New York City trans nonbinary artist Hank Heaven has announced their forthcoming EP, Welterweight, arriving August 14 via their new label home, Nice Life Recording Company. Marking the first release under the label, the six-track project represents a defining new chapter for the singer-songwriter, pairing deeply personal storytelling with an intimate, stripped-back approach that reflects both artistic and personal transformation.
Produced by acclaimed producer Phil Weinrobe, whose credits include Adrienne Lenker and Big Thief, Welterweight explores themes of love, addiction, identity, and recovery through a collection of raw, emotionally resonant songs. Throughout the EP, Hank Heaven balances vulnerability with a dry, self-aware wit, drawing from lived experience to create music that feels deeply authentic and profoundly human.
Following the release of the yearning lead single “Thread,” Hank Heaven now shares “I Wanna Be Your Man,” a tender reflection on falling in love while embracing emotional growth and a changing sense of self. Centered around Hank’s expressive vocals and delicate guitar work, the song gradually blossoms through swelling string arrangements that add emotional weight without overshadowing its intimate core.
The accompanying music video, directed by Weston Borg, mirrors the song’s understated vulnerability. Filmed as the camera follows Hank walking through Wall Street in a sharply tailored suit, the visual captures the quiet confidence and introspection that define both the single and the forthcoming EP.
At its heart, Welterweight reflects a rare alignment between Hank Heaven’s personal life and creative identity. After embracing sobriety, removing distractions from daily life, transitioning, and fully changing their name, Hank found renewed clarity that shaped the songwriting process. Those life changes inspired a collection of direct, emotionally honest observations that examine past mistakes, lost relationships, and missed opportunities while remaining grounded in hope, resilience, and personal growth. The result balances the introspective weight of memoir with the optimism of a coming-of-age story.
Musically, the EP marks a notable departure from the conceptual production of Loaded Dice, Hank Heaven’s 2024 release that explored love and addiction through the metaphor of an unlucky gambler. On Welterweight, Hank and Phil Weinrobe intentionally strip away layered production, programmed drums, and heavy effects, opting instead to record vocals and instrumentation live. The decision preserves every subtle imperfection, allowing each performance to feel immediate, lived-in, and emotionally unfiltered.
Before emerging as a solo artist, Hank Heaven established a reputation as a sought-after guitarist, touring internationally as a jazz musician before settling in Brooklyn. Their versatility soon led to work as a session and touring guitarist for artists including Samia, Del Water Gap, and Gus Dapperton. Those collaborative experiences helped shape Hank’s own songwriting voice, first showcased on the introspective debut EP Call Me Hank and further developed on Loaded Dice, which examined identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of navigating adulthood as a young trans songwriter.
With Welterweight, Hank Heaven delivers their most personal and emotionally direct work to date. Led by the poignant vulnerability of “I Wanna Be Your Man,” the EP embraces honesty over perfection, offering an intimate portrait of an artist stepping confidently into a new chapter both creatively and personally.
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