We were standing outside of our practice space when we came up with the name, “Heads Up Penny.” You’d think we may have been taking a well-deserved break during a successful practice - not this time! We were standing among guitar amps, drum stands, cymbals, pedals and cases that had been drenched from a faulty ceiling. We saw a heads up penny at the edge of the door and decided to do the best we could to keep our heads up and our spirits high.
We have been together for three years since then. In that time we’ve been paying our dues. It’s undoubtedly been work but we’ve had a great time nonetheless. Playing cover shows week in and week out has given us the opportunity to hone our skills as musicians, learn how to run a business and figure out who we are and what we want out of this dream.
There’s often a stigma that comes along with being in a cover band. It can be viewed as selling out. In our experience, a cover band can be an effectual incubator for something wildly original. For instance, if you’re a chef, you’re most likely cooking someone else's recipe. If you’re a salesman, you’re most likely selling someone else’s product. If you're a musician (who's making any money), you're most likely playing someone else's music. And just like the chef who can go home and cook a meal inspired by his work and the salesman can go home and successfully convince his kid to eat broccoli, musicians can learn so much from playing other people's music. This is where we find much of the inspiration to create something of our own.
We’ve figured out a lot. For one, it IS possible to make a living playing music - even though most won’t suggest it and it’s not easy or glamorous. For two, not having a boss is as good as it sounds. And for three, there’s nothing else we’d rather be doing.
We’ve released two EP’s of original music. “Winnebago Soul” came out in 2017 and “Onward and Upward” came out in 2018. Both EP’s are available on all major streaming services. We learned a lot from the creation and production of those ten tunes. But having focused much of our time in the last three years to establish ourselves as a successful cover band, we haven’t focused on original music as much as we would have liked. But now we are collectively ready for a paradigm shift. Of course, we will continue our business as a cover band with the utmost passion and professionalism, but now it is time to also devote serious attention to original music. January 2019 marks the beginning of recording our first full-length album. Our hearts are full and our faith is strong. We’re excited to share our journey with you.