Houston-based Indie Music Collective The Wheel Workers To Support Sun Room On Their Fall 2023 Tour
Doors are at 7 p.m. and the music starts at 8 p.m.
By: Michael Major Oct. 18, 2023
Houston-based indie music collective The Wheel Workers have just announced they'll be supporting Sun Room on their Fall 2023 tour on Thursday, Nov. 2 at Warehouse Live, located at 813 St Emanuel St, Houston, TX 77003.
Doors are at 7 p.m. Music starts at 8 p.m. To purchase tickets please see here.
ABOUT THE BAND:
The Wheel Workers can be described as less of a singular band and more of a Texas-based underground indie music collective that spans two decades and more than 15 contributing members. The original band members (first known as The Wheel Works) got their start in Austin, Texas in the early 2000s.
The band, led by songwriter, singer, lyricist and frontman Steven Higginbotham, with Giuseppe Ponti on bass, Nathan Maness on drums and Chris Maness and Chad Fontenot on guitar, spent the first few years of the new millennium living together in a house on Houston St., recording music that John Aielli of KUT's Elektikos called “truly eclectic.”
Featuring violin and keyboards along with traditional rock instruments, the band moved seamlessly between catchy indie rock tunes and introspective acoustic ballads on their 2003 debut album. The band then significantly broadened its horizons on 2004's “How to Fly a Washing Machine,” an album composed entirely of radical post-rock spontaneous improvisations recorded in the band's in-home studio.
The original iteration of the group disbanded in 2005 when Higginbotham moved to Houston, TX, but those original members have contributed regularly to later albums from the group.
After a hiatus and reconfiguring of the band between 2006 – 2010, The Wheel Workers started up again in 2007 when Higginbotham partnered with Craig Wilkins on the release of the group's next project “Unite” (2010).
Shortly thereafter, the band began a longstanding relationship with legendary Houston producer Dan Workman (Beyonce, Lyle Lovett, ZZ Top), who would mix their next three highly acclaimed albums: “Past to Present” (2013), “Citizens” (2015 – referred to as “a true masterpiece” by Free Press Houston), and “Post-Truth” (2018).
The first track on Post-Truth, “White Lies,” debuted on The Onion's A.V. Club, who described the track as “hard-charging...successful political art [that] foregrounds the artistry... [and] musically and lyrically, it extends far beyond the political heat of the moment.”
Over the years, the band has been nominated for eight Houston Press Music Awards and their intense and compelling live performances propelled them to stages across the United States, from Milwaukee's Summerfest to Houston's Free Press Summerfest, where they had the honor of sharing the stage with artists such as Flaming Lips and Phantogram.
The Wheel Workers have stood the test of time with a career that spans over two decades and a discography that exemplifies their lyrical depth, sonic diversity and has solidified them as an underground indie rock staple of Texas music.
The group is currently composed of lead singer, guitarist, keyboardist, violinist Steven Higginbotham (the longest standing member and group founder), guitarist and keyboardist Craig Wilkins, keyboardist and singer Erin Rodgers, bassist Zeek Garcia and drummer Kevin Radomski.
Their latest project, “Harbor,” released in August 2022, was recorded over the span of a three year period (interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that Higginbotham was in law school while recording) in Higginbotham's home recording studio.
It also comes after Higginbotham fractured his larynx and thought he would never sing again. Now, nearly three years after the fracture, Higginbotham feels stronger vocally, due to all the work he put in during speech therapy and tailored voice lessons.
The record was produced and mixed by their long-time pal, acclaimed producer Dan Workman, who helped shape and craft the songs into their final form, creating a record that showcases the band's eclectic underground indie rock prowess with fuzzy guitars and synthesizers.
With their latest project the group delves into very personal and profound territory as they explore enduring and overcoming personal, social and political trauma and how the members have come to support each other through their individual experiences.
Fans of The Wheel Workers, new and old, will be able to find something relatable and true in their newest project, all the while enjoying the indie rock tunes and energy that the group has been bringing to the table for decades. To learn more about The Wheel Workers, please see here.
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