Working out of Northampton, Massachusetts, Izzy Heltai is a songwriter who draws upon the New England landscape to form his evocative, narrative-driven style. Often living out of his car so as to spend as much time on tour as humanly possible, Heltai leads something of a quasi-nomadic lifestyle, and the choice informs his music. It features the American landscape as something vast yet transient, always changing and never quite giving up its secrets, something to be passed through but not fully understood.
This month sees the release of Only Yesterday, an EP exploring the self-doubt that often stems from failed relationships, as well as the possibility of love outside of traditional romance. Lead single ‘Marching Song’ provides more than a glimpse into his stirring, urgent style. While the track is very much from the classic folk stable, built from the modest foundations of acoustic guitar and strong songwriting, Heltai is joined by a number of friends who provide extra layers to his sound, elevating the track into a triumphant strand of wistfulness.
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Today we’re pleased to share a brand new single ahead of the EP’s release. ‘Stuck in Stone’ is Americana in all of its whiskey-smoked glory, built from the kind of elated melancholy that has driven folks singers ever since the first guitar was strung. Despite the title, impermanence is again a key theme, love and health presented as unstable, fragile things to be cherished and chased.
Only Yesterday is out on the 19th April and you can pre-order it now from the Izzy Heltai Bandcamp page.
Photograph by Emma Kate Rothenberg-Ware, album art by Molly Howarth