#maryroth

We spent an afternoon with songwriting songstress HT Heartache the day  before she jet setted off into a bicoastal lifestyle between her hometown of Los Angeles and the slow culture of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, all whilst preparing to release her second album, Sundowner.

How would you describe your personal style:

Middle aged art teacher

What inspires you in terms of personal fashion :

Western flair. eccentric old people, people with no clue what's going on.

What inspired you to become a singer /song writer/ musician :

I started writing and playing when i was 21. I loved to write and I loved music but had never fused those interests prior to that point. I had a bunch of friends around me making music that were a big influence around that era, not to mention I was a bit heartbroken which helped spawn the process as well.

You've just released your second album, Sundowner. Can you tell us a little about your songwriting process :

I wrote most of the album as I was recording it so it took a while to finish. The writing process was different for each song but generally speaking with writing I just start tinkering around on guitar until some melody or some chord progression or some lyric feels worth pursuing, then I build a song around that. My friend Christina Gaillard produced the record with me and composed really beautiful arrangements around what I had written. She plays a multitude of instruments and was able to bring a lot of her own inspired ideas to the record as well. it was a good collaboration. 

We all have days when we feel a lack of inspiration, or disconnected from our goals, how do you remedy this for yourself :

Uninspired and disconnected is a familiar state of mind for me and I usually do something extreme like leave town or go on a juice cleanse or give up alcohol for the rest of my life in an attempt to find new perspective. Call me dramatic but it works sometimes. Lately I've been thinking that trading in my i-Phone for a flip phone would solve everything. Probably not the case. At the end of the day it's all part of the process I guess. Inspiration, like all things, comes and goes in its own fashion.

When you hit a creative block, how do you get outside of yourself:

Exercise, patience. 

What can we find you doing when you’re not playing music:

You can find me playing Yahtzee out in nature somewhere. Rarely at da club.

What artist/musician most inspires you :

All of the underdogs with a real fire burning for what they do. People who make art and music their whole lives just simply for the love of it. Forever unrecognized. Answering to no one but their own higher self. All guts no glory. Those people are heroes. 

Favorite song of the moment :

Just been chillin to the iTunes classical radio station, i believe it's called "unwind". 

Icon of the moment :

Johnny Castle

If money weren't an object, what occupation would you choose :

Full time traveler.

Best advice you’ve received so far :

Relax.

Ht Heartache is wearing a Sew it Goes Vintage Bolero & Sheer Tuxedo Blouse

What advice do you have for others seeking a creative path :

Don't take yourself too seriously. Support people around you who are working toward the same goals, it's not a competition.  

Last but not least, do you have a favorite all time vintage score:

I got this rabbit fur coat from from the Goodwill a few years ago. It's calico and has a huge witch hood…it's incredible. Unfortunately I can't bring myself to wear fur, so it never leaves the closet. I could probably retire if I put it on e-bay, thats how cool it is.

Listen to the album Sundowner by Ht Heartache 

Watch the music video for Sundowner's first single, Cowboy Poetry , filmed in Joshua Tree, Ca where the album was recorded.