Tracy Shedd + Pinky Verde concert at Tiki Bar has been rescheduled

Tracy Shedd + Pinky Verde at Tiki Bar in Carolina Beach NC; Thursday, September 23, 7pm

Tracy Shedd + Pinky Verde at Tiki Bar in Carolina Beach NC; Thursday, September 9, 7pm

Tracy Shedd 'Blue' 20th Anniversary Vinyl Edition

It is with great pleasure that we share with you... Fort Lowell Records has teamed up with indie pop legends Teen-Beat to bring you the debut album, Blue, by our very own Tracy Shedd on vinyl record for the very first time in twenty-years, commemorating the 20th anniversary of Blue's original release on Compact Disc by Teen-Beat.  Tracy Shedd Blue has been pressed on 140-gram blue vinyl, and is limited to (100) hand-numbered copies, which include a full lyric sheet.  Get your copy today!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR VINYL RECORD

Happy Birthday to Richard Dudley of Brec, Moyamoya, and Tracy Shedd

Happy Birthday, Tracy Shedd!

Tracy Shedd played a 'secret show' in Wilmington NC last night

If you knew, then you know... yesterday [Thursday, June 24th] local Wilmington NC record store -- The Fuzzy Needle -- hosted a super secret show for Fort Lowell Records' own Tracy Shedd.  She performed five songs on acoustic guitar: "Catching the Breeze", "Encourage Me", "Broken Arrows", "Tear it Up", and "Brighton".

Tracy Shedd, live at The Fuzzy Needle

6 super-fun things to do for Wilmington's first full weekend of summer

[Repost from StarNews Online; by John Staton, June 24, 2021]

Friday: Tracy Shedd and Kicking Bird

Presented by the vinyl and gift shop Modern Legend, it's a great double bill of music to get your weekend started.

The Wilmington-based singer, songwriter and Fort Lowell Records artist Tracy Shedd will be making her first local appearance since 2019 with this show. Shedd, whose career spans more than 20 years, is a master of deeply groovy indie pop that sounds supremely sweet yet often hints at darkness. Shedd's band will feature a special appearance by longtime Wilmington musician Brian Weeks (De La Noche, Summer Set) on keys.

Also on the bill is the Wilmington garage rock band Kicking Bird, which played an incendiary show outdoors at the Palate bar and restaurant back in April. Some songs have a grungy, girl-group vibe, while others are full-on rockers.

Both acts have songs on the Fort Lowell release "GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter," which is a great collection of Wilmington acts past and present. Sales of the record benefit the North Carolina New Hanover County NAACP.

Details: 9 p.m. June 25 at Satellite Bar and Lounge, 120 Greenfield St., Wilmington.

Tracy Shedd + Kicking Bird live in concert at Satellite!

One week from today (June 25th), Tracy Shedd + Kicking Bird will be playing live in concert at Satellite Bar & Lounge, and special guest -- Brian Weeks -- of De La Noche / Summer Set will be making an exclusive appearance on the Minimoog with Tracy Shedd. Show starts at 9:00pm. You won't want to miss it!

Photo by Jake Thomas

Tracy Shedd 'Blue' 20th Anniversary Vinyl Release w/ Teen-Beat

Thanks to Mark Robinson of Teen-Beat, plus Jeff Lipton & Maria Rice of Peerless Mastering, Fort Lowell Records is very, very excited to share with you that... to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Tracy Shedd's debut album -- Blue [Teen-Beat 312; March 19, 2001] -- we will be partnering with Teen-Beat this year to release Tracy Shedd Blue on 12inch vinyl record for the first time ever; completely remastered! Production is wrapping up, and we hope to have the records available by the fall season. Stay tuned for more details!

Wilmington love songs for Valentine's Day

[Repost from StarNews Online; by John Staton, Feb 11, 2021] - Edited*

Most songs are love songs in one way or another: what love feels like, what NOT having it feels like, and all of the infinitely complex feelings and shades of gray in between.

So, with Valentine's Day on Sunday, let's take a look at a few love songs that have been written by Wilmington artists over the years -- at 14, it's just a fraction of what's out there, with dozens more worthy entries that will have to go unmentioned in this story.

*NOTE: This repost of the original StarNews Online post has been edited to highlight the (4) artists out of the total fourteen who were featured on Fort Lowell Records' GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter.  Please view the original post here to learn about all fourteen artists that were included.

The Rosebuds: "Wishes for Kisses"

This soaring, anthemic song is from The Rosebuds' 2003 Merge Records debut, "The Rosebuds Make Out." Much of it was written (and, early on, performed) in Wilmington before the band (Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp) moved to Raleigh. "Wishes for Kisses" captures the nervous hopefulness of a love, or a crush, in its early stages, a dream both unfulfilled and much-ruminated on. Lovely lyric: "But he's thought of everything/ The songbooks, the songs they would sing/ He's makin' his wish list/ And wishin' for kisses tonight."

Sean Thomas Gerard: "Jovie"

The love of a parent for a child is among the emotion's purest forms. Sean Thomas Gerard, known for his work with Wilmington rockers Onward, Soldiers, wrote this dreamy soft-rock tune for his daughter the day before she was born last year. It'll be on his upcoming album "Finally Found a Paradise," set to be released March 30 on Wilmington's own Fort Lowell Records. Lovely lyric:"Jovie/ Hope you let me down slowly/ When you feel like you're fenced in/ Call my name and I'll be there in an instant."

More: New Wilmington song ‘Jovie’ will lift your spirits

Tracy Shedd: "Valentine"

Short and sweet, with a hint of darkness, like chocolate. Wilmington-based singer Shedd's vocals are on time here, dreamy and delicate like a memory of long-lost love. Lovely lyric: "Take me back to the place I can dream/ And I'll dream all day."

Pinky Verde: "Antacid 750s"

Heather Jensen, who records and performs moody indie rock under the moniker Pinky Verde, released the song “Antacid 750s" last year. It's about the intense emotion conjured by a new love affair, and slyly compares those feelings to a different kind of heartburn. Jensen's laid-back delivery makes it all sound like no big deal, but her lyrics give away her true feelings. Lovely lyric: "Days so content with you spent/ Haven't felt a hunger/ Haven't eaten for days/ Don't need to when I'm here with you."

More: Wilmington band Pinky Verde releases song from the heart

"Love is a complex emotion, as shown by this heart-shaped graffiti in Smith Alley between Market and Princess streets -- and as shown by the love songs written by Wilmington musicians." [Photo By Paul Stephen]

Gravity Records Commercial, by Hendy Street Produxions (ft. 'GROW')

Hendy Street Produxions made a new commercial for Wilmington, North Carolina's own Gravity Records, and choose four artists from the Fort Lowell Records' album -- GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter -- to use for the music: The Majestic Twelve "Amphibious Vehicular Love", Team Player "Wake for You", Sean Thomas Gerard "Strange & Electrifying", and Tracy Shedd "Holding Space".   Learn more about GROW here, and then order your copy from Gravity Records here.

Premiere: Tracy Shedd’s “Holding Space”

[Repost from Independent Clauses; by Stephen Carradini, October 15, 2020]

I’m a big fan of Tracy Shedd, The Band and the Beat, and Fort Lowell Records– all efforts of some combination of Shedd and James Tritten. They (in Fort Lowell form) have a new compilation coming out called GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter. The label explains that “The project, focused on Wilmington, North Carolina, is a response to the racial injustice continuously displayed by law enforcement across the United States of America.  Friends of the formerly Tucson, Arizona-based label involved with GROW have donated their own talents to allow 100% of the sales from the record to endow the New Hanover County NAACP with working capital to help Fort Lowell’s newly adopted local community. GROW is an effort to help address the dire effects of racism in America.”

In advance of the record, they’re releasing four singles, and we have the honor of premiering Tracy Shedd’s single/video for “Holding Space.” The video is here:

The song is an icy, stark, downtempo electro framework with Shedd’s inviting vocals lifting the proceedings. “Are you listening?” she asks over a rubbery bass guitar, Casio-esque tinny synths, and distant tambourine clink. “Holding space / make it a better world” she croons over the chorus, as the instrumentation cheers slightly to meet the hopeful lyrics. The song isn’t long (2:59), keeping things tight and urgent. This is especially reflected in the coda of the song, which shudders to a sudden halt, leaving the listener with a sense of incompleteness that fits the lyrics. The accompanying video focuses on moving shots of horses and plants (particularly flowering ones, plus the spiky/beautiful aloe plant), but with a cold, desaturated color palette reflecting the dim light of the song’s sonic world. It’s a unique, interesting song with a tightly connected video.

You can also listen to “Holding Space” via SoundCloud:

Fort Lowell Records · Tracy Shedd "Holding Space"

“Holding Space” officially releases Friday, October 16th. The full album of GROW will be released on Friday, October 30th.

Pre-Order links for GROW are here: Gravity Records, Modern Legend, Yellow Dog Discs.

3rd single from 'GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter' is out now

Tracy Shedd believes creativity is a necessity of life, and our surroundings should inspire us. Since 1999, she has crafted melodic, heartfelt compositions that encourage people to make the most out of every moment.  Shedd is an indie rock musician who has released six studio albums with Teen-Beat, New Granada Records, Devil In The Woods, and Science Project Records / Fort Lowell Records, licensed music to Dawson’s Creek, One Tree Hill, The Fosters, and “The Rebound” (ft. Catherine Zeta-Jones), performed at CBGB, The Florida Theatre, plus festivals such as CMJ and SXSW, and has shared the stage with Cyndi Lauper, Cat Power, Iron & Wine, The Magnetic Fields, and David J (Bauhaus, Love & Rockets); not to mention Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth sat in on drums for her during a US tour.  

We are happy to announce to you today that the "Queen of Slowcore" Tracy Shedd's single -- "Holding Space" -- from the album GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter is out now -- Friday, October 16, 2020 -- on all digital music download and streaming platforms.  

As a member of her newly adopted community -- Wilmington, North Carolina -- and a contributing artist to GROW, Tracy Shedd is using music to speak out about the racial injustice continuously displayed by law enforcement across the United States of America with her song "Holding Space".  GROW will be released in its entirety on Friday, October 30, 2020, and the vinyl record is available for pre-order now from Gravity Records, Modern Legend, and Yellow Dog Discs.  100% of the sales from GROW will be donated to the North Carolina New Hanover County NAACP to help ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.  GROW is an effort to help address the dire effects of racism in America; thank you in advance for your support. - Fort Lowell Records

Happy Birthday, Tracy Shedd!

Listen to "Mantra" now, a brand new song by Tracy Shedd

"Mantra," scheduled to be released on Friday, May 22nd, was written and recorded by Tracy Shedd during the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020. Just as the butterfly effect caused the coronavirus to spread across the world, Tracy Shedd's new song, "Mantra," is an optimistic melody set in motion to make a positive change in our world.




Cover photograph by Julia DeConcini

The full story behind Tracy Shedd's "How Your Eyes Affect Me"

This coming Friday, December 20, Tracy Shedd will be releasing a brand new single - a new version of an old song - "How Your Eyes Affect Me," which was originally released on Shedd's EP88 (Eskimo Kiss Records) in 2010.  EP88 was Shedd's first collection of songs that the classically trained indie pop pianist had ever written or performed on piano.  Prior to, Shedd had been playing and writing all of her music on guitar; until she was given an opportunity by Tucson AZ radio station, KXCI, to perform a few holiday tunes during the winter of 2009, when she bought her first piano to play a few jingles on the air.  The ultimate result of that purchase was EP88, including the song "How Your Eyes Affect Me."

The following year, Tracy Shedd and husband / band-mate, James Tritten, decided to embark on a US Tour as a duet; leaving out a live bass player or drummer.  Instead, they used a drum machine app from their iPhone to create a beat, while both played electric guitar; adjusting their delivery of each song to fit this new arrangement.  On December 2, 2011, the couple performed at New World Brewery in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida, and friend, Aaron O'Laughlin just happened to capture the performance on video. Eight days later, O'Laughlin posted his video recording of a more upbeat drum machine driven version of "How Your Eyes Affect Me", which would end up serving as the main inspiration that motivated Shedd and Tritten to start their electronic music project, Band & The Beat.

Fast forward eight years, Tracy Shedd documented a studio recording of that same version performed in 2011, and now the aptly named single "How Your Eyes Affect Me (The New World Brewery Version)" will be officially available on all digital music download and streaming platforms - Amazon, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Google Play, Pandora, Spotify, YouTube, etc. - for your listening enjoyment this holiday season.   To help celebrate the New World Brewery version of Shedd's classic tune, Aaron O'Laughlin himself made a new music video for "How Your Eyes Affect Me (The New World Brewery Version)" using his original video footage taken at New World Brewery nearly a decade ago.

Enjoy this visual rendition below of the "How Your Eyes Affect Me" story, which includes O'Laughlin's original video recording, plus his music video for Tracy Shedd new single:

Here is the original studio recording of "How Your Eyes Affect Me" from EP88:



Here is a live performance of the original version, performed at The Rialto Theatre in Tucson AZ:



Here is a live performance of the original version, performed in Tucson 12's Television Studio:



Here is Aaron O'Laughlin's original video recording from New World Brewery in 2011:



Here is Aaron O'Laughlin's music video for the new version of "How Your Eyes Affect Me":

Listen to Tracy Shedd's remix of L.A. Dies "Tend To Do" now!

On Friday, November 29th, our dear friends at the Harding Street Assembly Lab record label will be dropping the new L.A. Dies maxi-single! “Tend To Do” is the second official cut to be featured from the four-piece’s spectacular LP, Drifting Still. Harding Street Assembly Lab fans can hear the entire release here prior to the 29th!

At L.A. Dies album’s release back in September, Harding Street Assembly Lab reached out to their friends & family about the possibility of reworking one of the tunes. Multiple responses were that the track would have to be “Tend To Do”. For this maxi-single, which clocks in at roughly 18 minutes, the single proper is paired with remixes from Fort Lowell Records' own Tracy Shedd (ex-Band & The Beat), Benjamin Mauch (Colin Phils) & Opin (who are currently mixing down their new LP for Harding Street Assembly Lab).

The single comes across like a long-lost remnant from the last Cocteau Twins album. Slithering bass lines that work around programmed rhythms with a vocal delivery that earns allure as it escapes translation. Each of the remixes lean into the ethereal space trapped within the original. Tracy Shedd & Opin both find themselves working with processed percussive elements to augment the tune. Ben Mauch’s redux is floats away from the base, landing at an authentic recreation.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO L.A. DIES MAXI-SINGLE NOW, and HEAR TRACY SHEDD'S REMIX NOW!

Tracy Shedd's third album, originally released in 2004, is finally available again!

Louder Than You Can Hear, Tracy Shedd's 2004 full-length studio album was originally made available by Devil In The Woods, on the heals of Shedd's debut and sophomore records - Blue and Red [Teen-Beat], and was distributed through digital music streaming / download platforms... until now!  Fort Lowell Records presents to you: Tracy Shedd Louder Than You Can Hear.  Download or stream it now on Apple Music, Bandcamp, Google Play, Spotify, etc.!

Tracy Shedd has a new single out today - Friday, November 8th

Inspired by the Roland TR-808 Drum Machine and old-school hip-hop beats, Tracy Shedd's latest single - "The Rest Will Follow (The Freestyle Version)" - is a NEW version of the song "The Rest Will Follow" that appears on her latest album The Carolinas.   This is the exact version of the song that Shedd performed at her Record Release Party for The Carolinas, which was held at Bourgie Nights in Wilmington, North Carolina with friends De La Noche.  The Digital 45 Single is backed by the virtual b-side track - "Wake Up" - which is an outtake from The Carolinas recording sessions.  Both new songs are now available on all digital music streaming / download platforms, such as Amazon Music, iTunes, Spotify, etc.

LISTEN NOW:

VNYL features Tracy Shedd, Beck, The 1975, and more on Spotify 'What's Hot' Playlist!

[Repost from VNYL]

Ooooooh la la lovers of retro. Do we have the power up for your bonus hour of weekend. Our Spotify What’s Hot playlist has just been updated to include new tracks from The 1975, Beck, Power Glove, and Tracy Shedd; featuring “Vengeance” the lead track from Power Glove’s Halloween special glow in the dark vinyl Throwback. Impending doom lingers atop synth-wave backsound as the anonymous duo catapults you straight into apocalyptic soundscapes.