Happy 50th Birthday to Tracy Shedd!

Tracy Shedd; photo by John Ciambriello

SATURDAY EVENTS

[Repost from Port City Daily; Shea Carver, February 22, 2023]

Dead Cool and Tracy Shedd — Great music is being planned for Bourgie Nights this weekend with a little darkwave synthpop from Wilmington’s post-punk darlings Dead Cool and indie stylings of Tracy Shedd. Shedd’s music has been on “Dawson’s Creek,” “One Tree Hill,” and “The Rebound,” and she has shared the stage with Cat Power, The Magnetic Fields and Iron & Wine. She continues releasing music  — including last year’s “Let It Ride” — on Fort Lowell Records, which she operates with her husband James Tritten. Dead Cool consists of another husband-and-wife team Johnny and Angie Yeagher, who began in the height of Covid and have grown to international acclaim in a short few years. They’ve been touring, released quite a few tracks, including a catchy dark remake of  Scorpion’s “Send Me An Angel,” and will be part of the double bill at Bourgie Nights. Doors are at 9 p.m.

The Pink Stones and Summer Set — A cosmic country outfit out of Athens, Georgia, The Pink Stones, will be joining Wilmington indie rockers Summer Set at Reggies 42nd Street Tavern on Saturday. The Pink Stones combine pedal steel and down-on-your-luck stylings of country with American rock and driving rhythms on their sophomore album “You Know Who.” The band very much gives Flying Burrito Brothers vibes. Summer Set, featuring founding members Brian Weeks and Robert Rogan, are quintessential to Wilmington’s indie scene. They paired up again over the last few years after a decade-long hiatus and are working on new music. It’s their first time playing Reggies, with a new lineup as well (read more about the band and their first album release from last fall, published by Port City Daily here).

17 things to do in the Wilmington area for the final weekend of February

[Repost from StarNews; by John Staton, February 21, 2024]

DEAD COOL & TRACY SHEDD

Feb. 24 at Bourgie Nights: Two of Wilmington's top musical acts team up for what should be an epic, stylistically diverse double bill.

Dead Cool is the Wilmington goth/darkwave/synth pop duo of Johnny and Angela Yeagher, who have attracted an audience for darkly catchy, retro songs about alienation and obsession. And while songs like "The Last Time" might have such lyrics as, "The future's so black I cannot see," there's also a playful side to Dead Cool. It shows up in their videos, with a cute little white fluffball of a dog trying to bite Johnny as he strolls around Greenfield Lake in "Until Death," and in their wickedly dark cover of '80s pop hit "Send Me An Angel."

Wilmington singer and songwriter Tracy Shedd is a veteran of the national indie rock scene who matches sweet, understated vocals with lyrics that can be at once subtle and searching. Shedd's latest single is "Let It Ride," a groovy, moody meditation on patience and trust. 9 p.m. doors, 10 p.m. show, Feb. 24. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 day of show.

THE PINK STONES, SUMMER SET

Feb. 24 at Reggie's 42nd Street Tavern: Along with Pink Beds and Pink Skull Garden, this is the third "pink" band we've had in Wilmington recently. The Pink Stones hail from Athens, Georgia, and play what they term "cosmic country" or "spacey honky tonk." Good stuff.

Sharing the bill are Wilmington indie-rock stalwarts Summer Set, who last year came out of performance hibernation to drop an excellent new album of classic songs and newer work. With opening act Kit McKay. 7 p.m. Feb. 24, $15.

KICKING BIRD

Feb. 24 at Palate: It's a busy Saturday night for Wilmington label Fort Lowell Records, with three acts on their roster in action. Along with Summer Set and Tracy Shedd, number three is Kicking Bird, which is led by singer-guitarist Shaun Paul and his wife, Shayla, who sings and plays keyboards. They both write hooky songs that rock while often carrying a girl-group sheen, with lyrics about love and life that make both the ups and the downs sound like celebrations. Kicking Bird's live show is a frenzied, sweaty affair, and their 2023 album "Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" ain't too bad either. 7 p.m. Feb. 24, free.

Dead Cool + Tracy Shedd at Bourgie Nights in Wilmington NC Saturday, February 24th

FACEBOOK EVENT LINK

DEAD COOL:

From the coastal charm of Wilmington, North Carolina emerges intriguing electronic duo, Dead Cool. Their namesake, drawn from a Chrome Cranks number, resonates with the unique chemistry of Johnny's multifaceted vocal, synthesizer, and guitar prowess, coupled with Angela Yeagher's bass rhythms and harmonizing vocals. Infused with the evocative notes of darkwave, post-punk, and synthpop, Dead Cool's musical offerings, established since 2020, have been garnering an enthusiastic following both domestically and internationally.

TRACY SHEDD: 

Tracy Shedd is an indie rock musician who has released six studio albums with Teen-Beat, New Granada Records, Devil In The Woods, Science Project Records, and 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. In this current era following her time spent performing under the name Band & The Beat, Tracy Shedd has been and continues to focus on releasing individual tracks through Fort Lowell Records as digital singles and on various compilation albums.

Tracy Shedd | Florida Tour

Friday, February 2 | Tavares, FL | Far Reach Farm | w/ Harber Wynn
Saturday, February 3 | Jensen Beach, FL | Tako Tiki w/ Sandman Sleeps, We Are / They Are
Sunday, February 4 | Tampa, FL | Microgroove Record Store
Monday, February 5 | Jacksonville, FL | Jack Rabbit's | w/ Me Like Bees, Blissfund

15 great new songs by Wilmington-area artists that you need to listen to right now

[Repost from StarNews Online; by John Staton, November 22, 2023]

It's been a banner year for new music in Wilmington, a corncucopia overflowing with good songs, if you're feeling the Thanksgiving vibes.

It helps that we've got two tiny but mighty labels punching above their weight and cranking out new tunes — sonic veterans Fort Lowell Records and indie upstarts Suck Rock Records — but there's been plenty of good self-released stuff, as well as a couple of former Wilmingtonians shining from afar. From rock and pop to folk and hip-hop, it's not just one scene, either.

Take a listen, and keep in mind there's plenty more where this came from. Keeping the list to 15 was a challenge, which is a good problem to have.

Cydaddy "CHEERS (WATER MIX)"

New single from Wilmington-based Fort Lowell Records' "This Water Is Life: Vol. III," a series of albums split between local rappers and indie rockers designed to draw attention to our area's significant water quality issues. Cydaddy's "Cheers (Water Mix)" is a sweet piece of lo-fi indie pop, suffused in melancholy and regret but also tinged with hopefulness.

—

Doggy Daycare "ACID WALK"

That intro, man oh man. Doggy Daycare's new single is big and bold and fuzzy and psychedelic, like a slice of the coolest grunge that somehow escaped your notice back in the '90s. According to a social media post by the band, "acid walk" is "an ode to being in love and definitely not (about) doing drugs while hiking."

—

Sheme of Gold "RAP GAME TAN SANDERS (REMIX)"

New single from Wilmington-based Fort Lowell Records' "This Water Is Life: Vol. III," a series of albums split between local rappers and indie rockers designed to draw attention to our area's significant water quality issues. Sheme's laid-back delivery and raw subject matter about the things we do to get by are set to some soulful samples, with a guest spot from D$5.

—

Summer Set "THE JETTY"

Longtime Wilmington indie rock band wrote this song some years ago, but it's new to us, as it just came out Nov. 3 on their new, self-titled album for Fort Lowell Records. Definitely has the beachy sheen of classic Summer Set, with some boom-bap drums and hazy vocals about not losing your grip on the jetty, or on life for that matter.

—

Tracy Shedd "LET IT RIDE"

Wilmington singer Shedd's latest single, a groovy, moody meditation on patience and trust, came out in August on Fort Lowell. Shedd's vocals are pristine here, sweet and understated.

Tracy Shedd Red (on Red Vinyl) Limited LP Pressing

[Repost from Teen-Beat; by Mark Robinson, October 25, 2023]

One of our favorite songwriters and singers of all time, Tracy Shedd! Red is her 2004 follow-up album to her smash debut album, Blue. A stunningly beautiful collection of 14 songs fleshed out with a full guitar/bass/drums line up of Cash Carter and Richard Dudley. Tracy plays not only the guitar, but piano and Taro Hanaka guests on violin. Mixed by Trevor Kampmann from hollAnd/Party Milk and produced by Mark Robinson.

On vinyl for the first time every, this 20th anniversary edition will be pressed on transparent red vinyl and will be limited to only 100 copies. Pre-order now and records will ship to you at some point early next year— or whenever they're ready. Whichever comes first.

PRE-ORDER VINYL NOW

August Singles: Tracy Shedd

[Repost from Powerpopaholic; by Aaron Kupferberg, August 18, 2023]

Tracy Shedd has “Let It Ride” a summertime indie pop anthem about being patient and trusting your gut, with the soothing bassline and hypnotic rhythm.

Tracy Shedd: Let It Ride

[Repost from Here Comes the Flood; by Hans Werksman, August 19, 2023]

Indie singer Tracy Shedd makes a case for taking it easy and living in the moment on her new single Let It Ride. Her husband James Tritten acted as one-man rhythm section and Andrew Gardner added swirls of soft-spoken electric guitar. Recommended if you like Belle & Sebastian and The Beautiful South: "Give it some time // We don’t wanna rush it // You try and try // ‘Cause we don’t wanna miss it // Let it ride // And you’ll never miss it".

Let It Ride is released via Fort Lowell Records. 

» tracyshedd.com

New Spin - Tracy Shedd tunes up for release of a fresh single

Tracy Shedd; photo by Terah Hoobler

[Repost from WILMA Magazine; by Amy Kilgore Mangus, August 11, 2023]

A lifelong love of music started for local recording artist TRACY SHEDD at age 5, when she began playing the piano. It was the first of many instruments Shedd has played through the years. By the early 1990s, she had added guitar to her repertoire, which introduced her to a new love – her husband, JAMES TRITTEN. Today, she and Tritten own Fort Lowell Records, a Wilmington-based record label they started in 2009 while living in Tucson, Arizona.

Shedd’s solo career took off in 1998, when she moved to Boston and recorded her first album, “Blue.” Since 1999, Shedd has shared the stage with well-known acts, and she has opened and toured with some of her all-time favorite bands like The Magnetic Fields, Cat Power, Cyndi Lauper, Howe Gelb, and Trembling Blue Stars. “Too many to list, but I cherish them all,” she says. Until 2019, Shedd mostly released albums of her work, but her approach has shifted in recent years. “We are in the middle of what marked a new era when we started releasing singles. We also have incorporated more synthesizers and drum machines,” she says.

Her new single, “Let It Ride,” will be officially released on Friday, August 18 and she debuted the song in July – her first performance in a year. “The lyrics represent what’s for you won’t pass you by, trusting the process, and not rushing it,” she says. Like the meaning behind the lyrics themselves, the song emerged organically for Shedd. “The song came from testing out a guitar for our new tape machine and in the process, I wrote a song. We recorded the guitar part that day and slowly I started writing lyrics to go with it. A few months later I recorded the vocals.”

Shedd’s influences and artistic inclinations have progressed naturally over the years. The roots of Shedd’s current approach can be traced back to 2015, when she and Tritten started a synth project called Band and The Beat. “It was just the two of us and we restricted ourselves to only playing synths (mostly analog) and a drum machine, no guitars,” Shedd says. “It was eye-opening. I would start a song on the guitar, most of the time, and then would transpose it to the piano. It taught me that just because a song starts one way, doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. It created a lot more freedom in my writing.”

Fort Lowell Records presents another outlet for Shedd’s love of music. She and Tritten launched the label in response to the local talent they saw while living in Tucson. “We wanted to help them have a platform to get their music out,” she says. “It’s so great to see the label still flourishing here in Wilmington with all the amazing local talent.” Today, the label is fully enmeshed in its new community. Fort Lowell’s This Water is Life project is a self-sustained and ongoing vinyl series of split EPs with two express purposes: to highlight new hip-hop and 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.

Shedd describes the Wilmington music scene as vibrant and lively. “Although we didn’t move here until 2018, we have played shows in Wilmington since 2001. We are happy to be a part of it and to see it still thriving,” she says. In addition to Shedd’s releases and the couple’s work at Fort Lowell Records, you can catch the duo DJing at Satellite Bar and Lounge on Tuesdays from 6-8:30 p.m. Called Let’s Tuesday, Shedd and Tritten spin some of their favorite songs. “It’s a chill nice place to have a taco at Block Taco attached to the bar and listen to us spin some vinyl from our personal collection,” she says. Also, mark the calendars for February 24, when Shedd will perform at Bourgie Nights with friends Dead Cool.

Premiere: Tracy Shedd’s “Let It Ride”

[Repost from Independent Clauses; by Stephen Carradini, August 11, 2023]

Ah, it’s good to be back. In particular, I’m very pleased to be working with Tracy Shedd and Fort Lowell Records again. When James Tritten sent over this song, he thought “it might be a little too ‘up’ for your interest.” Given that this is a mid-tempo indie-pop jam with good-times ’80s vibes, I think this is a sign that I’ve become a little dour in my listening interests.

Nevertheless, this track did indeed catch my ear. Shedd’s lovely voice cruises over a thrumming bass line, a solid electronic percussion backline, and some swirly/mystical guitars and keys. (Let it ride, indeed.) The solid groove stays on track the whole way. The outcome of the piece is a very summery track without a lot of the usual indicators of “summer,” which is a compliment to the songwriting: evoking the feeling without hitting too many tropes is a feather in the cap. If you like Generationals, Metric at their chillest, and Rilo Kiley (shoutout; I don’t know what the statute of limitations is on RIYL references is, but we’re probably past it on this one) will love this.

Tracy Shedd - "Let It Ride"

[Repost from If It's Too Loud; by Ken Sears, August 18, 2023]

Wilmington, NC's Tracy Shedd has been releasing music since 1999, had her music appear on Dawson's Creek and One Tree Hill, and has played with artists ranging from Cyndi Lauper to The Magnetic Fields. Her latest single, "Let It Ride," is this interesting mixture of indie rock, folk, and surf rock. It has a distinct summertime vibe to it, so it's perfect for squeezing out the last couple of weeks of summer. It's a dreamy and somewhat hypnotic sunny single that has just a little bit of a dark edge to it. "Let It Ride" has a slight groove that is going to suck you in and make you need to move, even if just a little.

You can listen to "Let It Ride" [above]. The single is available now via Fort Lowell Records. For more on Tracy Shedd, check out the artist's website.

OUT NOW: Tracy Shedd "Let It Ride" [Digital Single]

Tracy Shedd's new song "Let It Ride" is an infectious summertime indie pop anthem about being patient and trusting your gut, and it is Shedd's eighth single since the release of her sixth studio album The Carolinas.  Since 1999, Shedd has crafted melodic, heartfelt compositions that encourage people to make the most out of every moment, and "Let It Ride" is exactly that.

Tracy Shedd is an indie rock musician who has released six studio albums with Teen-Beat, New Granada Records, Devil In The Woods, Science Project Records, and 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.

For those who concur with Tracy Shedd, "Let It Ride" is the soundtrack to the Summer of 2023.

LISTEN TO DIGITAL SINGLE

For fans of Alvvays, Belle & Sebastian, Broken Social Scene, Fujiya & Miyagi, Future Islands, The Generationals, Geowulf, Japanese Breakfast, Jay Som, La Cerca, Liz Phair, Madonna, Metric, New Order, Of Montreal, The Pretenders, Rilo Kiley, Sasami, Snail Mail, Sonic Youth, Spoon, Starflyer 59, Stereolab, Twin Shadow, Yo La Tengo

Upcoming August Releases for Fort Lowell Records

We have three new Digital Singles being released next month that we are very proud of and excited to share with you.  Here is an overview to learn more about each upcoming release: 

La Cerca "Gimme Some Myrrh"

• For fans of Built To Spill, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Dead Meadow, Dinosaur Jr., Guided By Voices, Love as Laughter, Pink Floyd, R.E.M., Real Estate, Red House Painters, Saint Maybe, Silver Jews, Smashing Pumpkins, Spiritualized, Teenage Fanclub, Kurt Vile, The Warlocks, Wilco, Yo La Tengo
  
  
• PRE-SAVE NOW
  
  
• Release Date: August 11th
  
  
• La Cerca’s new single “Gimme Some Myrrh” is a bittersweet dreamy rocker, as well as an ode to frontman Andrew Gardner’s dear friend, the late Sam Jayne (Love as Laughter).
  
  “Sam would come to Tucson, Arizona on tour.  We would go to dance parties, skateboard all night, as well as stay up until dawn talking about music and the most unusual things,” reminisces Gardner, who played “Gimme Some Myrrh” in its infancy to Jayne many years before.  “At the time, the song was about people going for the life of living art, much like Sam, who would put every last penny into having a run of shows with his band,” Gardner shares. Ultimately, Jayne was the inspiration; he loved the song and told Gardner that it needed to be released.
  
  It wasn’t until after Sam Jayne’s passing in 2020 that La Cerca would follow his advice and recorded “Gimme Some Myrrh”.  Gardner adds, “I remember Sam playing an acoustic set and putting his audience in a frenzy, and the crowd would be screaming for more.  I realize now that I actually wrote this song about Sam, and how he was such an inspiration to me; like a superhero.”

Tracy Shedd "Let It Ride"

• For fans of Alvvays, Belle & Sebastian, Broken Social Scene, Fujiya & Miyagi, Future Islands, Geowulf, Japanese Breakfast, Jay Som, La Cerca, Liz Phair, Madonna, New Order, Of Montreal, The Pretenders, Sasami, Snail Mail, Sonic Youth, Spoon, Starflyer 59, Stereolab, Twin Shadow, Yo La Tengo
  
  
• PRE-SAVE NOW
  
  
• Release Date: August 18th
  
  
• Tracy Shedd's new song "Let It Ride" is an infectious summertime indie pop anthem about being patient and trusting your gut, and it is Shedd's eighth single since the release of her sixth studio album The Carolinas.  Since 1999, Shedd has crafted melodic, heartfelt compositions that encourage people to make the most out of every moment, and "Let It Ride" is exactly that.
  
  Tracy Shedd is an indie rock musician who has released six studio albums with Teen-Beat, New Granada Records, Devil In The Woods, Science Project Records, and 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.
  
  For those who concur with Tracy Shedd, "Let It Ride" is the soundtrack to the Summer of 2023.

Soda Sun "The Ghost Plant at Blood Run"

• For fans of Beirut, Big Thief, Bon Iver, Bonnie Prince Billy, Calexico, Andrew Collberg, Cotton Jones, Fleet Foxes, Sean Thomas Gerard, Great Lake Swimmers, Iron and Wine, Jim James, JPW, Damien Jurado, Lambchop, Midlake, Phosphorescent, Pinback, Songs: Ohio, Sufjan Stevens, Jeff Tweedy, The War On Drugs, Denison Witmer
  
  
• PRE-SAVE NOW
  
  
• Release Date: August 25th
  
  
• Soda Sun's new single "The Ghost Plant at Blood Run" is a spectral ballad, deftly painting the Southwestern landscape in a palette of sonic hues. The song’s namesake is a stunning, all white plant that derives its energy solely from fungi in the soil, not from the sun. Lead singer and songwriter, John Goraj saw the plant with his son in a boggy forest along the Sioux River in South Dakota where he grew up. Goraj couldn’t help writing about the strange fungi-dependent  plant and the stark contrast to the desert where he lives now. The song then becomes a reflection of both places: a dark boggy forest and a sun-soaked desert,
  
  Blending introspective lyricism with a resonant sense of homecoming, the song reaches into the desert's heart, unearthing gold from its dust. The journey from sunrise screams to twilight whispers is a testament to Soda Sun's evocative storytelling and the intimate sense of family throughout their work. “The Ghost Plant at Blood Run" is a poetic dance with nature and the kaleidoscopic colors of the desert.
  
  Hailing from Tucson, Arizona, Soda Sun quickly made their mark in the 2020s with a unique blend of introspective lyrics and atmospheric melodies. Their debut album Stay Here (2021, Fort Lowell Records) earned critical acclaim. Their organic instrumentation and authentic storytelling have cultivated a dedicated fanbase, both locally and internationally.

Tracy Shedd

[Repost from Port City Daily; by Shea Carver, July 13, 2023]

[Tracy] Shedd has a new single, “Let It Ride,” dropping Aug. 18, a late ‘80s-early ‘90s heavy indie-pop vibe, a bassline at its forefront and some synthetic sounds slightly backing the echoing harmonies of Shedd.

PRE-SAVE DIGITAL SINGLE

From concerts to an 'Outlander' cruise, 17 things to do in Wilmington this weekend

[Repost from StarNews; by John Staton, July 12, 2023]

At The Place: Wilmington indie-rock singer and songwriter has assembled a supergroup of sorts for her only scheduled show of this year, a multi-act affair at this scene-incubating Cargo District venue. Shedd, whose darkly groovy new single "Let It Ride" drops next month on Wilmington-based Fort Lowell Records, is a veteran touring and recording artist whose vocals hit the sweet spot between spooky and ethereal, with lyrics that navigate the nuances of life and love. (Her most recent effort, 2019's "The Carolinas," is a gem thanks to such wry rockers as "Tinder Heart.") Shedd's husband and Fort Lowell partner James Tritten will be on drums in her band, along with longtime Wilmington musicians Brian Weeks (Summer Set, De La Noche) on guitar and Sean Thomas Gerard (Onward, Soldiers) on keys. With a stellar array of supporting acts: rapper and lyricist MoeSOS DC, indie rockers Blab School and visual artist Tristan Turner providing projections. 7 p.m. July 15, tickets are $10 at the door.

Wilmington music scene: The good stuffHow the couple behind a growing record label is putting Wilmington music on the map

PRE-SAVE DIGITAL SINGLE

Tracy Shedd / MoeSOS DC / Blab School live in concert at The Place

Wilmington, North Carolina / Saturday, July 15th / 7:00pm / $10.00

CLICK HERE FOR FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

Tracy Shedd + Lauds live concert photographs from Ocean Grill & Tiki Bar, Carolina Beach NC

Tracy Shedd

Lauds

Concert Photography by Andrew Berg - Hotel Congress, May 21, 2022, Tucson AZ

Tracy Shedd

Tracy Shedd

Tracy Shedd

Tracy Shedd

Soda Sun

Soda Sun

Soda Sun

Soda Sun

Gabriel Naïm Amor

Gabriel Naïm Amor

La Cerca

La Cerca

La Cerca

La Cerca

KITIMOTO