Listen & Learn with The Heise Bros!

Born a Leo in New Concord, Ohio in 1977, Nelson Heise began his musicial career by avoiding piano and french horn lessons as an adolescent, only to find a love for rock 'n' roll and the guitar in his teenage years.

In 1995 he formed the group Munkey Juice and MJ's Career spanned 11 years. Nelson also played in the bands Jackass, The Gidddyup Jesus and The Altergnats.

Influenced heavily by The Velvet Underground, The Kinks, Pixies and Camper Van Beethoven he has been writing original material since the early days of MJ.

In 1980, another Heise was born in the sign of the Taurus. Robert Heise is the co-founding member of Munkey Juice, and Nelson's younger brother.

Not intially inclined to music as much as his brother, Robert devoted much of his youth to athletics (which would come in handy given his stage performance with the Juice). In need of a bass player, Nelson recruited Robert to become the bass man for MJ, and thus the musicial union was born.

Much like Dave Davies, Ray Davies younger brother of the Kinks, Robert's songwriting can be overshadowed by his older brother's, but don't take Robert's contributions lightly; he also has the gift of song.

LISTEN & LEARN with THE HEISE BROS. is the first release by the brothers under this name. "It started off as a solo project but then I realized Robert was on every track and helping me with the arrangements, so it ended being The Heise Bros." says Nelson Heise about Listen & Learn with The Heise Bros. This is their debut release; although the brothers have recorded eight previous albums with the band Munkey Juice.

What separates this album from their earlier work is the purposeful intention of writing more intimate and personal songs in the acoustic/folk rock genre. The subject matter on Listen & Learn takes from all aspects of the brother's lives: their grandmother (Alma Marie) and father (Old Man), to finding love (For Me), losing love (Don't Say Goodbye) and even getting married (Ol' Grey Underwear).

The brothers weren't alone on this project; they got tons of help from Twin Cities, MN (The Heise Bros. home) musicians who contributed drums, guitars, keyboards, vocals and even some cello. MJ bandmate Stacie Archer drummed the beats for "Alma Marie". Joshua "Stook" Stuckey laid down some killer guitar licks that he's known for from his album, The Soundtrack To My Minneapolis. Toby Lee Marshall played vicious keyboard parts on a few tracks. Michael Velasquez and Kirk Liska, established drummers in the Twin Cities pounded out the backbeats. Jennifer Berg added the only female presence on the album with her backing vocals, and high school senior Tim Binger swung by the studio to do a couple of cello tracks. Caleb Garn took the time to mix it, and Jon Chinn mastered the album at Workbook Studio in Columbus, OH.

The end result of Listen & Learn with The Heise Bros is a fun album meant to show the more personal side of the brothers; hopefully what they share with you is relatable and enjoyable.

Contact at:
theheisebros@hotmail.com or www.heisebros.com
www.myspace.com/theheisebros
Available at www.cdbaby.com/cd/heisebros and on Itunes