The Heartless Bastards are Rough and Ready

Fat Possum Records have always skated on the fringes of blues and in the wake of the Strokes invasion, garage rock acts such as The Black Keys, 20 Miles and Thee Shams have dominated the independent label's roster in recent years. Keeping with their tradition of signing unlikely suspects, Fat Possum signed the Cincinnati based Heartless Bastards in 2004.

Like other bands on the labels roster, Heartless Bastards play a minimal style of rock mixed with a pinch of blues and a heavy helping of attitude. The trio's debut, Stairs and Elevators, has shot them into the national spotlight with write-ups in Rolling Stone and a recent spot on NPR. Lead by twenty-seven year old singer/songwriter/guitarist Erika Weenerstrom, Heartless bastards defies comparisons with their label-mates as Weenerstrom howls with fury to impassionedly written lyrics.

Raised in Dayton Ohio, with her brother by their single mother, Erika found comfort in singing. "I have told people that I wanted to be a singer since I was old enough to think about doing anything," says Erika. "I might have been three. I don't remember, but even though I told everybody I was going to be a singer I didn't actually try to, or know if I could till maybe 10 years later.

Even then I wasn't classically trained or anything. I was in choir in school like a zillion other kids. I didn't have much confidence so I just sort of blended in to the background. I had friend years later that pushed me to put some power behind my voice and let it all out. I have no idea why I've always wanted to sing the feeling just always been there."

After dropping out of high school Erika hung around Dayton playing here guitar and working odd jobs. Here first band had no name and played the same song over and over. At age 22, Erika headed out to Cincinnati where she met bass player Mike Lamping and began playing as the Heartless Bastards.