When I spoke with the Head drummer Jack Shaw at the end of 2016, our conversation centered largely on touring, it’s effects on the band, and tips they had for young bands just beginning to explore life outside the local scene. As I wrote then, the Atlanta trio had made touring a cornerstone of their success, and in the process had emerged as one of the hardest working bands in the city, with a fan base that was rapidly expanding throughout the region and beyond. So perhaps it should come as no surprise that the trio’s latest video would serve as a kind of love letter to life on the road.

Directed by Nick Rhodes of Coalesce Films, “Broken Scheme” shows the band in their prime element, alternating between live footage and shots of the group traveling around the country. Visually, it’s much of what you’d expect from a tour video—a heavy focus on life in a van, sleeping on couches and floors, and having a blast exploring each destination—but it stops short of glamorizing their experiences, choosing instead to aim for a more down-to-earth depiction of the day-to-day realities of touring. According to Shaw, the goal was to render an authentic portrayal of the nomadic existence they’ve opted to lead, and provide a glimpse of that life to the viewer.

“We used touring as a theme for this video because it gives the viewer an honest peak of what life is like for us on the road,” Shaw explains. “We interact with new fans daily, we explore the nooks and crannies of each city and we find sleep when people make their floors and couches available to us. The grind of touring only motivates us to continue playing new towns and making new music. Sure, it can be tiring, but the reward is far greater. It’s exciting. Touring is what we truly love doing.”

Watch/listen to “Broken Scheme” above.

If you’re wondering what the rest of 2018 holds for the Head, the answer is simple: new music and more touring. To the latter end, the band is today announcing a short series of regional dates with infamous psych rockers the Brian Jonestown Massacre. It’s not the first time Shaw and company have been asked to open for the San Francisco group, although a past offer had to be rejected due to bad timing.

“We had been invited to open for BJM last fall in Boston, but couldn’t because of a scheduling conflict we had,” Shaw reveals. “But we continued to remain in touch with them over the last year. When the time came for BJM to tour the Southeast, they invited us to hop on some shows with them around our neck of the woods. We couldn’t be more excited [or] honored to be sharing the stage with them.”

Unfortunately, the upcoming shows do not include a hometown performance, so fans wishing to catch the threesome live should probably think about making their way to Nashville on May 5. Check out the list of dates below.

The Head Tour Dates*
May 2 – Tampa, FL – The Orpheum
May 3 – Orlando, FL – The Social
May 5 – Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom

*w/ The Brian Jonestown Massacre

More Info
Bandcamp: thehead.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @theheadrocks
Instagram: @theheadmusic
Twitter: @theheadmusic