Best described as keyboard-based, lyric-intensive acoustic rock, the semi-autobiographical songs on "Soul In Exile" use local and regional references as metaphors for universal experiences including love, loss, isolation, dealing with hatred, redemption, and finding one's place in the world.
Musically, The Hesh uses the piano as accompaniment to his vocals, the same way singer-songwriter-guitarists would use their guitars. However, he cautions against lumping him into the same stylistic category as other, better-known singer-songwriter-keyboard players ("Billy, Elton, Tori, and Ben F. are all cool, but they do their thing while I do mine," he says). Additionally, and significantly, the rock music emanating from the Jersey Shore in the 1970s played an important part in shaping The Hesh's musical style, although, thanks to many other influences, he can hardly be called another clone. Regarding his influences, Hesh says: "My maternal grandfather was a cantor and my father's family is/was Hasidic, so I have the music and the storytelling thing in my genes. In other words, I had no choice but to become a singer-songwriter."
Born in New York City, The Hesh has lived in many different places including New Jersey, Israel, Long Island, Boston, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. A self-taught musician, he has played in assorted bands of different genres, including rock, blues, r&b, reggae, 1970s-era disco, cover/tribute acts, and his own original "soul-punk-rock-r&b" band, in the New York-New Jersey-Philly corridor and in Israel.
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