Four Winds (series)

## Series Chronology

*Notos* (2017)

*Eurus* (2018)

*Boreas* (2020)

*Zephyrus* (2020)

The **Four Winds** series consists of four consecutively released EP's by indie rock band The Oh Hellos: *Notos* (2017), *Eurus* (2018), *Boreas* (2020), and *Zephyrus* (2020). The series was written and recorded starting in late 2016 continuing into 2017 until mid-2020. It was inspired by the Greek wind gods of Anemoi that represent the transitions into the seasons of summer, fall, winter, and spring respectively. Many of the themes were based on the political and social situation following the 2016 United States Presidential Election as the band reflected on questions regarding tribalism, faith, politics, change, growth, and their own moral values.

## Background

In late 2015 and early 2016 after the release of their second full-length album, *Dear Wormwood*, Tyler Heath sought to focus his efforts on creating a series of EPs—what he refers to as a "cycle"—in order to allow himself a buffer before their next album. The initial rationale was to create a set of records that could allow them to be more creative and loose with their music and decompress from the complex production and personal themes of *Dear Wormwood*. Tyler became inspired by musical ideas relating to the four seasons and began to record small hooks and riffs on his phone to formulate the sound of the project. While this early work was done by Tyler, Maggie independently began writing and reflecting on her own values and faith as someone located on the fringes of traditional Christianity, initially seeing it as a deconstruction of sorts.

After Maggie entered the project, they realized that many artists had already explored angles relating to the four seasons—from the classical works of Antonio Vivaldi to more modern artists like Jon Foreman. Thus, they aimed to take a unique approach to these concepts. In their research, they came across the four Greek wind deities of *Anemoi*, representing transitions between seasons and the ushering of change as opposed to the traditional seasons proper. They were drawn to the deities as they hearkened to themes of evolution and growth, also feeling that they would be relatively accessible given Greek mythology’s prominence in American culture. As both Tyler and Maggie began to work more on the series in late 2016, Maggie’s ideas of faith and values came more vividly into focus following the Presidential Election. This moment became a point of disillusionment and upheaval for the duo as they contemplated their own values and upbringing, both as Christians and residents of southern Texas, especially given the social division and radicalism brought about by the election.

As events unfolded between the end of 2016 and throughout 2017, the focus of their music shifted dramatically, worried that creating emotionally lighter music would be abdicating their community responsibility given the social climate. They decided now to focus the series on examining their own changing worldviews and values, the uncertainty and commotion from that continuing change, the oppression that the political situation exacerbated, and their roles in unknowingly perpetuating that system. Through their music, they wanted to help form a conversation around the politics and the daunting process of change without alienating or shutting out dialogue. Tyler and Maggie both felt that they wanted to strive toward optimism, hope, and encouragement despite the heaviness of these ideas and use the creative process to reconcile with their own emotions and altering feelings.

From this, the ideas inherent to the Greek wind deities became a fitting platform for these themes. Maggie saw it as a spin on the usual “seasons of change” idea and wanted to explore what that change would mean and how to form something new and better from it. Tyler and Maggie began work in earnest throughout 2017 on composing and writing the series, taking 11 months to write and record the first two EP’s, *Notos* and *Eurus*, as well as begin planning for the last two, *Boreas* and *Zephyrus*.

## Production and Release

### Notos and Eurus

After touring throughout early 2017, The Oh Hellos announced on November 15th their four-EP project and that the first in the series, *Notos*, would be released on December 8th. The same day, they simultaneously released the lead single, “Torches.” Soon after, they released more information regarding the series, stating the premise as an examination of the question, “Where did my ideas come from?” with this first EP exploring the initial discovery and challenges of one’s worldviews. Furthermore, the band stated that *Notos*, named after the southern wind deity, was inspired by memories of their summers in the Pacific Northwest and living among the threat of hurricanes on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Soon after *Notos* was released and the band began touring again, they announced the next EP, *Eurus*, as well as released the lead single “Grow” on January 18, 2018. *Eurus*, named after the eastern wind deity associated with fall, was described as attempting to examine the alienation and uncertainty that comes with branching away from groups that one used to identify with, especially considering the questions raised in *Notos*. This EP was subsequently released on February 9, 2018.

### Boreas and Zephyrus

As Tyler and Maggie continued work on the last two EPs of the series, they felt their own internal conflicts grow between their understandings of Christianity and the increasing support for politics contradictory to those teachings about how to treat others and the world. They continuously thought about how different conclusions could be drawn from the same religious background, and the initial “deconstruction/reconstruction” of faith idea that inspired the project felt less like the endpoint of the series as their crisis of conscience reached a fever pitch. Therefore, while they intended to release *Boreas* in the winter of 2019 to coincide with the deity’s season, they took longer than they expected after *Eurus*. Due to this turmoil and questioning of their own values, they wanted to leave room to reflect and be honest about the project and the surrounding emotions as they worked on the last leg of the series. However, amid the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, they eventually felt that it would be the perfect time to release the last EPs and conclude the series.

On August 11, 2020—a full two-and-a-half years after the release of *Eurus*—The Oh Hellos posted a video onto their social media accounts with an animation of a bear walking through snow in differing landscapes, created by illustrator and musician Louie Zong. The post included the date “8.21.20,” which many interpreted to be related to release of the next EP. As many predicted, the band subsequently announced the third EP in the series, *Boreas*, on August 21st. The same day, they released the lead single for the EP, the title track “Boreas.” The band described this EP, named for the northern wind deity that ushers in winter, as hearkening to the complacency and apathy that can be created through ignoring the difficulties of others, and the attempts to explore how we can grow from the uncertainty examined in *Eurus* into “something warmer and softer than who we’ve been.” *Boreas* was then released in full on September 4, 2020.

Just over two weeks after *Boreas*’ release, the band shared another animation done by Louie Zong, but now of birds flocking to the branches of blooming trees outside a window and singing in unison. This animation shared the date “10.2.2020.” Subsequently, on October 2nd, *Zephyrus*, the final EP in the series, was officially announced alongside the release of the lead single “Soap.” The band stated that for this EP, named after the western wind deity of the spring, their goal was to explore the result of the growth throughout the series and how one can break down structures that “keep us isolated and unfeeling.” The EP aims to explore working toward our more compassionate and better selves “if we can muster the courage to be vulnerable.” Finally, they released *Zephyrus* officially on October 16, 2020—exactly 5 years after the release of *Dear Wormwood* – concluding the Four Winds saga.

## EP Cycle

List of EP's in the Cycle
* Written by Maggie and Tyler Heath
* Format: Streaming, Digital download, CD and LP
* Written by Maggie and Tyler Heath
* Format: Streaming, Digital download, CD and LP
* Written by Maggie and Tyler Heath
* Format: Streaming, Digital download, CD and LP
* Written by Maggie and Tyler Heath
* Format: Streaming, Digital download, CD and LP
* Links: Spotify, Bandcamp

## References

1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 “Maggie and Tyler Heath: The Oh Hellos”. The BlackSheep Podcast: Presented by HM Magazine. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Harras, M. (2018, April 4). The Oh Hellos Interview. RadioUTD. http://radioutd.com/blog/2018/04/oh-hellos-interview/
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Heyde, K. (2018, March 26). Interview with Oh Hellos: Music as a Conversation in Modern Times of Uncertainty. Teal Magazine. https://tealmagazine.com/articles/interview-with-oh-hellos
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Oh Hellos. (2017, November 15) “Our new EP #Notos will be released on December…” Twitter. https://twitter.com/theohhellos/status/930935442236514304
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Notos. (2017, November 15). The Oh Hellos. https://music.theohhellos.com/album/notos
6. ↑ The Oh Hellos. (2017, December 8) “Our new EP Notos is now available everywhere! Stream, download HERE” Twitter. https://twitter.com/theohhellos/status/939134752321179649
7. ↑ The Oh Hellos. (2018, January 18) “Our new EP #Eurus will be out February 9th! Check out EP track Grow…” Twitter. https://twitter.com/theohhellos/status/954038084139606016
8. ↑ Eurus. (2018, January 18). The Oh Hellos. https://music.theohhellos.com/album/eurus
9. ↑ The Oh Hellos. (2018, February 9) “Eurus is out today! Available at your favorite digital music purveyor…” Twitter. https://twitter.com/theohhellos/status/961988567659560962
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Margolis, L. (2020, October 16). The Oh Hellos Examine What’s Blowin’ in the Wind. American Songwriter. https://americansongwriter.com/the-oh-hellos-examine-whats-blowin-in-the-wind/
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 The Oh Hellos. (2020, August 11) “8.21.20.” Twitter. https://twitter.com/theohhellos/status/1293222642259038209
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 The Oh Hellos. (2020, August 21) “The series continues on September 4th. The title single for our third…” Twitter. https://twitter.com/theohhellos/status/1296824188829872129
13. ↑ Boreas. (2020, August 21). The Oh Hellos. https://music.theohhellos.com/album/boreas
14. ↑ The Oh Hellos. (2020, September 4) “Snow-blanketed darkness. Candlelight behind cupped hands…” Twitter. https://twitter.com/theohhellos/status/1301914424740122625
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 The Oh Hellos. (2020, September 22) “GUESS WHO. 10.2.20.” Twitter. https://twitter.com/theohhellos/status/1308437287185702912
16. ↑ The Oh Hellos. (2020, October 2) “The series concludes on October 16th with the fourth installment, ‘Zephyrus'…” Twitter. https://twitter.com/theohhellos/status/1312053561543581701
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Zephyrus. (2020, October 2). The Oh Hellos. https://music.theohhellos.com/album/zephyrus
18. ↑ The Oh Hellos. (2020, October 16) “Tender leaves breaking through concrete. Mountain rivers surging with the first thaw.…” Twitter. https://twitter.com/theohhellos/status/1317121585837461504