Dreaming Out Loud: Vol. 1 (Ben Morey and Katie Preston)

by Steven Spoerl

As some readers may have noticed, Heartbreaking Bravery’s editorial aspect has been waning in recent times. A large part of this is due to the fact that it’s still a single-person operation, which has resulted in scheduling conflicts. At some point it became clear that Heartbreaking Bravery simply couldn’t exist in the way it did in the past, which is why I started looking towards the future. When 2019 draws to a close, the flagship site will cease regular updates. The site will still remain active, at least for a time, but Heartbreaking Bravery will continue in other ways.

One of those ways is Dreaming Out Loud, an idea I’ve clung to for some time. After having good experiences conducting acoustic sessions for The Media (All Dogs, Mitski) and Consequence of Sound (Johanna Warren), the impulse to attach that format to Heartbreaking Bravery proved too irresistible. The name Dreaming Out Loud comes from the Tenement song, which has appeared in various versions throughout the band’s discography, as a way of honoring the impact that band had on my own musical development and the core of this site’s existence.

While Heartbreaking Bravery won’t solely be relegated to this series after the editorial function dies down, I’m hoping it becomes a definitive aspect of what this site leaves in its wake.

Ben Morey (Ben Morey and the Eyes) and Katie Preston (Pleistocene, solo) have the distinction of anchoring the first volume of the series. When Morey and Preston arrived at my apartment, the two had recently gotten engaged and were in the midst of a whirlwind tour that had taken on a freeing, celebratory bent. Preston accompanied Morey and Morey returned the favor as the two took turns trotting out new material. The session culminated by a stop at the lake for a gorgeous Everly Brothers cover that saw the two of them on equal ground, each happy to have found a worthy partner.

Watch Dreaming Out Loud: Vol. I below and subscribe to the Heartbreaking Bravery YouTube channel for future installments of the series.

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Purchase Ben Morey’s With Birds here and Katie Preston’s Soap Opera here.