OUT NOW: Tracy Shedd "Going Somewhere" [Digital Single]

Available on all digital audio platforms, Tracy Shedd's latest single "Going Somewhere" is out today -- Friday, March 25th -- featuring James Sardone (Brickbat, Loose Jets).  For fans of Alvvays, Stereolab, and Wilco.

Photo by Scott Madgett

Lauds | Interview | “We’re a guitar band first and foremost”

[Repost from It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine; Klemen Breznikar, March 18, 2022]

Lauds is part of the dream pop-shoegaze-post-punk continuum, but carries an unpredictable edge.

Lauds are a band from Wilmington, NC that was formed in the spring of 2019 by songwriters McKay Glasgow and J. Holt Evans III. Bonding over their love of Slowdive and Neil Young, the band plays in the style of the former while channeling some of latter’s more untamed guitarscapes. Glasgow and Evans were both craving an outlet to make guitar-oriented rock music, and Lauds is the result. Glasgow is also a member of Tumbleweed, a folk-rock group, but had songwriting ideas that didn’t fit within their confines. Teaming up with Evans, who has spent a lot of his free time in recent years recording reverbed-out bedroom pop songs, the two founded Lauds as a project to unleash their Jazzmaster ambitions.

How did you get together to form Lauds?

Evans: My dad does a lot of music production work in Wilmington, North Carolina which is where we’re all from and grew up. McKay and I met while he was finishing up his folk band Tumbleweed’s first record at my dad’s studio. We kind of just immediately became pals, starting jamming, grabbing beers and the rest is history I guess. We were both sitting on piles of old demos that neither of us had found a home for and realized we were on to something when we started playing them for each other and rearranging them together to be all about the guitars. We added my brother Boyce on drums and our friend Rett on bass after that and started playing shows.

What inspires your music?

Evans: We’re a guitar band first and foremost. I think when you look under the Lauds hood we’re really just striving to capture feelings from different frames of mind and experiences that are meaningful to us and turn those into memorable guitar melodies. I’m a huge reverb and chorus guy because my dad played that U2 album ‘October’ too many times in the car when I was a kid. I feel like those sounds are almost integral to how I approach the guitar for better or for worse. We kind of started Lauds on this half joke premise of what if there was a band that sounded like Neil Young and Crazy Horse covering Slowdive. We really don’t sound like that at all, which I guess is probably a good thing, but we did try to cover ‘Cortez the Killer’ at our first show. Very grateful there doesn’t seem to be footage of that anywhere.

Glasgow: We want to write songs that we like and that are interesting sonically and hopefully that at least our friends will like. For me, a lot of the appeal in performing and writing now comes from the ways the guitar riffs interlock and the generally very affected sounds that are a bit off center. Lately we’ve been putting more emphasis on trying to make songs really groove with the backing drums and bass so that people can move around more at shows. It’s just more fun for everybody to want to bounce around.

What can you tell us about the 4-track EP that you released via Fort Lowell Records?

Glasgow: I think it’s safe to say we feel it’s our strongest work to date. The recording process was less about trying to come up with perfect parts and more about getting the sounds right. We tried to limit adding additional guitars in the mix and keep the arrangements replicable for live shows. It’s a bit more distorted and aggressive at moments than any of our other stuff but it has the familiar melodic breaks and bouncy baselines that will always be a part of our songs. There is also more singing in lower registers to fit the mood of some of the tracks.

Evans: We took months and months between putting out our first batch of singles and releasing the EP. The pandemic definitely slowed us down but in hindsight I’m really glad we took our time with these songs and the writing process in general. Like McKay said, we spent a lot of time trying to hone in on a unified vibe for the record that fit the mood of the songs and I think that extra time really helped pull everything together in the end.

What about the single, ‘Are You There All Alone’?

Glasgow: Holt 3 and I had a couple weeks where we sat down and tried writing in post-surf stupors. Basically we sat there with an acoustic guitar and bass, not overthinking and came up with a couple songs we felt good about at the time. But as every songwriter knows, it’s the days after that determine whether or not you were being delusional. We listened later and were like, “That was okay.” ‘Are You There All Alone’ was one of those songs. We started thinking, maybe this is a better way to write songs than laboring over them. We have enough songs now where we can let a song go for a while and come back to it so that has kept us from agonizing over trying to make a song work that just isn’t there yet.

Evans: That one was written quickly. We both locked in on a chord progression and 5 minutes later we were giggling like little kids. We knew that we had just written a great song. Can’t recommend the post-surf stupor enough.

Are you planning to release an album in the near future?

Glasgow: We’ve got about 12 songs ready to go after EP 2. The plan is to get a full album done and out this summer before some of the guys head off for school. We have felt really inspired to write music so we aren’t wanting to take the next six months for granted.

How are you coping with the current situation as a new band? Are you excited about being on stage?

Evans: We love playing live. It’s probably at least 90% of the reason we started the band, to share our music with our friends in a common space and have a great time doing it. Obviously we wish the state of the world wasn’t what it currently is but we’re trying to make the most out of it while striving to be as safe as possible for all involved. We’re stoked to have added our good friends and great musicians Ross Page and Gavin Campbell to the band. I feel like we’re probably the best we have ever been as a live unit in terms of tightness and musicianship.

Glasgow: We are trying to be responsible and not overly fearful. We have canceled some shows out of town in February but we are planning shows for the Spring and hoping for the best. We would be very excited to get back to playing consistently through the spring and summer if it’s possible. And if we can’t then it’s just more time to record.

Let’s end this interview with some of your favorite albums. Have you found something new lately you would like to recommend to our readers?

Evans: I know ‘Twin Plagues’ by the band Wednesday is a new album that’s been on heavy rotation for all of the guys recently. Great heavy shoegaze with an almost country bent out of Asheville, NC. Siouxsie and the Banshees ‘Tinderbox’ and ‘Script of the Bridge’ by the Chameleons are classics that are big for us. We also all liked the newest Deafheaven album a lot as well. I feel like I tell everybody I know to listen to that record. It’s amazing. Other than that, been bumping this bootleg copy of Mobb Deep’s ‘The Infamous’ that I got on CD for $2 at a gas station a lot in the car.

Thank you. Last word is yours.

Evans: Thanks! We feel really privileged to be a part of an incredible music scene in our hometown. Lots of melodic and fun guitar music in all sorts of flavors. Our drummer Ross is the king of Wilmington and in about 18 bands and all of them are great. Check out Seeking Madras (jangletown), AZZA (chorused out political punk), Nice Derek (the only band on this list Ross is not in), and Color Temperature (like Guided by Voices covering Talk Talk).

Photo by Mary Hannah

MindsOne + James Sardone live in concert Friday, April 22 at Satellite Bar & Lounge

Meet Heather Ivins | Graphic Designer & Fine Artist

Heather Ivins is the artist who created the illustration for Tracy Shedd's new single "Going Somewhere", due our Friday, March 25th.  Here is a photograph of the original art Ivins drew, along with the final cover art for the release.  Below is a recent interview Ivins did with ShoutOut Miami.

[Repost from ShoutOut Miami; March 16, 2022]

We had the good fortune of connecting with Heather Ivins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Heather, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?

There was never going to be another choice for me—I’ve always known that I would work as a creative, in some capacity or another. I’ve been creative/artistic since as far back as I can remember, and I’m fortunate to have a family that encouraged and supported my creative expression.

As a young kid, I would design stickers and sell them at family yard sales. I would cut up newspapers, rearrange the pieces, and write new text to create my own publications. As a teenager, I hand painted t-shirts and gifted them to friends and family, which eventually led to painted t-shirt commissions (remember the days of puffy paint?). I would sculpt trinkets for friends to hang on their rear-view mirrors and paint my friends’ portraits as flowers, giving them petals instead of hair. It has always brought me joy to make others happy with my artwork.

In my senior year of high school, I participated in the school’s work experience program, where you would leave school for most of the day to go to work. I remember being in search of a job and flipping through the yellow pages to find something suitable. I was determined to find a position that would make good use of my creative skills. I came across the sign-making industry and quickly found myself working at a little sign shop in Stuart, where I began learning graphic design on the job. In my spare time, I continued to teach myself graphic design applications and principles in order to pursue a career in it.

I’ve since worked as a designer for over 20 years for a number of companies, including AOL and Fast Company Magazine. Most recently, I’ve joined forces with my husband, John Ciambriello, to officially form HEATHER & JOHN, a creative studio specializing in brand design, post-production photo editing, and illustration. Our most recent project was the re-branding of our local arts council, MartinArts. This was a very rewarding project for us, as my husband and I are both members of the local arts community.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

In addition to being a graphic designer, I’m also a fine artist and illustrator. I love to experiment and to explore different media, techniques, and subjects. I don’t just do one thing—which is kind of a theme running through my whole life (I’ve also dabbled in music and health coaching!). I don’t like comparing myself to other artists, but perhaps this is what sets me apart—you never know what you’ll get from me! I’m best known for my photorealistic colored pencil pet portrait commissions. But, I also paint with watercolor and gouache. And ink. And Posca paint pens. And my fingers! And cat whiskers! The one thing that I think remains consistent, though, is that I like the finished artwork to convey a sense of beauty and wonder.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

THE BEACH! The beach is a must, obviously, when visiting Florida (I’m in Stuart). On our way back, we would stop at Ital Bowls for a healthy treat. We would take bike rides around town and enjoy the beautiful local environment. Anyone visiting me has to come with me to my favorite little cafe and storefront, Hani Honey Company. They have awesome bubble tea, coffee drinks, and really yummy food. We would also head to Gilbert’s Coffee Bar to enjoy a tasty beverage while taking in the gorgeous sunset—they have the perfect view of the sunset over the marina. We would walk along the water and over to Downtown Stuart. After that, we would definitely hop in the car and go eat at my favorite restaurant, South Fork Kitchen and Bar. And then we’d come home and relax in my back yard looking at the stars. That’s just the first day of the visit—the rest of the week, just hit repeat.

Alright, so let’s jump right in! The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there a person, group, organization, book, etc that you want to dedicate your shoutout to? Who else deserves a little credit and recognition in your story?

I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to my family. My mom, April Newswander, has always been super-supportive of my artistic pursuits. My husband, John Ciambriello, is my rock. He’s also my sounding board and has no qualms about telling me something isn’t working or needs re-thinking (or sucks!). And my son, Lee, is incredibly creative, artistic, and unafraid to be himself—he’s an inspiration to me.

Website: www.heatherivins.com & www.heatherandjohn.co

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatherivins & https://www.instagram.com/heatherandjohn.co

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heatherivinsart

Photo by John Ciambriello

WL//WH Premiere: LAUDS “Rust” single

[Repost from White Light // White Heat; by Fabrizio Lusso, May 10, 2022]

Lauds are a band from Wilmington, North Carolina started in the spring of 2019 by songwriters McKay Glasgow and J. Holt Evans III, bonding over their common love of Slowdive and Neil Young, and nurtured by further inspirations such as Creation Records and Captured Tracks, as well as British alt-rock legends like Ride, Chapterhouse, and The Cure.

With the addition of Boyce S. Evans, Gavin Campbell and Ross Page, the 5-piece released last summer’s promising self-titled debut 4-tracker followed by a transitional single, “Are You There All Alone”, in November, while preparing for the sophomore EP, entitled “II”, due for March 29, 2022, via fellow DIY label Fort Lowell Records, anticipated by the single “Rust”, WL//WH is very pleased to premiere.

And mainly the springlike, sparkling and nostalgic arpeggiated 6-string leanings to bands such as Beach Fossils and Real Estate, enriched with airy and dreamy 60s harmonic sensibilities, mostly define “Rust”, that lyric-wise captures the ambivalent push, pull, and ultimately corrosion that foolish mind games and toxic manipulations inflict on a relationship.

“Rust” manages to sound fresh, deceptively simple and enthralling, gliding through sun-dappled glares rippled with wandering crystalline refractions from obsessively tangled jangly guitar lines, built on velvety churning, serpentine bass pulses and lively drum beats, to twist twinkling wistful melodies around euphoric angsty vocal longings, restless hums, and regretful daydreams to slip hopelessly into a fading sunset of wasted fate.

A sheer and emotional outpouring of timeless intoxicating pop melodies as regained from the blurry mists of memories for some, contemporary and exciting for others, which for 3 minutes makes you dream and deceive yourself of living in a never-ending reverie.

Lauds‘ new single “Rust” will be released tomorrow March 11, 2022, while the upcoming sophomore EP, “II”, is scheduled for March 29, 2022, both on Digital, through Wilmington, NC‘s independent label Fort Lowell Records‘ Bandcamp and the main sharing platforms,

Photo by Mary Hannah

OUT NOW: Lauds "Rust" [Digital Single]

Available on all digital music platforms today (March 11), "Rust" is a brand new song by the boys from Wilmington, North Carolina -- Lauds -- that is part of their second Digital EP II, due out at the end of March.  Pre-order II now on Bandcamp, and receive a copy of Laud's new single "Rust" in advance.

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDR LAUDS II NOW!

Wilmington Record Show at Waterline Brewing - Saturday, March 5 from 11:00am-5:00pm

Upcoming 2022 Fort Lowell Records Releases

While on the frontlines of social media, it may seem that things have been quiet around Fort Lowell Records' headquarters so far this year, we have to tell it is has been quite the opposite. As of today, there are six (6) brand new releases scheduled for this year, plus at least two (2) and possibly up to (4) vinyl re-releases of previous digital only records. Below is an overview of what's to come.  Stay tuned to Instagram, Twitter, or our Email List for more updates!

NEW RELEASES

• Lauds II | Digital EP ~ March 29, 2022
• Tracy Shedd "Going Somewhere" | Digital Single ~ March (TBD), 2022
• This Water is Life, Vol. I | feat. MindsOne & DJ Iron and James Sardone | Vinyl EP ~ April 22, 2022
• Desario Signal and Noise | Vinyl LP ~ Early Summer 2022
• Kitimoto Vintage Smell | Vinyl LP ~ Early Summer 2022
• JPW Something Happening / Always Happening | Vinyl LP ~ Late Summer 2022

VINYL RE-RELEASES

• Moyamoya Hawn | Vinyl LP ~ Early Summer 2022
• La Cerca A Nice Sweet Getaway | Vinyl LP ~ Fall 2022
• Audio Explorations ActionReaction | Vinyl LP ~ Tentative
• Lauds [Debut Album, Name TBD] | Vinyl LP ~ Tentative

Lauds II | Digital EP


Tracy Shedd "Going Somewhere" | Digital Single



This Water is Life, Vol. I | feat. MindsOne & DJ Iron and James Sardone | Vinyl EP

Desario Signal and Noise | Vinyl LP

Kitimoto Vintage Smell | Vinyl LP

JPW Something Happening / Always Happening | Vinyl LP

Moyamoya Hawn | Vinyl LP

La Cerca A Nice Sweet Getaway | Vinyl LP

Audio Explorations ActionReaction | Vinyl LP

We've got beanies!

Just in time for all of this snow, Fort Lowell Records is very happy to let you know that we've got beanies available for sale!  And not just any beanie, but supercomfy, superior cotton blend knit beanies, made by OTTO CAPOTTO CAP; not those itchy acrylic kind -- these are the (really) good ones!

ORDER YOUR BEANIE NOW

We've got t-shirts!

Meet Josh Putnam, photographer of the image used for our brand new Fort Lowell Record T-Shirt, shown here -- modeled by Josh himself. Not only did Josh take the original picture we used for the design of our new t-shirt, but he is also going to be the featured photographer for our new series This Water is Life, which showcases Wilmington NC based Hip-Hop + Indie Rock music on vinyl; coming soon, very soon.  For now, we are all superstoked about these new t-shirts, thanks to Josh! Printed by Elliott McDonald at Creo Print Co. on Alternative Apparel shirts, there is a very limited supply of these tees, so don't miss out!

ORDER YOUR T-SHIRT NOW

By the way, can you guess what building in Downtown Wilmington NC makes up the 'Z' design of the shirt?

Citified reemerges with “Lie Like a Painter”

[Repost from YES! Weekly; by Katei Cranford, Jan 5, 2022]

As a new year dawns, reemergence hangs in the air. And after a decade of slumber, Greensboro dream-pop group, Citified, has reemerged with a new album, “Lie Like a Painter,” out now on Fort Lowell Records.

The essence of Citified resides in the recording projects of Chris Jackson, who embarked on the endeavor in the mid-’00s as a means to funnel songs that didn’t fit the mold of his alt-rock outfit, Lookwell. A self-admitted “sucker for delay and reverb,” Jackson began his pursuit toward more sonic texture with a drum machine off eBay, an Alesis HR-16, which, as he noted, is “still in use to this day.”

Taking the name from his song, “Going Places,” Citified ultimately filled out into four-piece and back again, with the new album presenting “a collection of songs that have lain fallow for some time.” As the years have melted, these songs “breathe new life into a discography already on solid footing.”

Pulling from a foundation of influences including Echo And The Bunnymen, Let’s Active, R.E.M’s “Murmur,” “The Soft Bulletin” from The Flaming Lips, and even the old Greensboro band Slowchange Madagascar, the album’s eight-tracks ring of winter. Tinny, cold, and blustering — the echoey-fog of Casio keyboards glisten like frost on a windowpane. Underwater vocals and driving drums give the feel of thunder passing, a concept illustrated by the cover, a photo Jackson took in the Tanger Outlet Center parking lot while “waiting for a storm to blow over.”

It’s a notion carried into the material, notably so in the second single, “Sleep Sound,” which as Jackson explained, “is about putting our beloved orange tabby cat, Benny, down. It’s one of my favorite tracks on the album, but I still have a hard time listening to it.”

Spanning years of songwriting, the first single, “Must Forget,” lingers from what Jackson calls his “Lookwell” era. As Citified enters a new era for itself, he recalled the origins (heavily guided by Guided By Voices) at Duck Kee Studio in Mebane. “I had a handful of songs we weren’t playing in Lookwell and took them to Jerry Kee,” he said, dropping Kee’s work with Polvo, Superchunk, and the Strugglers.

Initially, a solo-endeavor, as Citified solidified, Jackson needed a band to push the songs. “In order to promote the self-titled album, a group was formed with Franklin Kane on bass, Eric Ussery on drums, and Diego Diaz on guitar,” he explained. “Over the next several years we toured up and down the east coast and recorded two additional albums ‘The Meeting After The Meeting’ (2008) and ‘Absence’ (2009).”

Notions of reemergence abound, with Citified having hosted their previous album release for “Absence” at the old Flat Iron in 2009. “It’s a favorite venue,” Jackson admitted, “but I’ve yet to see a show in the newly renovated space.”

Regarding the new record, “Like Like a Painter,” was recorded at OPOTW, the space of which has reemerged with a new group as etc. “It took shape similar to the first Citified release,” he explained of the album. “I brought a batch of demos to Randy Seals at the now-defunct On Pop Of The World Studios in Greensboro, with the end result being a combination of new recordings and existing demos.” Seals pulled “double-duty” on drums; meanwhile, Jackson tapped Lookwell bassist, Jason Kennedy, for his assistance in that sonic arena.

Jackson eventually shared the finished product with Kim Ware of Eskimo Kiss Records. “Kim was always very supportive,” he said of Ware, who founded the late-90s Wilmington label (which housed catalogs for both Lookwell and Citified).

Eskimo Kisses folded around 2010; but Citified retained their coastal connection, joining the Wilmington-based Fort Lowell Records label for the new release. The process of which Fort Lowell head, James Tritten (a former member of the Eskimo Kiss fold) defines as something of a family affair.

“Fort Lowell Records had recently released ‘capital R’ for Kim’s band, the Good Graces,” Tritten explained. “My own band, Audio Explorations, along with my wife, Tracy Shedd (Teen-Beat), were both on Eskimo Kiss Records, and Kim knew that Tracy and I were huge fans of all things Chris Jackson.” Recalling “literally taking every Citified album with us on every Tracy Shedd tour we ever took,” Tritten considers Citified, “absolutely essential listening for the long drives.”

In 2021, Ware reached out to Fort Lowell with the new tracks, “and the rest is history,” Tritten said. “It’s easily been one of our favorite projects to work on. And such an honor to have Citified as part of the Fort Lowell Records family.”

With the new record and a new label, Jackson is content with a simple release, for now. “No shows are currently scheduled,” he said, “but we’ll see what the new year brings.”

“Lie Like a Painter” is out now on Fort Lowell Records

Happy Releasiversary to Moyamoya 'Hawn'!

Released as a Digital LP three years ago on this very day, Christmas Eve! Today we are excited to announce that Moyamoya's stellar sophomore album Hawn will be pressed on 140-gram 12inch vinyl record, and should be available by late spring / early summer 2022! We can't wait to drop the needle on this one! 💯 For fans of Explorations In The Sky, Maserati, The Mercury's Program, Mogwai, Mono, This Will Destroy You. 🔥LISTEN NOW:

Happy Birthday, Fort Lowell Records

On this day (December 21), twelve years ago (2009), our record label was born out of the love and admiration for artists within our community. It all started from a conversation with Zach Toporek from Young Mothers allowing us to release their latest recordings, aided by the sale of our yellow 1976 CJ5 Jeep (AKA: Rock Crawler, with 35" tires and a 4" lift kit; damn I miss her) to help fund the first few records.  Thank you, everyone, for the continuous support. 2022 is going to be an amazing year for Fort Lowell Records, so stay tuned for new music coming your way soon. Happy Holidays!

Soda Sun, live at 191 Toole, Tucson AZ [December 10, 2021]

Soda Sun; photograph by Andrew Gardner

OUT NOW: Citified 'Lie Like a Painter' [Digital LP]

Available on all digital music platforms!
Receive an alternate version of "Sleep Sound" as a bonus track when you order Citified's Lie Like a Painter from Bandcamp!

Welcome, Desario!

Along with a great line up of new music from bands like KITIMOTO, Lauds, MindsOne, and James Sardone (Brickbat, Loose Jets) that we will be bringing you in the new year, Fort Lowell Records is very excited to share with you that we will also be releasing a brand new album from Darla Records' recording artist -- Desario -- titled Signal and Noise. This west coast quartet from Sacramento, California has shared the stage with artists such as Johnny Marr (The Smiths), Echo & The Bunnymen, The Charlatans UK, and Foals. Desario's new album is chock-full-o delicious melodies and infectious grooves, and we can't wait to share it with you. But until then, check out some of Desario's previous albums. For fans of The Cure, Citified, The Horrors, Lauds, Lush, New Order, The Ocean Blue.

Premiere of Citified "Sleep Sound"

[Repost from Blood Makes Noise; by Joe Pugsley, November 29, 2021]

North Carolina's Citified is back with "Sleep Sound", their new single from their upcoming record Lie Like a Painter via Fort Lowell Records due out December 10th. BMN is stoked to host the premiere, which is consistent with their brand of an indie rock/dream pop blend. Guitars and all instrumentation is well placed and complementary as you'd expect. Chill vibes and dreaminess throughout, Citified has not strayed much from their signature sound, but they have clearly matured and you can hear the experimentation and newfound maturity in these new singles.

Citified share some insight into the upcoming record including the first two singles "Must Forget" (premiered by Big Takeover 11/18) and "Sleep Sound" - "Idle time notwithstanding, the eight tunes breathe new life into a discography already on solid footing, led by two singles, “Must Forget” and “Sleep Sound.” The latter draws on the experience of putting a beloved cat down and is haunted throughout by an echo-y Casio keyboard response in the chorus that seems stuck in a fog. It is a small thing, but typical of the elements tucked away ready to reward careful listening in each of the eight songs that mark Citified’s 2021 re-emergence."

Support via links below and keep your eye out for the new full length 12/10.

Facebook

Spotify

Fort Lowell Records

Citified · Sleep Sound

KITIMOTO, your next favorite band!

Fort Lowell Records is very excited to announce that we will be releasing the debut record from Phoenix, Arizona indie rockers KITIMOTO, titled Vintage Smell.  The album will be available this coming Summer 2022.  For now, check out the song "Time Saved" from Vintage Smell on KITIMOTO's Bandcamp page, as well as all digital platforms.  Enjoy!

‘An eggnog’s-a-flowin’ party:’ Justin Lacy, Tracy Shedd among 12 musicians to play Bourgie Nights’ annual Christmas show

[Repost from Port City Daily; by Shea Carver, December 1, 2021]

WILMINGTON – When ILM Unplugged started a decade ago at Bourgie Nights, it welcomed numerous local musicians and singer-songwriters each month to take the mic and test-drive their original tunes in front of an audience. Then, each December, the unplugged series got the tinsel treatment. Performers would sing their fave holiday carols and one original song, while spiked eggnog and general camaraderie fueled the most celebratory concert of the season. 

“I consider this the ‘Office Holiday Party’ for singer/songwriters in the area,” Bourgie Nights manager Sean Thomas Gerard said.

After a Covid-19 hiatus, Christmas Unplugged returns. The tradition takes place Friday night, featuring 12 local musicians, each performing two holiday songs and one original tune as part of their set.

“I leave the holiday aspect of the show open to interpretation,” Gerard said. “Singers are allowed to play anything that reminds them of the holidays, and obviously it is open to the celebration of all faiths.” 

A local musician and founder of rock outfit Onward, Soldiers, Gerard said he went back to a group chat he started in 2019 to cull this year’s holiday lineup. He reached out to performers who take the stage annually, including Justin Lacy, Tres Altman, and Jason Andre. Gerard also folded in newer faces to the lineup. 

It will be Tracy Shedd’s first time joining the shindig. Though Shedd moved to Wilmington a few short years ago, she has had ties to the area since the ‘90s, as her songs were featured on “One Tree Hill” and “Dawson’s Creek,” both filmed locally. 

She and her husband, James Tritten, have recorded with local artists as well on their label, Fort Lowell Records, which started in 2009 in their then-hometown of Tucson, Arizona. The couple now lives in downtown Wilmington.

Shedd has chosen to play the holiday song “I’d Like You for Christmas” by Julie London, of whom she has been a lifelong fan. She also will pay homage to her favorite decade of sounds in “Just Like Christmas” by Low.

“James and I both adore the band,” Shedd said. “They are the definition of ‘90s music for us, and we were very fortunate to perform with them in the late ‘90s when we lived in Boston, MA.”

Joining the alt-rock musician onstage will be James Sardone (Brickbat) and Brian Weeks (De La Noche, Summer Set), who will back her as well during her original song “Holding Space.” Shedd recorded it for the “GROW” compilation released by Fort Lowell in 2020, as a fundraiser and awareness campaign for Black Lives Matter.

“The lyrics mean a lot to me,” Shedd said. “It’s about being present, listening, and holding space for others.”

The song felt apropos for the return of Bourgie’s holiday concert. The last Christmas Unplugged was held December 13, 2019 and the downtown’s venue final show took place held Feb. 28, 2019 before the Covid-19 shutdown. 

“Our first show back was August 1, 2021,” Gerard confirmed.

For artists, performing live music throughout the health crisis was heavily altered. Many deferred to livestreams and other creative ways to reach audiences. Gerard utilized his downtime to create the LP “Finally Found a Paradise” in his home studio. He will perform the song “Sail off in the Sunset” at Christmas Unplugged, as well as “The Christmas Song” and “Have Yourself A Merry Christmas.”

“As musicians, it’s always hard to catch each other playing live throughout the year,” Gerard said. “We’re always gigging or working, and rarely find the time to see our peers play. This is the one gig each year where a lot of us are in one room and can experience a show together.”

Justin Lacy has been a part of every Bourgie holiday soiree since its inception. Last year, upon the concert’s cancelation, he turned his attention to creating a lo-fi Covid Christmas album, “The Clampamp Parade,” with his favorite local indie bands all recording a track from home. 2021’s return to the stage is a touch more special, as there is a greater need to embrace a face-to-face reunion among colleagues.

“This is my very first time performing my songs in public since the pandemic,” Lacy said. “In fact, the last time I performed was the 2019 holiday showcase at Bourgie. I miss it, and I’m looking forward to getting back up there.”

Having to play only three songs instead of a full set, Lacy said, presented a feasible way to ease back into the swing of things. He also called it the most “heart-warming show of the year,” filled with vibrancy and palpable support. 

“It’s kinda like all the musician egos are (somewhat) stripped away, and everyone opens up for this playful, holly jolly, sometimes corny extravaganza,” he said. “Or maybe it’s just the eggnog.”

First performed over a decade ago at the Soapbox, Lacy’s holiday standard, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” has become an expected treat any time he takes a stage in December. “I am obligated to perform it every single year. Some kind of Faustian bargain with the late Dr. Seuss, I think,” he said. 

Lacy also recorded an original holiday tune in 2017, “Christmas on TV,” which he looks forward to dusting off the jingle bells for, even if it means he has to relearn it each holiday season. “Every year I’m like, ‘What the hell are these chords again and how did I come up with this?’” he quipped. 

The musician will debut a new track, “Honest Honey,” to appear on his solo album, slated for release in 2022. Lacy also just released the 11-track LP  “Hands” with his band Library Baby a few weeks ago; however, come Friday he only will perform solo — well, until he manages to pull friends onstage to join him, something he said he does every holiday showcase.

“[I’m] usually trying to incorporate some kind of odd Christmastime instrumentation,” he said. “This year it’s handbells.” 

The sounds reverberating throughout the venue usually culminate in a community singalong of some sort, though Gerard won’t “confirm or deny” such is the case for 2021.

“[B]ecause it’s the holidays, there is a whole lot of cheer going around,” Lacy promised. “Of all the shows I play and work every year, this one is the most fun to be part of. … The first year I attended, I prepared a solo set and some Christmas banter. When I got there, it was clear … it was more of an eggnog’s-a-flowin’ party atmosphere, not an audience sitting down ready for a story. So now I bring the Christmas party.”

Doors to Bourgie Nights (127 Princess St.) open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 3. The concert is also a Toys for Tots fundraiser, with a $10 suggested donation or an unwrapped, new toy. Christmas Unplugged, presented in collaboration with Modern Legend, will feature performances by: Justin Lacy, Mike Blair, Tracy Shedd, Kicking Bird, Julia Rothenberger, Sean Thomas Gerard, Billy Heathen, Travis Shallow, Mark Jackson, Tres Altman, Kyle Lindley, and Jason Andre.

Modern Legend & Bourgie Nights presents 'Christmas Unplugged'

Fort Lowell Records is proud to share with you that Sean Thomas Gerard, Kicking Bird, and Tracy Shedd, along with many other fantastic local Wilmington, North Carolina based musicians, will be performing live in concert this coming Friday, December 3rd at Bourgie Nights for the annual Christmas Unplugged: A Holiday Songwriters Showcase event -- which is ultimately a fundraiser for Toys For Tots.  Each artist will perform two holiday tunes and one original song, all acoustic. $10 donation for entry, or simply bring a 'toy' to donate to Toys For Tots.  See y'all at the show!