The Heavy Hours

The Heavy Hours took shape in 2018, drawing their name from a phrase penned by Irish poet William Butler Yeats, although the members’ bonds stretch back to high-school days in Cincinnati. Their music fuses alt-rock drive with reflective, folk-rooted narratives, an approach equally shaped by traditional folk sources and expansive post-rock textures, all anchored by frontman Michael Marcagi’s emotive delivery.

For their first EP the quartet traveled to Upstate New York to work with producer Simone Felice—known for his work with the Lumineers and the Avett Brothers—resulting in the 2021 release Wildfire. Early encouragement from fellow Ohio native Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys led to co-writing sessions in Nashville that broadened their palette; once signed to BMG, the band delivered its debut album Gardens in early 2022. Their self-titled sophomore effort followed the next year and featured the anthemic track “Don't Walk Away,” another Auerbach collaboration.