Following their debut album, 2019’s House on Fire, Kansas City-based band Hembree have released a new album called It’s A Dream which is out now. According to the press release, The album finds the quintet pushing their established sound—first glimpsed on 2019’s debut House on Fire—to new, colorful zeniths. Possessing a funky looseness and hip-shaking approach that perfectly pairs with Isaac Flynn’s emotionally kaleidoscopic lyrics, It’s a Dream! is a record about getting freaky even while you’re freaking out.
It’s a beyond relatable sentiment couched in music that burrows its way into your mind and stays there. They explain: “The first album was more informed by our live show, but with this one we were able to shut out the noise because there was no noise. We’ve grown up, and we’ve figured out what we want Hembree to be.”
Listen below and this awesome list with 5 artists and tracks which have inspired their music.
Talking Heads – Born Under Punches. I was very influenced by Talking Heads on this new record. I remember doing the dishes to this song in the heart of lockdown and thinking about how the song was perfect. Just such a deep and relentless groove that never stops. I knew I wanted that level of groove to serve as a big inspiration for our record.
Foreign Fields – I. My co-producer, e.hillman, is one half of the amazing duo, Foreign Fields. Eric (e.hillman) has been working with us since our first release. Right when we started working together, Foreign Fields had just released this song. It felt so fresh to me, and it really inspired me to explore blending natural and electronic sounds and to push my production boundaries. Eric’s a great friend, musical mentor and collaborator who always pushes me to be a better writer and producer.
Haim – Falling. This entire Haim record was massive for me. The grooves hit so hard, the songs are so catchy, and Ariel Rechtshaid’s production is perfection. I listened to this album so much in the days when Hembree was just a few demos on my Macbook and an idea in my head. It all felt so next-level to me, and I aspired to create music that was so fresh, yet nostalgic and totally original all in one.
OutKast – The Whole World. This one goes back to when I was growing up and OutKast was the coolest group in the world. They still are in my book. I’ve always been hugely influenced by the way Andre 3000 creates. A true original who breaks genres and boundaries. The way they weaved rhythm and melody together in their songs will always be a huge inspiration for me.
Paul McCartney – Coming Up. Really this could be any number of Beatles, McCartney, Lennon or Harrison songs. I really couldn’t choose, but this song is one that I love to crank up to get some musical inspiration. I started as a drummer first, and I think that forced me to gravitate towards bass next. The bass groove in this song is so great, and as mentioned above, I’m a massive fan of when an artist creates an undeniable groove and then adds a genius melody over the top of it.
Arcade Fire – Reflektor. I think this might be the best indie rock song ever. It’s up there for sure. I was playing in a different band at the time, and when this song came out, it completely blew our minds. Another example of a song that’s just a phenomenal song at its core, and then there’s a deep groove that doesn’t let up. Oh, and then to add to it, David Bowie pops up and sends this song into outer space. Solid gold.