"2 Heads" by Coleman Hell (Music)

What is the context?

Coleman Hell is a Canadian musician. He is from Thunder Bay, Ontario and is signed with Columbia Records. Hell’s debut song, released in February of 2015, was “2 Heads.” Hell now waits to release his first album in mid-2016. Coleman Hell is known for putting out self-made mixtapes. The first of these was an EP entitled VENA, released in 2014. “2 Heads” was one of the songs on this mixtape. This particular song has a sound vastly different from other music Hell produces. Coleman Hell’s genre consists of indie pop and EDM. “2 Heads” stands out due to banjo riffs done on the keyboard and a “folkier” sound. Hell’s explanation for this is that “2 Heads” will be featured on his debut album. Hell’s success developed over a short 8 months and continues to grow. His latest feat was touring with Robert DeLong, who has a very similar sound. Hell’s achievement with “2 Heads” can be seen on music charts from Canada and the United States. His debut song peaked at 9^th in Canada and 5^th in the US. “2 Heads” is influenced by classic older music.

What is the artist communicating and how?

The themes for these songs are comfort and possibility. Coleman Hell’s ultimate goal as a musician is to create good music in an unconventional way as if to bring comfort to the audience. Whether the audience listens to the song when they are upset or when they want to dance, it can be converted into anyone’s go-to song. Though Hell enjoys using piano and ukulele to create upbeat music he admires when a song is very meaningful. For Coleman Hell, “2 Heads” contains both energy and meaning in a foolproof way to allow people to dance and to think. “2 Heads” in particular is taken from the old saying “two heads are better than one.” Hell takes this saying and transforms it by explaining that if the two heads are not moving together there is a possibility to create a monster, but there is also possibility for romance. The song is ultimately based around a love story in a small town. Hell creates his own music video to this song by staging it in his hometown and recreating things he used to do. Whether to dance to or to think about, Coleman Hell’s “2 Heads” infuses love, values, and The Graduate to create a successful indie song.

 

Why I find it beautiful?

I find this song beautiful because of how the song can be translated between different people. Depending on what mood a person is in can alter their experience with “2 Heads.” There is possibility for one person to love the rhythm, beat, and use of banjo, while another person loves the story behind the lyrics. I also believe this song is beautiful because it is surrounded by a love story in a small town. Almost everyone wants to fall in love at least some time in their lives. With this song and the music video, the audience follows a modern youthful romance and a marriage. After reading interviews with Coleman Hell about “2 Heads,” he explained that the video is loosely based around when he was younger. This brings more reality into the video and pulls the audience into Hell’s life. Finally, the saying “two heads are better than one” strikes most people with a positive meaning. Hell, on the other hand, takes this and shows people the darker and monstrous side of two people being together. I think that reading articles about Coleman Hell allowed me to see another side of him and his music. I really appreciate how he wants his music to fit different personalities and moods. It means a lot when a musician wants their music to mean something, but also sound amazing. These wants are definitely translated through “2 Heads” in a positive way.