Erika Wennerstrom is the sole constant member of the Heartless Bastards, playing Friday at Oregon Spirit Distillers. 

When it came time to release an album of new songs in 2021, Erika Wennerstrom considered doing so under her own name — as a solo effort, rather than the sixth album from her long-running rock band the Heartless Bastards.

That would’ve made sense. For all of the Bastards’ existence, Wennerstrom has been the project’s driving force, writing the songs and lyrics, fronting the band, making the decisions and so forth. She is the sole constant member over the past 15 years. Not to mention, the Bastards are one of those “Whoa, that voice!” bands, where you listen for a bit and sooner or later the bluesy roots-rock kind of fades into the background and you realize that the person singing has a distinctive singing voice that’s sturdy and versatile and affecting and majestic. That’s Wennerstrom’s voice.

Ultimately, she decided to release it as the latest Heartless Bastards album, and it marks a sonic departure for the band, away from the bluesy roots-rock to more pop, psychedelic and symphonic sounds. The Austin Chronicle said it “reaches a new pinnacle for the songwriter, and signals a remarkable turning point on a new path forward.”

Heartless Bastards, with Beyond the Lamplight: $25, 6 p.m. Friday, Oregon Spirit Distillers, 740 NE First Street, Bend, bendticket.com.