Life & Work with Heather Heywood of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Heywood.

Hi Heather, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started playing in bands in my hometown of Birmingham, AL after high school (shout out to M@rvel and Lunasect!). I put all of my focus and energy into returning to California (the land of opportunity—I had lived in the OC for a brief period of my youth). I met my husband Ben as soon as I arrived back to California and we’ve been playing music together ever since.

I moved to Los Angeles on 9/11 into a Hollywood apartment with my musician friend from B’ham (our project was called Intercom, now he is in Berlin based band “Eat Lipstick”). We had stars in our eyes and were not disappointed by the Hollywood creatives and artists that we met here. We began creating and collaborating with different types of musicians. I was a huge fan of the 90’s Christian indie music scene, so when I started playing in the band Map and met Jeff Cloud (of Velvet Blue Music), my dreams started becoming a reality. He continues to be a supporter of our and many other people’s creative endeavors.

Ben and I moved to Silver Lake in 2002. Over these 20+ years we have found an incredible music community here. We have witnessed the scenes shift, clubs open and close, residencies come and go, bands rise and fall. I feel lucky to have had so many years here filled with shows, friends, and creative activities (the bands I played in: Summer Darling, Kissing Cousins, TS & the Past Haunts, Vicious Cousins, Giant Waste of Man). We have met so many beautiful people and musicians.

In 2015 we started a not-for-profit record label with our dear friend Rose called Chain Letter Collective. We really wanted to help support the people/artists that we believed in (Piebald, Fakers, and Facial were some of our first CLC releases!). This has been a very fun labor of love over the years. I am so proud of all of the releases that we were able to help support (check them out!).

Since 2019, I’ve been playing in the band Giant Waste of Man (with Ben, Cameron Dmytryk, Brandon Hardy, and Scott Mercado). This project is very special to me: the albums, videos, and movie that we have created together our some of my proudest artistic moments (with help from Robert Cheek). We have all been friends for many years and it is so fun and fulfilling to still be able to be in a creative space with artists each week, especially people you love and admire. I really enjoy playing with people who push me out of my comfort zone and challenge me, it helps me improve. We got to go on tour this year together for the first time in support of our new album!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
This has been a very un-boring bumpy road the last 10+years. There have been a number of struggles along the way not only in maintaining the record label but also obstacles to being in a band. The whole landscape of the music industry changed (eg: CDs to Napster to Apple to Spotify, etc.), income insecurity, tour vans breaking down, gas prices sky-rocketing, under-attended shows, addiction/death of friends–not to mention the Covid pandemic shutting down all music venues and throwing everyone into crisis. Oh yeah, and I injured my neck which kept me from playing guitar and barely walking for 6 months. Now I wear a special strap so that I can play my bass guitar, I am so thankful!

I learned that even in the darkest of hours, you do not give up on yourself or on doing what you love.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a musician and an artist. I write songs, sing and play musical instruments. I am most known for playing the bass guitar and singing. I also love collaborating with others to make music videos, (eg: Kissing Cousins, TS & the Past Haunts, and Giant Waste of Man).

A song writing fact that most people don’t know about me: I collaborated on the TV show theme song for “Scream Queens” and my vocal track can still be heard on the early promos via YouTube.

I am so proud of all of the albums that we have made over the years (some personal faves: Abandoner by Summer Darling, Pillar of Salt by Kissing Cousins, Gone & Goner by TS & the Past Haunts), **but Fighting with Time by Giant Waste of Man is my current #1!

I collaborated on a few music videos for Giant Waste of Man this year that I am very proud of: “Young Sorrow” and “Letter to the Editor” and I made a lyric video of a Halloween trick-o-treat evening with my niece for “All Bricks.”

I feel so lucky to have this creative outlet and a community that continues to support us.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
https://linktr.ee/giantwasteofman

https://chainlettercollective.bandcamp.com/music

Listen to our music! Buy an album or a t-shirt if you would like to. Come see Giant Waste of Man play live! Watch our Movie: “Stuck Here Forever”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://chainlettercollective.bandcamp.com/music
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giantwasteofman/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chainlettercollective/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@giantwasteofman8534
• Yelp: https://www.youtube.com/@chainlettercollective2717
• Soundcloud: https://www.youtube.com/@thekissingcousins
• Other: https://giantwasteofman.bandcamp.com/music

Image Credits
profile photo and photo #1: Brandon Hardy (band photo with yellow background)
movie poster by: Billy Brown
all other photos: Sheva Kafai