After moving to Chicago for film school in 2014, Al began his music career with rock-revival group Jungle Green.  “As silly as it sounds, I moved to Chicago and got really into Elvis.”  Moving away from the comfort zone of Garage band and a home-studio, Al discovered his sound alongside Jungle Green.  After years with Jungle Green, touring live with Spencer Tweedy, and “releasing songs into the night” on Bandcamp, Al has landed on his personal passion project- Essential Forever. 

“I see a lot of what I write as being a movie.”

Inspired by throwback music and decade-driven films, Al has created an album described as “A collection of songs from varying genres.”  He was “Shooting for and nailing a sound of the past.”  Being inspired largely by screenwriting and films with unreliable narrators, Al’s debut LP There’s A Lot Still to Say About Essential Forever expresses the humanity of evolving love through the eyes of a fictional character.  “I see a lot of what I write as a movie… I only figure out what I’ve been writing about after I write it.”  Weird and humorous, yet honest and sincere, Al’s nostalgic compositions and improvised lyrics make for a relatable story of the “Biased ways we look at love,” and finding the answers through people we love.  While not being overly kitchy or on the nose, Al’s work echoes the familiar vibes of The Beach Boys, Todd Rundgren, and Richie Valens.  This rock-revival sound makes for a unique stand out act in the Chicago scene, which is largely consumed by 80’s and 90’s inspired Indie Rock.  

Recorded entirely analogously at producer Kevin Basko’s studio Historic New Jersey Recordings, Al’s record sounds like something “That humans made, capturing a feeling of being there in that room… [the] beautiful imperfection of that.”  Surrounded by friends, Al worked with Kevin recording songs live in the studio.  The one-take approach forced Al to accept and welcome the imperfections of live sound- “Analog is restrictive yet freeing.”  Al fell in love with analog recording after working with producer Jonathan Redo on a Jungle Green record, recorded entirely analog in a live-band studio.  Recording the 10 song album in just a week and a half, this process inspired his now comfortable and casual recording process that emanates in his work.  

After demoing songs on his own, Al returns to the studio with Kevin with the “half baked” ideas now ready to be fully fleshed out.  Playing everything live in the studio before recording it to tape, Al aims to elevate his songs in a free-form improvisational way “Not re-creating my demos.”  With influences in mind, Al takes his eclectic music taste and sets the scene for what sound he’s aiming for.  Describing it as “Making something weird and new in the process of imitation,” the end results of Essential Forever songs pay homage to classic rock acts while taking it to new heights.  

There’s no denying the warm, familiar feeling that Essential Forever’s music pours over the listener.  With this effortlessly cool debut record under his belt, Al Heaney has established his place in the exciting new wave of rock-revival acts, standing alongside breakout acts like The Lemon Twigs and Weyes Blood.  There’s A Lot Still To Say About Essential Forever has the power to reach audiences of all generations- so if you’re looking for that perfect family road-trip crowd pleaser record, look no further.  

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