The Head And The Heart Give Nashville a Second Chance

After their July show got rained out with little notice, The Head And The Heart quickly pivoted to reschedule. Now their tour closer, they return to Nashville for their first true headline date in Music City since 2022 at the very same amphitheater. Since then, the band has played Franklin, Tennessee’s Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival in 2023, an intimate pop-up single release show in 2024, and a cancelled appearance supporting The Black Keys. Now out in support of their sixth studio album, Aperture, The Head and the Heart seem eager to continue their previous success and ready to find new heights.

Kicking the night off with “Living Mirage,” the band immediately dive into the indie tinged folk-rock that has been a hallmark of their recent releases. Rich harmonica, dreamy, atmospheric vocals, and a warm guitar pierce the air as the band slowly swells into harmony. Light drumming builds into the song like a train rolling down a hill and frontman Jonathan Russell’s voice builds into his iconic sweet rasp. Violinist Charity Rose Thielen joins in harmony, her softness dampening Russell’s edges. The song eventually breaks into a joyful chaos, anchored by Kenny Hensley’s rattling keys. It is an infectious song, plain and simple. It is so easy to get lost in this band’s music—the picture they paint is so vivid and clear.

Pivoting into an old favorite, “All We Ever Knew,” the band has already found their footing on the stage. Beautiful piano and a fluttering acoustic guitar make up the verses and pre-chorus ahead of the bombastic pop that is the chorus. Tight drum work from Tyler Williams is the immediate kick, however the band’s ability to layer instrumentation is truly hard to match. Chris Zasche, who also did the aforementioned harmonica on “Living Mirage,” comes in with his bass to add an unexpected groove to a decidedly folk-leaning track. Surrounded by gang vocals, Matt Gervais is also unafraid to let his electric rip as the chorus comes crashing down. It is energizing, it is refreshing, and for fans of the genre it’s a young classic.

Finally hopping into Aperture, “Jubilee” is a high-speed anthem that never seems to slow down. Grounding it is Thielen, whose violin helps this bullet train from running clean off the tracks and vocal presence continues to round out and juxtapose Russell’s rasp. “Jubilee” is undeniably The Head And The Heart, however it seems to stand pretty uniquely on its own pedestal. All of the tracks from Aperture felt this way, changing the pace of this once stomp-clap-centric band into something more refined, radio-ready, and downright catchy. It is an excellent blend of so many ideas the band has been building towards and a fantastic song to round out the first three.

Setlist

1. Living Mirage

2. All We Ever Knew

3. Jubilee

4. Fire Escape

5. Another Story

6. Time With My Sins

7. Honey Come Home

8. 10,000 Weigh in Gold

9. Cop Car

10. Tiebreaker

11. Beg, Steal, Borrow (acoustic)

12. Finally Free

13. Cruel

14. West Coast

15. Arrow (ft. Wyatt Ellis)

16. Missed Connection

17. See You Through My Eyes

18. Honeybee

19. After the Setting Sun (ft. Evan Honer)

20. Virginia (Wind in the Night)

21. Shake

22. Gone

23. Down in the Valley

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24. Aperture

25. Lost in My Mind (ft. Wyatt Ellis)

26. Rivers and Roads

The Head And The Heart are just consistently good. Now well over 15 years into their career it is clear they have high sights and no plans to slow down or take the easy path. When it comes to touring, the band is equally as ambitious, with multiple dates with local symphony orchestras on the books for 2026 including a two-night stint at Red Rocks. Additionally, the band will be celebrating fifteen years of their debut album at one of those shows. The fanfare of this band can be attributed to their musicianship and songwriting talent, but their longevity rests upon their headstrong attitude and fierce determination.

You can find all of The Head And The Heart’s upcoming tour dates here.

Dec 31, 2025 – Austin, TX – Auditorium Shores at Town Lake Metropolitan Park

Jan 9, 2026 – Melbourne, AU – Sidney Myer Music Bowl* [SOLD OUT]

Jan 10, 2026 – Melbourne, AU – Sidney Myer Music Bowl*

Jan 13, 2026 – Brisbane, AU – Brisbane Entertainment Centre*

Jan 15, 2026 – Newcastle, AU – Newcastle Entertainment Centre*

Jan 16, 2026 – Sydney, AU – Qudos Bank Arena*

Jan 18, 2026 – Adelaide, AU – Adelaide Entertainment Centre*

Jan 21, 2026 – Perth, AU – RAC Arena*

Feb 6, 2026 – Seattle, WA – Benaroya Hall^ [SOLD OUT]

Feb 10, 2026 – Philadelphia, PA – Xfinity Mobile Arena~

Feb 12, 2026 – Boston, MA – TD Garden~ [SOLD OUT]

Feb 13, 2026 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden~ [SOLD OUT]

Feb 14, 2026 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden~

Feb 18, 2026 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena~

Feb 20, 2026 – Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena~

Feb 21, 2026 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center~

Feb 24, 2026 – Salt Lake City, UT – Delta Center~

Feb 27, 2026 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum~

Mar 4, 2026 – Portland, OR – Moda Center~

Mar 6, 2026 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center~

Jun 19, 2026 – Missoula, MT – Zootown Festival 2026

Jul 15, 2026 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre+

Jul 16, 2026 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre=

* supporting The Lumineers

^ with The Seattle Symphony

~ supporting Brandi Carlile

+ with The Colorado Symphony & Evan Honer

= celebrating 15 years of The Head And The Heart with Wilderado

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