Overheard to Release Debut Album 'Intertwined,' First Single Out Now

Overheard, the Brooklyn/Kingston-based band known for their unique blend of indie rock, folk, and grunge, will be releasing their debut album, Intertwined, on October 25 on Dromedary Records.

Now, Overheard is excited to unveil the album’s first single, “Return”, along with its accompanying music video. The track debuted on KLOF and is now available on all major streaming platforms. “Return” explores themes of interconnectedness and the fluid nature of life, inspired by Merlin Sheldrake’s book Entangled Life.

Erin Barth-Dwyer, the band’s guitarist and vocalist, shares:

“‘Return’ is about life and how we’re interconnected with each other and the world around us. The lyrics were partially inspired by the book Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake. In it there’s a passage where he talks about how we think of life-forms (including ourselves) as objects built out of matter – but in reality we’re actually systems or processes through which matter moves. As cells turn over in our bodies, the matter that we’re made of today is literally different from the matter that made us five years ago. This idea – that we’re all just a part of the same swirling soup of stuff – has really helped me reconcile with the concept of mortality.”

Fans can catch Overheard performing live at DromFest ’24, happening August 31st to September 2nd in Catskill, New York. Tickets and more information can be found HERE.

Overheard’s offbeat brand of indie rock is both tender and frenetic. Weaving together elements of folk with rock and grunge, their dynamic and melodic songs shift between delicate moments and knotty catharsis. Originating in the Hudson Valley, Overheard now has members in both Kingston and Brooklyn. 

After becoming friends at a dive bar in Kingston, NY, guitarists Erin Barth-Dwyer and Will LaPorte made a drunken vow to play music together. Unlike most promises of artistic link-ups made by 20-somethings, they committed. After adding Kenny Thomas on bass guitar, the group chose the name Overheard for reasons lost to time.

Having formed just before the COVID-19 pandemic, the band spent most of their first year together engaging in socially-distanced backyard practices. During this time, they honed Barth-Dwyer's tender, folk-leaning songwriting and LaPorte's tendency toward distortion and hard rock into original songs. Post-lockdown, the band went on to perform at many Hudson Valley staples, including Kingston’s Tubby’s, Catskill’s Avalon Lounge, and Woodstock’s Colony. After releasing their debut single "Doesn’t Matter" in May of 2022, the trio was approached at a house show by Kenny Hauptman (Top Nachos, Larry Locust). Having heard the ghost of his future parts in their performance, Hauptman was an immediate fit, rounding out the group on drums. 

Overheard has become known locally for their 'soft-then-hard' style. Barth-Dwyer brings intricately finger-picked guitar and a voice that ebbs between soft lullaby and emotional belt, delivering lyrics of being, memory, and home. LaPorte, providing backing and occasionally lead vocals, writes of childhood and what it leaves us, underscored by tastefully chaotic, overdriven guitar melodies. Thomas carries the group through its moments of peace and aggression with their lush and harmonious bass lines, while Hauptman is either a smooth resident of the pocket or a blonde blur behind the kit – all while providing backing vocals. 

After a year of dialing in their sound, the band connected with Hauptman’s long-time friend, producer and local musician Dylan Nowik (Camp Saint Helene, Steady Sun). In January of 2024, they spent a week at Dylan’s Pine Knoll Studio in Palenville, NY. Over the course of seven long days, many fresh pots (of coffee), and several sandwiches, the band and Nowik crafted Overheard’s debut LP, the forthcoming indie rock diary, Intertwined. 

Intertwined Tracklist

1. Return
2 Greta
3. Time on a Good Day
4. Freckles
5. This Time
6. Juno
7. Home
8. Boxes

Photo credit: Becky Cote