SEATTLE — A decade after The Head and the Heart formed in the cozy environs of Ballard's Conor Byrne Pub, half the band that helped define a fertile era in Seattle music is scattered across the country.
While bassist Chris Zasche, now living in Ellensburg, hasn't gone far, vocalists/multi-instrumentalists Charity Rose Thielen and Matty Gervais are the last members of the indie-folk sextet still residing in the Emerald City. It's not uncommon to find the West Seattle couple popping up at intimate venues around town, performing as a duo or Gervais with his fraternal project Mikey and Matty, but next week THATH returns to Seattle for a full-scale, two-night family reunion at Marymoor Park (Aug. 12-13).
The Sub Pop alums' first hometown shows since rocking Pike Place Market's rooftop three years ago arrive as the band is redefining its sound. 2019's "Living Mirage" found the homegrown stars embracing bigger pop melodies and glossier production, with frontman Jonathan Russell working with outside co-writers for the first time. The album also cemented the exit of founding member Josiah Johnson, who left the band in 2016 during a difficult period in his personal life.
