Huron overlaps through cinematic, road trip pacing and a live show that blooms from hush to gallop. Fans drawn to layered harmonies and woodsy textures often cross over with Fleet Foxes, even if this band leans more pop on the hooks. Mt. Joy shares the easy sway and a knack for stretching a midtempo tune without losing the sing line.

Why your playlists overlap

The storytelling spirit and earnest stage talk here also resonates with Of Monsters and Men, especially for fans who like bright percussion and call and response. Taken together, these acts prize melody, clear vocals, and roomy arrangements that leave space for voices in the room. If your playlists flow from campfire strum to highway cruising, this circle will feel natural.