Since 2011, siblings Maggie and Tyler Heath have been jamming folk-rock style. The Texans lead The Oh Hellos, an emotional folk band with a big sound. The group has two albums, _Through the Deep, Dark Valley_ and _Dear Wormwood_, and a self-titled EP. Catch them Saturday at Roots N Blues N BBQ.
The siblings take turns leading vocals on their songs, but Tyler typically takes the lead. Maggie’s voice comes in high and clear, while Tyler’s moves through the music with a smooth, definitely bluesy twang. “Lay Me Down” is a wonderful song to hear Maggie leading the vocals. In most of their songs, it’s hauntingly beautiful to hear the harmonies of their backup singers echoing behind them, and when the siblings come together, it’s powerful and moving in a way that many folk bands try to be.
The Oh Hellos’ overall sound hits all the right notes for a folk band. They fit well alongside festival headliners The Avett Brothers. Their songs move slowly and sound soft and haunting much of the time. Intense vocals are backed by a myriad of instruments.
“Dear Wormwood” is a soft, smooth song. It’s also the title song of The Oh Hellos’ latest album, so there’s a good chance they’ll bring this haunting tune to Roots N Blues. The repeated line, “I know who you are now,” drives the buildup of the song until it bursts into an instrumentally and vocally driven section of the song.
“Wishing Well” from their first album is another good song to hear Maggie leading the vocals. It’s kind of sad, but the groove is good and the backup vocals swell together to create an aching harmony.
The Oh Hellos play on Saturday at 4 p.m., so it’s a great concert to break up your day. Sit and sway to the powerful, folksy vocals and clap with the music. They’re guaranteed to be a nice, chill concert, so grab some BBQ and hang out with The Oh Hellos at the Missouri Lottery Stage.
Check out our playlist to get you grooving to the right tunes. It has a mix of The Oh Hellos’ best hits with their most moving lyrics and best sounds, as well as a few songs by other bands similar to them, if you want to get into that sort of thing.
Go forth and folk-rock your hearts out, Roots N Blues-ers.