REVIEW: Tercel 'Tercel'

[Repost from Swim Into the Sound; by Parker White, December 9, 2025]

After a handful of singles, splits, and regional shows, Wilmington, North Carolina’s Tercel have introduced themselves to the world with a self-titled EP - a rollicking, tight collection of five tracks that they’ve written and recorded over their first couple years as a band. It’s an exciting start that features a mix of early fan favorites and a couple more recent tracks that show off their chops as a band and introduce their unique flavor of indie rock to a wider audience.

Nostalgia is certainly at the core of what Tercel is doing on this project. They wear their 90s guitar influences on their sleeve but wield them in dynamic, exciting ways that dodge many of the typical labels (post-grunge, shoegaze, etc.) that are so often cited in the modern indie landscape. Their press materials list two dozen RIYL bands that span from Broken Social Scene to Japandroids to Sonic Youth to Sleater-Kinney to Yuck, and that’s a good way to describe Tercel’s synthesis of influences. They take tiny elements from a wide array of inspiration that date back decades, and the result is something that is at once nostalgic and timeless.

Every piece of the band sounds sharp, confident, and energetic, but the vocals are the standout. Savannah and Robin Wood share the mic gratuitously, but they share a similar emotionality and effort. On both the electrifying opener “Heron” and the second track “Decoder Ring,” the band borders on a yell as they aim to be heard loudly and clearly over Chris Vinopal’s buzzing guitars and Taylor Salvetti’s thundering drums. You could imagine a different band sounding discordant as they all play at 110%, but Tercel sound comfortable and in-sync, even at maximum effort.

The band’s clarity, energy, and unabashed effort harken back to an era where trying was cool, and frankly, that’s an attitude I think we could all stand to embrace. When Tercel decide to take that approach to their debut full-length, I’ll be lined up to listen.

Single Premiere: Tercel - "Stuck" (Fort Lowell Records)

[Repost from Big Takeover; by Zack Fraser, November 24, 2025]

A storm is brewing in Wilmington’s indie scene, and Tercel is at the heart of it. Tracks such as “Heron” and “Typical” summon a tsunami of nostalgia via exaggerated vocal inflections, addictive guitar riffs, and raw tones. All are necessary ingredients for the cocktail that is true indie rock. The band embraces alternative culture by displaying vulnerability and rawness in both their lyricism and instrumentation.

Tercel transports the listener to a fonder time with its reverb-filled early 2000s flair while keeping in touch with modern themes, as seen in the lyricism of the song “Stuck.” Savannah Wood, the lead singer and bassist of the group, had this to say regarding the track: “Stuck is a reaction song about the world around us. A world that feels over, done, ruined, on fire. But it also makes us think if we can’t keep pretending everything is alright, are we going to do anything about it?”

December 5th marks the release date of Tercel’s self-titled indie rock EP, courtesy of Fort Lowell Records. Enjoy the World Premiere of Tercel’s song “Stuck” here with The Big Takeover.

Written by Zack Fraser

Wilmington band plays loud, pretty rockers with 'heavy words thrown lightly'

[Repost from StarNews; by John Staton, November 21, 2025]

Since emerging on the post-pandemic scene like a sleek gator coolly rising from the murky depths of Greenfield Lake, the melodic Wilmington punk rock act Tercel has become a beloved favorite of many a local music aficionado.

With a sound that can range from raucously rowdy to delicately introspective, the band's songs often use poetic lyrics to tackle subjects social, environmental and personal.

On Dec. 5, Tercel — which is Robin Wood on guitar and vocals, Savannah Wood on bass and vocals, Chris Vinopal on guitar and pedal steel, and Taylor Salvetti on drums — will release a self-titled, five-song EP on Wilmington's Fort Lowell Records that was recorded locally at Ian Millard’s Dogwood Studio. That same night, Tercel will play an album release show at public radio station WHQR's MC Erny Gallery.

Standout tracks include the bracing "Heron," which features Savannah Wood's razor-sharp vocals ("I could be your heron heroine") and Robin Wood's loping, punchy guitar work. "Decoder Ring" starts softly before building into Vinopal's otherworldly pedal steel wall of distortion, while lead single/duet "Stuck" has the Woods singing, "World's on fire and I'm not fine/ Can't keep pretending, not this time."

Robin Wood called Tercel "a band that loves louder, punk, aggressive music but also cares a lot about melodies and riffs." Or, as his wife Savannah Wood puts it, "We like to be loud and rock but also sound pretty."

Tercel formed in the late 2010s in a practice space above the old Finkelstein's music store downtown. Robin Wood grew up writing songs and playing in Wilmington bands, but Savannah "had never played before," she said. "I had never sung. I didn't think I had a singing voice."

She came up to the practice space from her old job around the corner at the Edge of Urge boutique "and I was handed a bass," she said. "Within a month we'd played our first show."

That was at a backyard party/house show on South Fourth Street in November 2019, but Tercel — which included Vinopal from the get-go, while Salvetti would join later — didn't get in too many gigs before the pandemic struck.

Once the lockdown eased, the band began rocking venues all over the area, including The Sandspur in Carolina Beach and the late, lamented Opera Room downtown.

Tercel will play anywhere, from the cozy confines of Luna Caffe's Tiny Caffe series to the main stage of the recent Port City Blitz music fest at Waterline Brewing, and they rarely play the same room twice.

Though the band wears its environmental activism on its record jacket — its (un)official mascot is an alligator screaming "Tercel!" designed by Wilmington artist Genna Collier — its songs don't come off as strident because of how the band wraps its stances into lyrics that deepen and personalize their message without sacrificing passion.

"Singing and lyric writing is its own form of poetry," Robin Wood said. "I grew up playing and writing music about how I feel while masking how I feel."

Savannah Wood, a Georgia native who's been in Wilmington for about nine years, said the band's drummer, Salvetti, describes their style as "heavy words thrown lightly," and that writing their songs is "a group effort. Robin and I might come in with an idea or a seed, but it grows in that room" where the band rehearses.

Singing about causes feels very personal to the band, "Especially environmental causes," Savannah Wood said. "It's who Robin is and it's who I've become by being with him. It's right there next to our hearts."

Many Wilmingtonians know Robin Wood's father, the environmentalist and conservationist Andy Wood, who used to record pithy, heartfelt commentaries for WHQR when Robin was growing up. So it'll be a bit of a full-circle moment for him when Tercel steps into the station to play its EP release show Dec. 5.

And while the band has played elsewhere, including in Raleigh at the Hopscotch Music Festival, "Us being a Wilmington band is very much a thing," Robin Wood said.

From playing Wilmington Earth Day at Long Leaf Park to rocking the recent Dram Jam music fest with other Wilmington acts at Dram Tree Tavern in Sunset Park, "2025 has been this year of, it still makes sense to be making music here."

OUT NOW: Tercel 'Tercel' [Digital EP]

Tercel fans have long awaited the release of their self-titled EP. Stalwarts of the NC music scene, Tercel is composed of Savannah Wood and Robin Wood, forever workshopping jangley guitar parts in open tunings, Chris Vinopal on resonant beauty of the pedal steel or his 6 string bends that last forever, and Taylor Salvetti using the drums as a binder between indie-rock-wall-of-sound guitars and the lyricism to reflect the struggle of nature, existence, woman-hood, and finding one’s self through it all.

Drawing sonic inspiration from the 90’s and early 2000’s indie scene, Tercel camped out in Ian Millard’s Dogwood Studio, a Wilmington mainstay of the underground music scene. What came from those sessions was this EP. Most of the songs, like “Heron” and “Typical,” had only been played for crowds for close to two years. With fresher tracks, “Decoder Ring, “Strange Energy,” and “Stuck,” Tercel has entered a new phase of song creation. Still focusing their efforts on a pure wall of sound, the textures and dynamics have turned into anthemic indie hits that feel familiar. 

Tercel will remind you of your favorite band, the one you listened to that summer you were driving with the windows down at the turn of a season. The guitar leads, swathed in fuzz and reverb, will bury into your psyche. The lyricism, yearning for a brighter future, a cold swim, a world where women don’t live in fear, and when the sun comes up we greet it with open arms.

Tercel's new self-titled Digital EP is now available everywhere and anywhere.

LISTEN NOW

Here are some new artists you might like for your vinyl record collection

We are very excited about the last round of artists we've had the pleasure of working with these past twelve months for vinyl records we've released on Fort Lowell Records, so we thought to take a moment to highlight a few of them, just in case their awesomeness slipped through the cracks you and didn't quite catch how fantastic these musicians are.  Check them out using the information provided below, and if you happen to agree... pick-up a record or three or six to enjoy with your own vinyl collection at home.

JPW + DAD WEED — FOR FANS OF: My Morning Jacket, Steely Dan, Wilco
"Folky psych pop that meets melancholic alt-rock, in a timeless kaleidoscope of sound and sentiment—solid but surprising" ~ Add to Wantlist

        

        LISTEN TO FULL ALBUM  |  ORDER VINYL RECORD

KICKING BIRD — FOR FANS OF: Cheap Trick, The New Pornographers, The Pixies
"Quirky indie rock with pop sensibilities and classic rock roots" ~ Faster and Louder

        

        LISTEN TO FULL ALBUM  |  ORDER VINYL RECORD

FUZZ JAXX — FOR FANS OF: Common, GangStarr, Nas
"The best freestyle rapper the Port City has ever known" ~ StarNews

        

        LISTEN TO FULL ALBUM  |  ORDER VINYL RECORD

TERCEL — FOR FANS OF: Broken Social Scene, Pavement, Superchunk
"A musical aesthetic that juxtaposes jangly indie-rock/post punk with jangle rock/punk" ~ Janglepophub

        

        LISTEN TO FULL ALBUM  |  ORDER VINYL RECORD

FOREST FALLOWS — FOR FANS OF: Mac DeMarco, Real Estate, Stereolab
"The warmth but never overheat of summer air blows gently as Mike Barnett and Alex Morton strum soft chords, and sing like the fur of a rabbit in a straw hat" ~ Small Albums

        

        LISTEN TO FULL ALBUM  |  ORDER VINYL RECORD

NAÏM AMOR — FOR FANS OF: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, JD McPherson, Roy Orbison
"Late 60s Nouvelle Vague soundtrack vibe, spiced up with a bit of noise, a dash of post-rock and Tex Mex" ~ Here Comes the Flood

        

        LISTEN TO FULL ALBUM  |  ORDER VINYL RECORD

FEMALE GAZE — FOR FANS OF: Broadcast, Sugar Candy Mountain, The Velvet Underground
"Tender Futures explores the desert using empty space and towering nothingness as its language, intentionally evoking haziness and disorientation through psychedelia, post-rock, and even a bit of jazz-rock" ~ Rosy Overdrive

        

        LISTEN TO FULL ALBUM  |  ORDER VINYL RECORD

Will an Amazon Prime Video show provide a needed spotlight for Wilmington music?

The Runarounds

[Repost from StarNews Online; by John Station, March 24, 2025]

For decades, Wilmington's music scene, while vibrant, has rocked out in relative obscurity.

Even as venues like Live Oak Bank Pavilion and Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre have brought more big-name touring acts to town in recent years than ever before, for the most part Wilmington bands have struggled to gain much notice outside the Port City.

It's not for lack of talent or productivity, as one could easily create an hours-long Spotify playlist using only the best songs of Wilmington artists.

But with a Wilmington-shot TV series, "The Runarounds" — about a young band with an infectiously jangly sound trying to make it big — set to hit the Amazon Prime Video streaming service later this year, many have high hopes that the Wilmington scene could soon have something it's long lacked: lots and lots of attention.

Wilmington has had hit TV shows before, from "Dawson's Creek" to "The Summer I Turned Pretty," and fans still come to town to visit the place "One Tree Hill" was made. And while no one knows for sure whether "The Runarounds," will be a hit with viewers — it hasn't yet been given a release date more specific than "2025" — the signs are encouraging.

For one, show creator Jonas Pate, who lives in Wilmington and whose daughter, Lilah Pate, is one of the stars of "The Runarounds," has a proven track record with his Netflix mega-smash "Outer Banks," which will air its fifth and final season in 2026.

Pate said "The Runarounds" will feature music by Wilmington bands in the show and on its all-important soundtrack and playlists.

Veteran Wilmington indie rock band Summer Set, along with the poppy rock act Kicking Bird, both of whom have albums out on Wilmington's Fort Lowell Records, will have multiple songs on the show, Pate said.

Other Wilmington acts with music in "The Runarounds" include Tres Altman and indie-folk band The Paper Stars, and Max Agee of Wilmington band Lawn Enforcement and Wilmington's Suck Rock Records, something Agee called "a nice bit of validation."

Also with a song in the show is former Wilmington musician Kim Ware, who records for Fort Lowell.

The Runarounds have gigged at several Wilmington venues in the past couple of years — the band consists of William Lipton, Axel Ellis, Zende Murdock, Jesse Golliher, and Jeremy Yun — and they played an event for Amazon Prime Video on March 7 at the taste-making South by Southwest festival in Austin. Lilah Pate was there cheering them on.

They have a slot at Charlotte's massive Lovin' Life Music Fest May 3, and their next Wilmington gig is May 17 at Greenfield Lake Amphitheater with another young rock band, The Stews.

Perhaps most important for Wilmington's music scene, however, not only will "The Runarounds" feature lots of Wilmington locations and some Wilmington-born songs, but its setting isn't some fictional place like Tree Hill, Capeside or Cousins Beach but Wilmington itself.

That's key, said Robin Wood of beloved Wilmington punk rock act Tercel, because "not only does it represent the Wilmington scene visually, but it puts the whole idea that there's a music scene in Wilmington out there on the screen."

With multiple talented bands packing out Wilmington rooms on a regular basis, from midtown rock club Reggie's to Fifth Avenue juke joint The Rusty Nail, "There's something to shine a light on," said Tercel singer Savannah Wood. "We have fans. There's an audience that wants music and is willing to go out and pay money to see it."

Robin Wood did some work on "The Runarounds" via Wilmington production company Lighthouse Films, whose founder, Brad Walker, is the show's director of photography. Tercel pedal steel player Chris Vinopal also works for Lighthouse (a pedal steel player in a punk band? Only in Wilmington), and Savannah Wood had worked with some of "The Runarounds" costumers on another locally shot show, "The Summer I Turned Pretty."

All those connections helped the band land one of their distinctive T-shirts — with an alligator screaming "Tercel!" — on Runarounds band member Jeremy Yun during a scene on the show's upcoming first season, Robin Wood said.

It might seem like a small thing for a band to have a T-shirt, or even a song, featured on a TV show. Then again, every little bit of attention can add up, especially if "The Runarounds" attracts an audience similar to the millions worldwide who watched Pate's show "Outer Banks."

"We're on the cusp," said Altman, of Wilmington band The Paper Stars. "Once the show hits, those playlists get a lot of views, and people are going to want to learn more about those bands."

Wilmington DJ and producer RizzyBeats is a regular presence at shows and behind the counter at Castle Street's Gravity Records, and has released music with Fort Lowell.

"Anything on a national scale that will keep Wilmington’s name in people’s minds will be helpful," he said. "The scene here is very vibrant with a ton of incredibly talented individuals that could rival any big city, in my opinion. There are a lot of creators here that are producing quality music."

Sean Thomas Gerard is a 15-year veteran of the Wilmington scene both as solo artist (he has a gorgeous 2021 album, "Finally Found a Paradise," on Fort Lowell Records) and with his previous band, Onward, Soldiers.

"It's crazy to me the scene here doesn't get more attention," Gerard said. "It's as good as anywhere. Maybe not as many bands as the bigger markets, but there's something for everybody. You just gotta look for it."

In 2012, Gerard was featured playing one of his songs on "One Tree Hill," and his band Onward, Soldiers' song "Stick to Your Guns" was used to score a key scene on the show.

"It still gets tons of streams. It's kind of been the gift that keeps on giving," he said. "It just shows the potential of what a TV show can do for a town, or for a scene."

Notes on a scene

"Potential" is probably a good word for what Wilmington's music scene possesses.

More attention could only help a young Wilmington band like the poppy rock act Fudge, which packs out Reggie's on a regular basis and scored a slot at Charlotte's Lovin' Life Music Fest in May, joining The Runarounds as the only other Wilmington act on the bill alongside such acts as The Dave Matthews Band, Weezer, Gwen Stefani and Ludacris.

"It's pretty exciting" that the show could give a boost to the Wilmington music scene, said Fudge's singer, Patrick Riesmeyer. "There are so many bands right now. The original music scene is really growing."

Fudge is an independent band, and while they've made certain inroads, Riesmeyer said, like scoring steady gigs playing college fraternity parties around the state, they spend a lot of time marketing themselves on social media and elsewhere. A hit show about a band from Wilmington could potentially make that easier for a group like Fudge, even if they're not directly involved with "The Runarounds."

It's not like no bands have ever broken out of Wilmington. Hard rock acts like ASG, He Is Legend and Weedeater have fans all over the world, while indie rock acts like The Rosebuds and The Love Language started in Wilmington before going on to sign with Merge Records. Tercel and Wilmington post-punk trio Exercise played the esteemed Hopscotch Festival in Raleigh this year.

Some say the Wilmington scene is already better than it gets credit for.

"We're spoiled. A lot of people take it for granted," said Delia Stanley, a Wilmington singer who can be found playing covers and originals at venues around town. "I'm an old punk rocker, so, the way I look at it, once everybody knows about something," the scene will inevitably change, and not necessarily for the better.

Others aren't certain that the Wilmington scene, vibrant as it is, is ready for prime time.

"There's definitely talent," said Altman, of The Paper Stars. "But something's missing."

One thing that's missing, Altman said, is a midsize indoor venue that could host both local and touring acts year-round. Right now, most Wilmington venues that host concerts are either big and/or outdoors, like Greenfield Lake (1,200) and Live Oak (7,200), or much more intimate, like Reggie's, Bourgie Nights downtown or The Palm Room at Wrightsville Beach, all of which hold 200 or less.

Notable exceptions might be the Brooklyn Arts Center, which hosts more events and weddings than it does concerts, and Bowstring Burgers & Brewyard on Princess Street, which has made inroads booking touring jam and tribute bands.

"We're lacking a serious indoor venue," said Altman, who cut his musical teeth on the scenes in Denver and Boulder, Colorado, before moving here about 15 years. "We need a Fox Theatre," like the one in Boulder, which has a capacity of about 625 and regularly hosts both local and touring acts.

Altman said he'd also like to see better promotion of Wilmington music locally; some kind of big annual music festival with a mix of local bands and touring acts; and more Wilmington bands as openers at Live Nation-run venues Greenfield Lake and Live Oak.

Local acts only rarely get to open for touring bands in Wilmington, but when they do it provides a boost. When The Paper Stars opened for St. Paul and The Broken Bones at Greenfield Lake, "We sold some records, got some social media hits," Altman said. "It lasted like two weeks, then it's over.

"There is a recognizable music thing happening in this town, but it needs some cohesion," he added. "Maybe 'The Runarounds' would be a unifying force, but if there's not a tangible brick and mortar place, that momentum will also be lost."

Wilmington DJ and producer Rizzy Beats echoed Altman's call for "more music-centric and music-focused venues for the artists to build their brand and following."

"Wilmington’s best strength has always been its tenacity, making lemonade out of lemons," he added, noting how the Wilmington scene has faced adversity in losing multiple venues over the past 10 to 15 years, including the legendary Soapbox in 2013. "But there are still so many musicians, artists and DJs here. We’ve got artists representing jazz, hip-hop, folk, rock, metal, punk and so much more. And they’re producing original material at a high level."

This time next year, if "The Runarounds" ends up being a spotlight for Wilmington music, it could be that a lot more people will be listening.

OUT NOW: This Water is Life, Vol. IV ft. Fuzz Jaxx & CoolOutSessions + Tercel

This Water is Life is a self-sustained and ongoing series of split EPs with two express purposes: to highlight new hip-hop / indie rock music from Southeastern North Carolina, as well as to provide a platform for Cape Fear River Watch and Coastal Plain Conservation Group to deliver up-to-date authoritative reports on the health of the Cape Fear River Basin for both human beings and wildlife.

Volume IV features Fuzz Jaxx & CoolOutSessions and Tercel, and is out now everywhere!

Hip-Hop: Fuzz Jaxx & CoolOutSessions

These two hip hop heads Fuzz Jaxx and CoolOutSessions are a force to be reckoned with. Hailing from Georgia (FJ) and North Carolina (COS) the love and knowledge they have for the music and culture is astonishing. Fuzz had bars beyond the average emcee and a stage presence to match. The smooth melodic tones that CoolOutSessions provides compliments Fuzz’s voice and lyrics. The two are creating a different sound that is slowly but surely grabbing ears. Also, the production is far beyond the watered down versions of what hip hop is today. Their sound is a definite throwback and tribute to J Dilla and Native Tongues vibes. 

Indie Rock: Tercel

Hailing from The Cape Fear region, the Tercel sound carries reverence for its homeland. The lyricism of Robin and Savannah Wood pull from the beliefs of climate activism, societal collapse, and the ennui of existence in the modern world. But Tercel is fun. Tercel is joyous. These are heavy words, lightly thrown. Wall-of-noise guitars in alternate tunings, the give-and-take singing between the vocalists, Chris Vinopal’s pedal steel in all its brightness, Taylor Salvetti’s driving drum beats to accent the changes: Tercel knows the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. And in this, we are all smothered in the green glow of existence. Go outside. Enjoy the light.

LISTEN TO FULL EP | ORDER VINYL RECORD

In partnership with: - Cape Fear River Watch

- Coastal Plain Conservation Group This Water is Life is brought to you buy: - Dock Street Printing - Fortis Builders - Gravity Records - Persephone's Farm

- Satellite Bar & Lounge

Tercel live at The Cave in Chapel Hill NC

[Repost from Independent Review Crew; by Brian Slattery, February 18, 2024]

After a short break the Wilmington, N.C.-based band Tercel took the stage, interspersing amiable banter with heartfelt anthems that grew more epic as the set progressed. Their songs fit into the mold of melodic indie rock with more than a few rhythmic tricks up its sleeve. Anchored by hard-driving bass and drums, guitars and pedal steel swapped between big hooks and gritty textures, while the vocals soared over it all.

Tercel - "Holiday"

[Repost from If It's Too Loud; by Ken Sears, July 31, 2024]

If you listened to college radio religiously in the 90's, you're going to adore the latest from Tercel. Hailing from the Cape Fear area of North Carolina, the band's released "Holiday" last week, and it sounds like that song you always played on your radio show but just can't remember who it is by. It has all of the interesting quirk and pure indie rock oddness from a band like Archers of Loaf with the harmony and melody of Apples in Stereo. Tercel even throws in some country and surf guitar somewhat unexpectedly, but delightfully. Hearing a song like "Holiday" is a pure joy.

You can listen to "Holiday" below. The single is out now via Fort Lowell Records. For more on Tercel, check out the band on Instagram.

Single Review – Holiday by Tercel

[Repost from Janglepophub; by Darrin Lee, July 24, 2024]

Following the success of Tercel’s first Tiny Towns debut single in May 2024, the Wilmington, North Carolina quartet (seen above) has returned with a second Holiday single that pierces your innermost being WITH IT’S JANGLY INTENSITY.

Commencing with a jangled riff that has a Lost Ships or the Radio Field early 90s type of clarity, the first vocal drop consumes the sound with a gloriously manic Garbage meets The Cure off-kilter vocal mania and a musical aesthetic that juxtaposes the jangly indie-rock/post punk aesthetic of RGV and DIIV with the jangle rock/punk edges of The Wends and Ryan Allen and his Extra Arms dynamism.

I am not sure whether the release of these two singles so close to each other signals a full-length release is coming soon… I can only hope!

OUT NOW: Tercel "Holiday" [Digital Single]

Hailing from The Cape Fear region of North Carolina, the Tercel sound carries reverence for its homeland. The lyricism of Robin and Savannah Wood pull from the beliefs of climate activism, societal collapse, and the ennui of existence in the modern world. But Tercel is fun. Tercel is joyous. These are heavy words, lightly thrown. Wall-of-noise guitars in alternate tunings, the give-and-take singing between the vocalists, Chris Vinopal’s pedal steel in all its brightness, Taylor Salvetti’s driving drum beats to accent the changes: Tercel knows the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. And in this, we are all smothered in the green glow of existence. Go outside. Enjoy the light.

Recorded and produced by Jerry Kee of Duck-Kee Studios in Mebane, North Carolina (Archers of Loaf, Polvo, Superchunk), "Holiday" is the second single to be released by Tercel, and is available now on all digital music platforms.

Sneak Peak of New Song "Holiday" by Tercel, hosted by Radio 3hive

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN NOW

BMN Exclusive Premiere: Tercel "Tiny Towns" - Your New Fav Indie Rock from NC

[Repost from Blood Makes Noise; May 9, 2024]

Melodic up-beat despair, sparking nostalgia for things you’ve never known. Tercel’s debut single release “Tiny Towns” is a symphony of escape and acceptance, a tune you’ll surely hear in your wildest dreams.

 Both Robin and Savannah Wood's vocals bring the sound of wind through wheat grass, sweet like honey suckle and you can taste a subtle southern root just the same. Poetic lyrics keep the water in your eyes, instead opting for a heavy longing in your chest that hurts just right. Picture the wrought iron fences, striped shirt lawn jockeys, wrap around porches piled high with broken parlor pianos, diaper changing tables waiting for another generation, loud calls for another beer to the kitchen, that’s the America Sound I found in Chris Vinopal’s guitar. Riffs I’d swear I’ve always known found in this song, reaching through my memories and making them dance. Soft drums from Taylor Salvetti tap out a metaphor of life's passing. As the snare cracks the dawn of rising intensity there’s a feeling that this moment might last, only for a slow fall to take us back down to the soft rhythm that brought us in.

 Tercel has the glow of a summer tan, of lightning bugs, of the final days on the coast before vacation's over. Music to dance to, to make you feel life between your fingers and toes as you roll around in Bermuda grass, to repeat quietly, without realizing, as you make eggs in the morning. The soundtrack of being alive.

 “Tiny Towns” is being released by Fort Lowell Records on Tuesday, May 14th as a digital single that will be available on all music platforms worldwide.  The track is Tercel’s official debut release, although there is one earlier Bandcamp-only release Tercel made available last year titled Grow Light – The Stowe Tapes.  Today, Blood Makes Noise is excited to provide you with the World Premiere of “Tiny Towns” in advance of the release.

Tercel - "Tiny Towns"

[Repost from If It's Too Loud; by Ken Sears, May 14, 2024]

Hailing from the Cape Fear region of North Carolina, Tercel are going to make you nostalgic for a slice of indie rock you may have forgotten a but. Their debut single, "Tiny Towns," is filled with power pop and melodies, but it also has a bit of the quirkier side of indie rock and plenty of dissonance. It's the kind of track that both repels you and draws you in, often at the exact same time. At various points I'm hearing influences ranging from Archers of Loaf to Sebadoh to Superchunk, with some Wussy thrown in. "Tiny Towns" is a great debut single from a band we're looking forward to hearing more from.

You can listen to "Tiny Towns" below. The single is out now via Fort Lowell Records, and is available for download over on Bandcamp. For more on Tercel, check out the band on Instagram.

OUT NOW: Tercel "Tiny Towns" [Digital Single]

The first official debut release — a digital single titled "Tiny Towns" — for Wilmington, North Carolina's own Tercel is out today on all digital music platforms.  For fans of Archers of Loaf, Blab School, Broken Social Scene, Built to Spill, Cursive, Desaparecidos, Fucked Up, Horsegirl, Japandroids, Jawbox, JEFF the Brotherhood, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Lifeguard, Pavement, Pissed Jeans, Sebadoh, Ty Segall, Sleater-Kinney, Sonic Youth, Superchunk, The Thermals, Titus Andronicus, Unwound, Wavves, Wolf Parade, Yuck.  

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