Amsterdam’s The Tibbs rise with a tidal force in their fervent new single “Damaged Heart,” an outpouring of love and connection whose heavy grooves and sweet harmonies will light up even the most shattered romantic.
for fans of Lake Street Dive, St. Paul and the Broken Bones
Stream: “Damaged Heart” – The Tibbs
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The groovy sweep of rhythm guitars; the deep heat of woodwinds and brass; the effervescent roll of background keys; the steady brush of perseverant drums, and the enveloping intimacy of hot-on-the-mic vocals courtesy of frontwoman Roxanne Hartog. Like their American contemporaries Lake Street Dive or St. Paul and The Broken Bones, The Tibbs sound more like 1975 than they do 2020, but here they are, a modern day blue-eyed soul outfit shining brightly out of the Netherlands. The band rise with a tidal force in their fervent new single “Damaged Heart,” an outpouring of love and connection whose heavy grooves and sweet harmonies will light up even the most shattered romantic.
My baby and I
We get by but
Oh sometimes
I can’t discribe it
This feeling, hey
Creeps up on me
I wouldn’t say it’s
Jealousy, but
I can’t deny
I can’t deny
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Damaged Heart,” the lead single from The Tibbs’ forthcoming sophomore album Another Shot Fired (single out October 9th; album out November 20th via Records Kicks). A heated, impassioned overhaul, “Damaged Heart” puts The Tibbs’ talents on full display as the Dutch band reintroduce themselves with vocalist Roxanne Hartog at the helm for the first time; Elsa Bekman, who first fronted the band since their start in 2012, left in 2018 to pursue her solo career, which Atwood Magazine has covered extensively (she recently announced her debut album Once in My Life, set for release 10/2/2020 via V2 Records). The rest of the eight-piece band consists of Henk Kemkes (gitaar), Michael Willemsen (bas), Bas de Vries (drums), Paul Jonker (Hammond), Berd Ruttenberg (baritonsax), Coen de Vries (tenorsax), and Siebe Posthuma de Boer (trompet)
An outpouring of classic ’70s soul packaged in an impressively sleek sonic velour, “Damaged Heart” is not a comeback; it’s a full-throated mission statement.
I can’t remember
When I last
Fell so deep for
Someone in the past
This truth it haunts me
In the night
Puttin’ my heart on the line, yeah
I can’t deny
Couldn’t tell you why
My trust is hurt
Got my fingers burned
A damaged heart, my lesson learnt
“’Damaged Heart’ is a mid-tempo soul gem built upon a peppy guitar riff, leaving every fourth open, which gives it a certain lightness,” saxophonist Berd Ruttenberg tells Atwood Magazine. “The urgency and danceability is induced by the driving sixteenths on the tambourine, while the horns, alternating with the vocals, bring a glimmer of jazz to the arrangement. The song is about the uncertainty that one might bring from past experiences into a new relationship and the fear of not being able to give oneself completely. The bright spot being the openness with which this uncertainty is raised. Altogether, ‘Damaged Heart’ could – despite the irreparable harm that is suggested is in the title – very well be interpreted as a love song …”
Love I wonder
If you did
Understand when I told you this
But no matter how I turn and toss
My own mind has got me in it’s claws
O-oh, I can’t deny
I couldn’t tell you why
My trust is hurt
I got my fingers burned
A damaged heart, my lesson learnt
Ruttenberg’s words capture his passion not only for this new song, but also for the underlying principles that turn sound into song. Meanwhile, The Tibbs as a whole succeed in capturing the energy and excitement of a live performance in their stunning recording. In fact, their entire album – recorded at Electric Monkeys in Amsterdam, produced by Paul Willemsen (Lefties Soul Connection, Michelle David & The Gospel Sessions) and mastered in Nashville by soul veteran Bob Holsen – thrives thanks to the band’s ability to enhance every second; whether loud or soft, boisterous or subdued, every track off Another Shot Fired rings divine. Fans of blue-eyed soul are sure to fall head-over-heels for this band who do it oh so well. They’re a modern classic in the very best sense.
Stream “Damaged Heart” exclusively on Atwood Magazine! The Tibbs’ sophomore album Another Shot Fired is out November 20th via Records Kicks.
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Stream: “Damaged Heart” – The Tibbs
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