The Gentle Hints, comprised of ex-Dear and the Headlights members, will be releasing their new self-titled album on November 18th. They’ve posted a teaser video and pre-orders are now up.
Comprised of Ian Metzger, lead songwriter and vocalist, drummer Mark Kulvinskas, and multi-instrumentalist James Mulhern, all gained a wide-scale following with their critically acclaimed projects Dear and the Headlights (Equal Vision Records) andWhat Laura Says.
The band has announced a November 18 release date for their long-awaited, self-titled debut album on Southern California indie label, Porch Party Records.
After taking a bit of a hiatus from their previous bands- followed, perhaps by a stint of “Hey you should focus a minute and get your shit together cause your life just fell apart”- Metzger, Mulhern, and Kulvinskas could not help but return to their love of making music.
“The death of our former projects, and the waves of tragedy thereafter in each of our respective personal lives, seemed to only heighten the need for expression,” says Metzger.
“We created this band in an effort to keep our sanity”.
In addition to writing, arranging, and performing its music, The Gentle Hits produced and engineered their forthcoming self-titled album. The result is a 13-song epic that spans the full spectrum musically and emotionally.The Gentle Hits’ previous projects continue to have an effect on their fans, while simultaneously connecting with new ones. Even with noteworthy appearances at Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and Coachella, desert band Dear and the Headlights gave their fans only a taste of Metzger’s melodic nature and lyrical delivery.
To his fans- Ian Mertzger’s voice is still a part of their daily lives. The Gentle Hits is an unapologetic expansion on Metzger’s own truth. He and the band dynamically create a self assured and beautiful sonic landscape, encompassing all the grit and beauty one human life can hold.
Metzger says, “I write songs to get me through this. As it turns out, these songs weren’t just for me. I’ve always made the choice to write songs about my own experience. I often think of what others are experiencing but have no intention of assuming I know how they feel. I prefer to start from the center. If I can express my own life clearly then I know that my experience won’t be too far off from yours. I lost a father, my wife gave me two more daughters, I started a life without references, I worked 40 hours a week in a grocery store. I wrote an album about it. I have three good friends who decided that they wanted to help me make it sound bigger. We really hope this finds you when you need it most.”