Although she has been on the Southern Illinois music scene for over 15 years, and has performed at countless venues, released videos, and self-released albums and EPs, singer and songwriter Heather Hammers is preparing to celebrate one of her biggest projects to date. On Friday, Oct. 23 her album called the Wizard of Loneliness, will be available on vinyl as well as digitally.
The project is being released by El Gran E Records and pre-orders are available now. The cost is $25 for the vinyl release and you’ll receive a digital download included with your purchase, or grab the digital only version for $12.
This release marks the first time her music has been available on vinyl, a major accomplishment for any indie artist. But the new format isn’t the only thing that is a bit different, since the music itself will also showcase her growth as an artist and a person.
With a vibe that she describes as “folky, sad, dark, and almost country-ish,” the album contains 10 songs that Heather spent several years creating. Although she’s worked on the songs for a while, they’re not something she’s shared fully until now, with the release of the album.
The entire project was written, produced, and recorded by Heather, and the name was inspired by a TV show, Nathan for You. She felt the name fit since the project was a labor of love that she worked on in seclusion. And, recording the album alone in her bedroom is perhaps the ultimate way to perform an act of wizardry through music.
“I made the album in solitude and only people who played on certain songs heard the whole thing,” she explains.
The bones of each song are guitar and vocals, but they have other instrumental elements that she hasn’t used in her music previously, like synthesizers, electric guitars, and ambient sounds woven in, like samples from nature. Dakota Holden plays pedal steel on a couple songs, while Katt Holiday, who Heather also performs with as a duo called Thread the Needle, plays guitar and adds vocals on some tracks.
“I didn’t want it to sound like the kind of songs you’d hear in a coffee shop, even though I feel like a lot of people want me to do an album like that,” she shares.
Heather will play the album live in its entirety at her album release party happening at John Brown’s on the Square in Marion on the day of its release, Friday, Oct. 23. Other musicians at the event include Katt Holiday, Melanie Davis, and Fate McAfee, with Katt and Melanie accompanying Heather at the show as well as having individual performances. The music begins at 8 p.m.
Although creating the album has taken up a lot of her time recently, Heather shares that she hopes to get back to creating videos soon and has ideas for a few videos from her new album.
The Crooked Spruce
In addition to her music, Heather also sells handmade goods through her small business, The Crooked Spruce. Some of the things she makes include crocheted figurines, hats, and jewelry. She also upcycles vintage towels and adds crocheted elements to give them new life.
Followers of her creations may best know her for the custom crochet work she makes. One of her most requested items are her faux taxidermy wall mounts. The concept is something she creates completely by hand, from the crochet to staining the wood and attaching the crocheted head. Heather creates the wall mounts for various animals like deer and racoon, as well as fish, chicken, fox, and even mythical creatures like a unicorn.
Find her crochet and other handmade items at the Christkrindl Market on Dec. 12 from 12-5 p.m. at Big Muddy Brewing Co. in Murphysboro.
Learn more about Heather’s music and keep up with her live performances by following her on YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram. Follow The Crooked Spruce on Instagram, Facebook, and Etsy to shop her store or to find out what in-person vendor markets she’ll be attending.
