There’s a certain magic that happens when an artist channels decades of life, experience, and craft into music that feels both intimate and expansive. That’s what you get with Rebecca Haviland and Whiskey Heart—a band that doesn’t just perform songs, but invites you into moments of vulnerability, strength, and soul-searching clarity. With a voice that lingers long after the last note fades and songwriting that digs deep into the marrow of human experience, Haviland continues to redefine what it means to be a powerhouse in the modern roots rock and Americana landscape.
Her story starts long before the spotlight ever found her. Raised in New York by a family steeped in music—her grandparents performed in the vibrant supper clubs of 1950s Westchester—Haviland’s early years were shaped by jam sessions, warm harmonies, and the type of unfiltered passion that only family can inspire. That early exposure to music’s emotional and communal power became the compass for her journey. It was a studio internship during her college years, under the mentorship of Peter Denenberg, that turned her spark into a flame, setting her on a path that led from a debut performance at NYC’s legendary The Bitter End to a lifetime of music-making.
With Whiskey Heart, she found not just a band, but a creative home. Alongside musicians like Chris Anderson, Kenny Shaw, Todd Caldwell, and Nicky Barbato, she’s created a sound that’s at once rugged and refined. Their 2013 debut album drew international recognition, and their 2018 release Bright City Lights solidified them as a group that can move seamlessly between ghostly tenderness and gritty soul. Whether through the evocative beauty of a track like “You and I” or their powerful live recordings from Sun Studio in Memphis, Rebecca Haviland and Whiskey Heart manage to capture lightning in a bottle again and again.
What makes Haviland stand apart, though, is how she continues to evolve while staying deeply grounded in who she is. That duality shines on the band’s latest endeavor—a double EP project produced by Paul Loren. Late Nights and Early Mornings are companion pieces that reflect the shifting light of life, both literal and metaphorical. Late Nights pulses with the dreamy, edgy energy of city streets after dark, while Early Mornings, due out in May 2025, promises a more organic, sun-drenched Americana warmth. Both EPs will be bundled together in a full-length vinyl release Late Nights and Early Mornings in June 2025, and the excitement is already building.
The first taste of this upcoming chapter comes in the form of their newest single, “Fourth Of July,” released March 21. It’s a love song that steps outside of the usual frame. Haviland’s storytelling here is deeply personal, rooted in the kind of relationships that shape us more through their endings than their beginnings. Each verse traces the outline of a past love—stories that didn’t quite fit, yet taught her how to recognize the right one when it finally arrived. What’s especially compelling is that “Fourth Of July” is actually a fusion of two different songs written at different times, eventually weaving together into a single emotional thread. That unplanned synchronicity mirrors the theme of the track itself, and the result is both haunting and redemptive. The song’s ethereal textures, created with a vintage Casiotone keyboard and guitar pedalboard, add just the right touch of shimmer and nostalgia.
Beyond the studio, Haviland’s dedication to her craft also shows in how she mentors the next generation. For over a decade, she’s been a professor at Purchase College’s Music Conservatory, guiding young artists with the same passion and honesty that she pours into her own music. Her experience as a touring and session musician, working with artists like Zayn Malik, Rachel Platten, and Nick Howard, has taken her across continents and stages, from late-night talk shows to global festivals.
Rebecca Haviland doesn’t just sing—she confesses, consoles, and confronts. And with Whiskey Heart backing her every step of the way, each release becomes more than just a collection of songs. It’s a snapshot of real moments, lived and breathed, set to melody. With Early Mornings on the horizon and “Fourth Of July” already tugging on heartstrings, it’s clear that the best is yet to come for this fiercely talented artist and her powerhouse band.
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