The Heart’s Outpouring / About

The Heart’s Outpouring is a three-piece band from Portland, Oregon. Melissa L. Amstutz writes the songs, sings, and plays guitar. Cody Peterson and Ellen Wilde play drums and bass, respectively.

The band was previously called HERS and featured Rachel Tomlinson Dick on lead guitar. Before that we were called "Honeybee", Pierce Geary played bass at that time.

Press

Think the varied instrumentation of Au, the precision of Port St. Willow, the melodrama of Mount Eerie.

– Dale Eisinger, Interview Magazine

With their tight sound, a 100-percent honest sensibility, and a “f*** it" punk vibe, we don't think HERS will have any problem doing whatever they want.

— Liza Darwin, Nylon Magazine

The Portland-via-Omaha band's new music swings from minimalist songwriting to cauterizing fuzz-punk: album closer "Hold It Together" draws on both, opening with vocals and clarinet in the spotlight before thundering electric guitars bring out the lyrical tension.

– David Greenwald, The Oregonian

It’s not afraid to defy songwriting conventions to unwind a dirge like “Tall” or slip in an experimental soundscape like “Tomato,” that sounds as if a hospitalized man on life-support was set to music. “Little Lamp” is a suite in itself, a bit of a schizophrenic, turn-on-a-dime piece. It builds and builds, going through a few varying trips to stop and hand over the keys to some toy instruments, an organ, percussion and Amstutz’ airy vocals that can breathe like Feist and flare like Nathan Willet of Cold War Kids.

— Michael Todd, Hear Nebraska