Heidi Gluck is a delicate flower that, to our delight, has decided to firmly plant her roots in Lawrence. Ever so elegant, the graceful musician can be found quietly plucking away in various corners of Lawrence. You won’t find her making a grand entry anywhere, but you will find her carving a soft and subtle presence in your heart. So this Friday, you may want to have yourself a not-so-traditional Valentine’s Day when she plays an early show at the Replay.
It’s hard not to fall in love with this tender musician. Heidi is incredibly talented, a multi-instrumentalist, and a vocalist who can soothe away all your fears and insecurities. She grew up in a musical household in Indiana, and started writing songs at an early age. Before long, she found herself moving to Lawrence with a new role when she gave birth to her son. For a moment, Heidi nearly put music on the back burner. “I moved here, I had a baby. Then I got a job in Kansas City, so I kind of left music aside,” says Heidi. “When I took that break, I physically faded away. I lost 20 pounds, I hated my life.” Heidi admits that in the end, it was her maternal duty to start writing music again. “This was the only way I can feel alive. It’s also really important to me to show my son that he needs to see his soul, he needs to find that thing that feeds him.”
Fitting into a new musical community, however, would prove challenging. “In Lawrence, I feel like I just moved here last week. Every time I play a show, it’s starting to change,” says Heidi, who confided it’s taken some time to feel embraced by Lawrence. “I think it’s just taking me longer.”
But a string of gigs at the Replay and working within the SeedCo community means Heidi’s recently been turning some heads. That means that now, Heidi’s finally going full steam ahead with her musical career. “What I’m concentrating on is writing writing writing, making making making, because that’s the only thing I can really control,” says Heidi. “I’m not starving for a record deal or something. I just want to write, and I want to keep on writing. I just want to be busy making.”
Come see what Heidi’s been making when she plays the Replay this Valentine’s Day at 6:00 p.m. with Josh Berwanger.
Words and photos by Fally Afani