Music Reviews / Articles

“The Heart Collectors recognise the Bowie-esque nature of their music. The delicately picked guitar that is the main feature of this song could easily be Mick Ronson in reflective mode. The song itself has 1973 all over it. Thet say they “capture the essence of inspiration, honesty of love, and the nature of the cosmos in their music”. On the basis of this lovely ballad, it’s hard to argue with that. A band to investigate further.”

“Second single from the Australian band. This is from the acoustic harmony lead ballad side of their music. A “nostalgic folk pop tune delivers as a sweetly stamped postcard, an ode to living in the present moment, and a reflection of how much we’ve gone through and grown over the past couple of years”. The harmonies are out of the CSN school sweet without being saccharine. A light touch with the backing makes this another good lead into their new album.”

“Imagine Fleetwood Mac with more of an organic, Celtic-inflected lilt of vocals and melody and you have a rough idea of why Australia Heart Collectors are so instantly appealing. There is a vibrant and timeless allure to their music that is resistant to the fashion of the moment, and all the more enduring because of it. Kymrie’s voice is the stuff angel’s wings are made of.”

John T Davis, author of ‘Austin City Limits: ’25 Years Of American Music’.

“The Heart Collectors EP Timeless Space is an extremely alluring listen, the subtle bluegrass, country and mountain-esque moments won’t go unnoticed, as The Heart Collectors continue to impress with their unique and progressive version of folk sounds.”

“The Heart Collectors are a band on a mission to share a sound that is finely curated and delicately spun creating a world of warmth and comfort. THE SPACE BETWEEN requires a significant investment to grasp the big picture. Snippets can easily be pulled out to frame the moment, but hanging in for the entirety sheds a different complexion on what is set out to be achieved and ultimately pulled off”.

“The delicate interlace of string instruments – Reuben Loire on guitar, Tristan Dafoe on mandolin and banjo, Mobius Barnaby on cello — in this Australian folk rock outfit underscores ethereal lead singing from Kymrie Henge and beautiful vocal harmonies from all. Though the band has been compared to numerous contemporary Americana groups its roots seem to lie more directly in the classic 1960s British folk rock epitomized by the likes of Fairport Convention, Pentangle and Steeleye Span. Like those musicians the members of The Heart Collectors are as interested in American folk rock songwriters as much as they are in their own traditional folk melodies. They are particularly adept at covers of Joni Mitchell, whose “Woodstock” and “The River” are both in their repertoire. The band’s single “One” is an inspiring anthem for world unity and peace in troubled times”.

John Swenson, writer for Offbeat Magazine (previously Rolling Stone Magazine)

“The new EP from Australian folk group The Heart Collectors is truly emotive of joy, nostalgia, and a whole collection of other feelings. But that is just a happy side-effect to the true showcase of this release: the beauty of music, specifically acoustic instrumentation and the human voice. Written during the pandemic, Timeless Space is a soft, reflective release, with tracks such as Eyes Wide Open and Inside Out showcasing this approach. Finger-plucked guitar, lush cello, reserved melodic phrasing, and beautiful harmonies all combine to create an ethereal/folky atmosphere. Standout tracks include Sirius, with probably the best hook on the EP, and Pieces II, which brings it to a close by moving away from the reflective toward the inspiring. In all, The Heart Collectors have created a piece filled with emotion and beautiful music”.

“Vulnerable-sounding vocal masterpieces with lyrics about the composers’ personal experiences in life and love. Atmospheric, fascinating stories are told in attractive songs such as “No Separation”, the melodic “The Garden”, the bluegrass-leaning “Travellers” and the fragilely sung album closer “Where Light Rests”. As a listener you are almost compellingly drawn into the sincere feelings that the vocalists manage to convey in every song. At the beginning of this year, ‘The Heart Collectors’ also released an EP under the title “Timeless Space” which also contained a song called “Sirius”. The ballad “Sirius B” on this new album tells how things went in the love life of this Sirius. The two gently up-tempo songs “Stand Up” and “Hold On” are re-recordings of older songs by the group that were previously recorded live in the studio. Music connoisseurs will undoubtedly recognize Celtic folk influences in the sound of ‘The Heart Collectors’ and through the use of typical musical instruments such as mandolin, cello and banjo, the influences of folk artists from the 60s and 70s can also be found.”

– Rootstime Magazine (translated from Dutch to English)
https://rootstime.be/index.html?https://rootstime.be/CD%20REVIEUW/2023/NOV1/CD53.html

“The absolute album standout is ‘Sirius B’ possessing one of the most drooling atmospheric intros you are likely to encounter this year, or any other as a matter of fact. The melting twangy sound is one to die for and a cinematic imagination is let free to run amok once this pleasure lands on the listener. This delectable track unveils as a near 6-minute moment of bliss. Another song that catches the ear as a memorable interaction is ‘Rocky Mountain’, which re-ignites the new collection after the re-worked pair. This is one of the more folky offerings with banjo leading the way. A different vocal perspective revitalises the album at a suitable point and points the compass in an American roots direction”.

Bruce Swann - “Music My Mother Would Not Like” - White Horse Black Mountain, April 13th, 2024

“After seeing literally hundreds of shows ranging from stadiums, coliseums, festivals, standing only venues, bars, listening rooms, and music conferences over the past almost forty years and at the risk of sounding smug it is hard at this point to find acts that really stand out.  On a beautiful Saturday evening in the mountains of western North Carolina I had the opportunity to see The Heart Collectors from Australia.

The band is a tight four piece act that delivers beautiful songs and democratically allows each artist to shine. Rich harmonies being driven by strings and percussion create a sound that is unlike anything I have seen over the years.

In fairness, I had the opportunity to see the band play several very short showcases at the Folk Alliance Conference in 2023 and struck a great friendship.

The band played to a packed built-in audience at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts; this was a substitute venue as the booked venue is undergoing renovations.

There was some buzz in the audience about whether or not people had heard the band before. Half way through the very first song, my seat in the audience afforded me a pretty good view of many of the patrons that were absolutely dumbfounded. Not quite sure what they had gotten themselves into. By the end of the third quarter of the first song – the audience realized how special the evening would be. The crowd erupted at the end of the first song. The audience would hang on with great intense attention for the entire show. They were in the bands welcoming hands for the night.

The concert wove a fantastic balance between original material, heartfelt stories, and some covers.

Their version of the Stephen Stills classic “Helplessly Hoping” makes you wonder if Stills was really the songwriter. The song chosen was consistent with the band’s unabashed affection for the music of the 1960’s. They wove in very well known songs to some that are done with less frequency. “Seven Bridges Road” from Iain Matthews comes to mind.

The audience sang along with those songs that they knew made everyone feel part of the show.

The Heart Collectors are a full on sensory performance. The band dresses beautifully for each concert. Forget about the attire of the early sixties with its almost uniform style of dress, and think more about the festival attire of the Woodstock era.

The artists are masters of their instruments. The line up of stringed instruments are mandolin, cello, guitar, and some percussion. Several of the band’s members combine other instruments into the line up that include banjo, a second guitar, piano, and stomp box. Their messages in their songs and stories are genuine and sincere. In a word – refreshing.

As I think back to the early concerts I saw that featured jam bands or free form prog rock bands, it was not uncommon to see shows that ran for hours. They were loud, exhilarating, and exhausting.

This was the first show that I have seen in years that was not a compact, two set, ninety minute show. Saturday’s show ran at least two plus hours to a packed audience that suffered no fatigue, remained engaged, and excited wanting to know what was going to come next.

It is common to endeavour to explain a band by comparing one band to another. The “oh I don’t know, they are sort of a mix between…” For The Heart Collectors – this is a waste of time. Their sound is unique and refreshing.

The town of Black Mountain was the only stop on this expansive tour in North Carolina. This DJ hopes that more venues will jump on an opportunity to present The Heart Collectors; your audiences will thank you at the end of the night. I know this to be true, because I watched it happen.

The band is currently working their way up the east coast on this extensive tour and will finish up at the legendary Club Passim in Cambridge, MA on April 29.  For The Heart Collectors – get your tix now and don’t be on the outside looking in!

More information can be found on their very comprehensive and well put together website: https://theheartcollectors.com/

Louise Baker - Baker Booking on The Heart Collectors - Show at White Horse Black Mountain, April 13, 2024

“The Heart Collectors brought heart, exquisite music and magic to the sold out audience at The White Horse Black Mountain on Saturday night. As a long time fan of the venue and a local music industry professional I can always tell when the band wins over the audience before the end of the first song. The harmonies, the choice of original and a few tasty covers, the delightful stage presence, and colour coordinate outfits made for an outstanding evening for all. Go out and see this band from Australia while on their US tour – you’ll be grateful you did!”