THURSDAY JUL 21, 2022
The Head
If the Head’s dreams of becoming Atlanta’s next breakthrough act come true, it won't be an overnight success story. Instead, calculated moves dating back nearly a decade will be the catalyst for the band’s emergence in the national indie rock spotlight. The Atlanta trio’s nine-year history spanned high school and college for twins Mike (vocals, bass) and Jack (drums) Shaw and childhood friend Jacob Morrell (guitar). All three members quit their day jobs last year, diving headfirst into full-time touring. “As soon as we realized we’d saved up enough to hit the road, we said, ‘Let’s make a run for it now’,” Jack says.
Audible fruits of the group’s newfound focus include last November’s MillipedesEP. The release marked a shift in sonic direction from early aughts power pop to a more mature approach that’s been likened to early R.E.M. and other staples from college radio’s golden era. The band sees its current sound as an evolution brought on by shared life experiences. “It wasn’t a deliberate change,“ Jack says. “We just started writing music as we got older that resonated with people differently.”
The new jangle pop sound is also an extension of the band’s willingness to stop emulating heroes, opting instead to craft its own unique blend of influences. “The sound we are doing now comes a lot more naturally than the power pop did,” Mike adds. “The old sound was us paying homage to our favorite acts, while what we do now is more organic.”
Baby steps toward a life on the road culminate next month with the launch of an 80-plus date spring tour. Additional plans for 2016 include the group’s first international dates in Canada. “Our main goal is to continue exploring new cities and reach a broad fan base,” Jack says. “Each time we hit the road, we try to expand more westward and further north.”
Despite the band’s lofty career aspirations, the Head remains a DIY project. Jack handles the herculean task of booking shows locally and out of town, while Mike handles the merchandise. Morrell tends to the band's finances. Only publicity is outsourced, with the Head holding a spot on local firm Baby Robot Media’s growing roster. Band duties have been juggled in recent weeks with studio time — a full-length is currently being recorded at Madison Studios in Chamblee.
During its scant time at home, the band faces at least one frustration that’s all too familiar to their Atlanta peers. “In the past year and a half, we’ve been in three different rehearsal spaces,” Mike says. “One of them, Avatar, got closed down.”
Constant touring and an album that furthers the grown-up sound of Millipedesmay propel the Head closer to its rock ’n’ roll dream. According to the Shaw twins, there’s no backup plan in case the next hurdle is too high to clear. “We don’t know what we’d do if the band wasn’t in the cards,” Mike explains. “Yeah we graduated from college, but it doesn’t mean our hearts are not in the band.”
If the Head’s dreams of becoming Atlanta’s next breakthrough act come true, it won't be an overnight success story. Instead, calculated moves dating back nearly a decade will be the catalyst for the band’s emergence in the national indie rock spotlight. The Atlanta trio’s nine-year history spanned high school and college for twins Mike (vocals, bass) and Jack (drums) Shaw and childhood friend Jacob Morrell (guitar). All three members quit their day jobs last year, diving headfirst into full-time touring. “As soon as we realized we’d saved up enough to hit the road, we said, ‘Let’s make a run for it now’,” Jack says.
Audible fruits of the group’s newfound focus include last November’s MillipedesEP. The release marked a shift in sonic direction from early aughts power pop to a more mature approach that’s been likened to early R.E.M. and other staples from college radio’s golden era. The band sees its current sound as an evolution brought on by shared life experiences. “It wasn’t a deliberate change,“ Jack says. “We just started writing music as we got older that resonated with people differently.”
The new jangle pop sound is also an extension of the band’s willingness to stop emulating heroes, opting instead to craft its own unique blend of influences. “The sound we are doing now comes a lot more naturally than the power pop did,” Mike adds. “The old sound was us paying homage to our favorite acts, while what we do now is more organic.”
Baby steps toward a life on the road culminate next month with the launch of an 80-plus date spring tour. Additional plans for 2016 include the group’s first international dates in Canada. “Our main goal is to continue exploring new cities and reach a broad fan base,” Jack says. “Each time we hit the road, we try to expand more westward and further north.”
Despite the band’s lofty career aspirations, the Head remains a DIY project. Jack handles the herculean task of booking shows locally and out of town, while Mike handles the merchandise. Morrell tends to the band's finances. Only publicity is outsourced, with the Head holding a spot on local firm Baby Robot Media’s growing roster. Band duties have been juggled in recent weeks with studio time — a full-length is currently being recorded at Madison Studios in Chamblee.
During its scant time at home, the band faces at least one frustration that’s all too familiar to their Atlanta peers. “In the past year and a half, we’ve been in three different rehearsal spaces,” Mike says. “One of them, Avatar, got closed down.”
Constant touring and an album that furthers the grown-up sound of Millipedesmay propel the Head closer to its rock ’n’ roll dream. According to the Shaw twins, there’s no backup plan in case the next hurdle is too high to clear. “We don’t know what we’d do if the band wasn’t in the cards,” Mike explains. “Yeah we graduated from college, but it doesn’t mean our hearts are not in the band.”
Elijah Johnston
Elijah Johnston started making bedroom indie rock in 10th grade, with three albums worth of material released between 2016-2018. Inspired by 2010's lo-fi rock icons such as (Sandy) Alex G and Mac Demarco, Elijah worked mostly in secret and in silence. In January of 2018, he played his first show, and began playing seriously in his second home of Athens later in the year.
Working with friend and esteemed Athens producer Andrew Blooms, Elijah and his band crafted his first studio EP, Wonderful, in January 2019, released March 29, 2019. His first studio full length, Strangers, was recorded in summer 2019 with Tommy Trautwein (Jester, Well Kept), to be released in January 2020.
Elijah Johnston started making bedroom indie rock in 10th grade, with three albums worth of material released between 2016-2018. Inspired by 2010's lo-fi rock icons such as (Sandy) Alex G and Mac Demarco, Elijah worked mostly in secret and in silence. In January of 2018, he played his first show, and began playing seriously in his second home of Athens later in the year.
Working with friend and esteemed Athens producer Andrew Blooms, Elijah and his band crafted his first studio EP, Wonderful, in January 2019, released March 29, 2019. His first studio full length, Strangers, was recorded in summer 2019 with Tommy Trautwein (Jester, Well Kept), to be released in January 2020.
Chloe Kay

Pulling influence from golden age jazz vocalists and classic rock alike, as well as the sea of indie sounds she has swam in since adolescence, Chloe creates her unique sound by weaving together dreamy melodies and poignant lyrics. Most importantly, she pulls from the experiences of her life, writing all her songs first alone with a guitar. She stays open with production, sometimes playing with her band, all of whom she sang alongside while in high school back in Tucson where they are all originally from, and other times working with producers to build out tracks. No matter what, the songs she writes and her voice remain the through line and the constant.
Chloe is currently releasing with the international indie music label Moonlit Music Group, originating from The Islands of the Bahamas and released her debut album, That Time, in 2018. She is currently working on her second album which promises immense growth both as a musician and a writer. In 2021, she announced an initiative to release a single per month until that album's release.
Pulling influence from golden age jazz vocalists and classic rock alike, as well as the sea of indie sounds she has swam in since adolescence, Chloe creates her unique sound by weaving together dreamy melodies and poignant lyrics. Most importantly, she pulls from the experiences of her life, writing all her songs first alone with a guitar. She stays open with production, sometimes playing with her band, all of whom she sang alongside while in high school back in Tucson where they are all originally from, and other times working with producers to build out tracks. No matter what, the songs she writes and her voice remain the through line and the constant.
Chloe is currently releasing with the international indie music label Moonlit Music Group, originating from The Islands of the Bahamas and released her debut album, That Time, in 2018. She is currently working on her second album which promises immense growth both as a musician and a writer. In 2021, she announced an initiative to release a single per month until that album's release.