Be Still Their Heart

The members of Seattle’s alt-folk The Head and the Heart are growing up. According to drummer Tyler Williams, their approach to music is too.

“When we first started out, music was our passion and it was a hope, a goal, that we would get to do this for a living,” he says. “And then when you start to travel around and tour it does become your job in a way, but that doesn’t necessarily make it a bad thing. We’re just more responsible people at this stage in our lives.”

Williams punctuates this final statement with a laugh, but the inherent maturity that comes with such growth is evident on the band’s forthcoming release, Let’s Be Still (out Oct. 15). The mid-tempo rock of the title track is accompanied by lyrics about savoring moments in this fast-paced life, while the stirring folk track “These Days Are Numbered” similarly touches on our collective temporality. Williams says the content is inspired by the band’s shared experiences.

“We’re in a situation where we’ve been together so long that we almost forget that we are individual people,” Williams says, laughing again. “So the album’s about identifying and having time away from your creative work because that maybe takes away from the deeper connections you can make in life.”

The Head and the Heart play with Neko Case 7 pm Thursday, Sept. 19, at Cuthbert Amphitheater; $35 adv., $40 door.