In Conversation with Tracy Shedd

[Repost from Modern Soul Records; by Carly Marcoux, September 13, 2021]

We recently had the opportunity to speak with indie recording artist Tracy Shedd. Shedd's fantastic debut album, "Blue," first released in 2001 on Teen-Beat Records, is a slow-burning indie-pop gem.

Celebrating its 20 Year Anniversary and officially released this past August, we're now seeing the album (again) for the very first time on beautiful 140g striking blue vinyl (an obvious but wonderful play on the album title--the original was only released on CD format) courtesy of NC-based record label, Fort Lowell Records (run by Shedd's longtime musical collaborator, and husband, James Tritten).

Teen-Beat Records' Mark Robinson (in partnership with Fort Lowell) has revisited the beautiful original 2001 design for the new album pressing (repackaging it for vinyl, including a lyric sheet and photographer and musician Emily Wilder's original images). This limited edition of the "Blue" pressing captures a remarkable beginning for Shedd who has gone on to amass five other full-lengths (including her most recent release, 2019's "The Carolinas"), an EP (2010's "EP88"), and an abundance of additional single tracks and others (digital singles, unique pressings, live sets, and tracks on compilations) throughout her lengthy career.

Read our interview with Shedd, below:

Carly: First: congratulations on the 20th Anniversary release of your debut album, "Blue" on vinyl. What can you tell us about the early days of leading up to the release of the album (recollections/memories) on CD in 2001? Second: how did signing to Teen-Beat and working with Mark Robinson come about?

Tracy Shedd: Blue was originally meant to be a demo, but Mark Robinson of Teen-Beat felt otherwise, and thankfully so. Mark is a friend of ours, and wanted to get the recording released right away as a debut album. My favorite moment on Blue comes right around the 3:04 marker on "Something Good", where you can hear the local Somerville, MA, MBTA Bus put the brakes on as it pulls up to a bus stop which was located right outside the recording studio.

With the remaster and repackaging of "Blue" on vinyl--were there any particular pain points or celebrated moments along with way (especially while completing the project during a vinyl manufacturing shortage)? Was the reissue planned very far in advance and are there plans to reissue and remaster "Red" or any others (early releases not currently available on vinyl), next

We were very fortunate with "Blue," and able to have the vinyl back in just a short few months. The entire project was executed within the 2021 calendar year. Yes, Red (Teen-Beat; 2003) and Louder Than You Can Hear (Devil In The Woods; 2004) will both receive 20th Anniversary vinyl reissues via Fort Lowell Records in their respective years ahead. As we continue to write new music, we will likely release songs individually one-by-one as digital singles, as we did last year with "Mantra."

Do you have any favorites among your releases (throughout your career)?

I cherish all of my work for what it is for the time in which it was created.

You've been friends with Emily Wilder (Photographer, Video Artist, and musician in Wet & Reckless) for years now--how did you first meet and work together?

We met on the dance floor at Einstein A Go-Go, a legendary all-ages alternative/indie-rock dance club and live venue that used to exist in Jacksonville Beach, FL.

What was your favorite track to revisit from the remaster of "Blue"? Would you have changed anything about your setup from that time period?

Most of those songs were written on my vintage Micro-Frets 'Golden Comet' guitar. It's great hearing all of those songs now on vinyl for the first time.

Tell me more about your businesses (Petite Bonfire/No. 1 Supply) and the DJ night that you do with your husband/creative partner and bandmate James' Tritten (of Fort Lowell). It sounds like you are busy! Out of necessity comes creativity! I particularly love that all items made by No.1 Supply are named after album tracks (a definitive number one selling point for me, always)! 

Petite Bonfire has been in existence since our years in Tucson, AZ; 2006-2013. Let's Dance actually began pre-COVID as 'Manic Monday,' but we've been hosting DJ nights since we started Fort Lowell Records back in 2009; this is just the first time we've branded the events as their own thing. I became a certified Health Coach in 2020, something I set out to accomplish the year prior, which ultimately led to No. 1 Supply launching at the end of 2020; but there are roots that run deep as well with No. 1 Supply.

"Luz de Vida II: A Compilation to Benefit Homicide Survivors," (out November 5th, 2021, on Fort Lowell) will benefit homicide survivors looking for assistance and support groups (for Spanish and English speaking community members) via the organization, Homicide Survivors, Inc. in Tucson, AZ (your former home, and I'm sure a place you still feel near and dear to). Can you tell us more about the upcoming compilation and a little about your track that will be featured on that?

Luz de Vida II is a compilation album that features artists such as Dr. Dog, Calexico, L'Orange, Amos Lee, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and a personal friend of mine, Gabriel Naïm Amor, as well as many other great musicians. "Chasing Time" is the title of my song that will be included on Luz de Vida II. It is written from a perspective of empathy towards those who have survived homicide.

Another benefit compilation, released in October 2020, was "GROW," a benefit to support and act in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. Proceeds from this album support your local agency, NHC NAACP (New Hanover County and Wilmington in North Carolina). It sounds as if all of the resources were a team effort involving not only musicians, but pressing plants, and artists, and that both you and James really do grow within any community that you've moved to and created your home in over the years, which is wonderful. It must have been a salve, in effect, getting you back in touch with musician friends and makers (to release this) also?

Yes, GROW proved to be very healing for a lot of people, but more importantly (5) students were granted scholarships from the sale of GROW, and there will be more recipients as we continue to sell GROW through digital outlets indefinitely.

What are your thoughts on where we're at right now--and what keeps you positive and inspired

My love for life, family, and my friends continue to inspire me, and it gives me the strength to continue to write music.

Any upcoming dates, other events, or projects that you would like to mention?

I will be performing live in concert at the Tiki Bar in Carolina Beach, NC--on Thursday, September 23rd, along with Pinky Verde, who was part of GROW as well.

Purchase the 20th Anniversary Limited Edition of Tracy Shedd's album, "Blue," in our shop, click here or on Fort Lowell Records, or other limited shops, where available.

Find more of Tracy Shedd's music on the following websites:

https://tracyshedd.wixsite.com

https://tracyshedd.bandcamp.com

https://fortlowell.bandcamp.com

The artist, Tracy Shedd

SONG PREMIERE/LP Announcement: Tucson’s Gabriel Naïm Amor Displays Jazzy Regional Flair On “La Nuit Pour Nous Deux” Off ‘Luz de Vida II: A Compilation To Benefit Homicide Survivors’

[Repost from Glide Magazine; September 7, 2021]

Benefit albums often truly dont get their due: 2009’s Dark Was The Night for instance that featured a plethor of original music from Bon Iver, Beiurit, Cat Power, Spoon & more, while raising a million and a half dollars for AIDS relief. Maybe its the mixture of artists or they arent sexy on vinyl, but nonetheless, its about time these compilations get a revisit and the new ones get rightfully examined. The southwest area has a new one on tap, that blends a unique balance of regional musical flavors and experimental indie bands that include Calexico, Dr. Dog, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Amos Lee.

Luz de Vida II: A Compilation To Benefit Homicide Survivors is out November 5th on Fort Lowell Records. Vinyl release in partnership with Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas area based Zia Records. 100% of proceeds will go to Homicide Survivors, Inc. In conjunction with the album’s announcement, Glide is premiering the jazzy overtones of  Gabriel Naïm Amo’s “”La Nuit Pour Nous Deux” (below). The song featuring Calexico‘s drummer, John Convertino, who is also Gabriel Naïm Amor’s drummer, radiates with a lo-fi warmth and stunning simplicity that conveys an enlivening mood soundstrack. With a mix of Latin, rock and jazz, this benefit album provides a kaliedoscope of signicant genres for the purpose of an even more meaningful benefit. 

The original Luz de Vida project began in the days after the January 8, 2011 shooting that took the lives of six people and injured 19 others, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and shook the Tucson community and nation. Luz de Vida – Spanish for Light of Life – is an expression of community, love, healing, grace and hope, a positive response from Tucson musicians and national artists. More than $20,000 was raised to provide aid and comfort to the victims and their families.

The original Tucson Together Fund ceased in 2013 and since then, funds have been donated to Tucson’s Homicide Survivors, Inc., which has a mission to help meet the crisis and long-term needs of families of murder victims through support, advocacy, and assistance.

For the 10th anniversary of the tragedy, members of the original Luz de Vida production team (a coalition of Tucson writers, recording engineers, musicians, and artists) are partnering with Homicide Survivors to release a second compilation record. Again, featuring Tucson and national artists and released on Fort Lowell Records, Luz de Vida II will be released in November to coincide with the All Soul’s Procession, an annual community ceremony in celebration and mourning of the lives of our loved ones and ancestors.

The original record sleeve included a quote from composer Leonard Bernstein, his November 1963 response to the assassination of President Kennedy, and Luz de Vida II continues in the same spirit: “This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.”

Homicide Survivors Inc. is a non-profit organization that’s helping meet the crisis and long-term needs of families of murder victims through support, advocacy, and assistance.

PREORDER Luz De Vida II

LUZ DE VIDA II TRACK LIST: 

1 .Calexico — “Wash (La Luz Brillante)”
2. Tracy Shedd — “Chasing Time”
3. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah — “Thousand Oaks (Luz de Vida)”
4. Juarez — “Ghosts in the Room”
5. L’Orange — “A Rich Life & Longing”
6. Dr. Dog — “Loneliness”
7. Gabriel Naïm Amor — “La Nuit Pour Nous Deux”
8. Acorn Bcorn — “Scraps”
9. XIXA — “Crystal Road (Luz de Vida)”
10. The Resonars — “It’s the Same”
11. Hannah Yeun — “All That Matters is the Wind”
12. Soda Sun — “Grape Juice”
13. Amos Lee — “El Camino (Solo Acoustic)”

Dr. Dog Share New Song “Loneliness” from Homicide Survivors Benefit Compilation: Exclusive

[Repost from Consequence of Sound; by Ben Kaye, September 7, 2021]

Luz de Vida II: A Compilation to Benefit Homicide Survivors also features Calexico, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and more

As part of a new compilation benefiting the family members of homicide victims, Dr. Dog have shared a previously unreleased song called “Loneliness.”

The track is featured on Luz de Vida II: A Compilation to Benefit Homicide Survivors. Ten years ago, Tucson, Arizona and the nation were shaken by a mass shooting that claimed the lives of six and injured 19 others — with Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords amongst the latter. In response, Fort Lowell Records launched the Luz de Vida benefit project, with 100% of proceeds going to aid and comfort survivors through the Tucson Together Fund. Now, to mark the 10th anniversary of that tragedy, they’ve put together a second charity compilation.

Due out November 5th to coincide with Tuscon’s All Soul’s Procession community ceremony, Luz da Vida II features contributions from Calexico, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, L’Orange, Amos Lee, Tracy Shedd, Juarez, and more. In what could be one of their final releases ever, Dr. Dog also added to the comp with “Loneliness.” The song is being exclusively premiered today, and you can stream it [here].

Pre-orders for the limited edition Luz da Vida II vinyl are going on now through Zia Records. Again, 100% of proceeds will benefit Homicide Survivors, Inc., which provides families of murder victims with support, advocacy, and assistance. (Proceeds from the 2011 compilation have been going to Homicide Survivors, Inc. since the Tucson Together Fund closed in 2013.) Find the artwork and complete tracklist ahead.

In addition to the album, a Luz da Vida pop-up silent auction will take place on Friday, September 10th. Featuring collaborations with U-Turn Audio and local artists, the auction will feature custom designed turntables and speakers. There’s also a raffle that includes a deck painted by Dr. Dog’s own Scott McMicken; check out his design below. Other items include Tucson-based activities, artwork, and more. You can bid in person between 5:00-9:00 p.m. MT at the MSA Annex, or online via DonorView.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO DR. DOG'S "LONELINESS" NOW

Luz de Vida II: A Compilation to Benefit Homicide Survivors Tracklist:
01. Calexico — “Wash (La Luz Brillante)
02. Tracy Shedd — “Chasing Time”
03. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah — “Thousand Oaks (Luz de Vida)”
04. Juarez — “Ghosts in the Room”
05. L’Orange — “A Rich Life & Longing”
06. Dr. Dog — “Loneliness”
07. Gabriel Naïm Amor — “La Nuit Pour Nous Deux”
08. Acorn Bcorn — “Scraps”
09. XIXA — “Crystal Road (Luz de Vida)”
10. The Resonars — “It’s the Same”
11. Hannah Yeun — “All That Matters is the Wind”
12. Soda Sun — “Grape Juice”
13. Amos Lee — “El Camino (Solo Acoustic)”

Live Concert Photographs of Neon Belly at The Opera Room; July 30, 2021

Photographs by J.(oshua) Noel Sullivan

LISTEN: the Good Graces Craft Colorfully Curious Indie Folk On “capital R”

[Repost from Glide Magazine; September 7, 2021]

Singer, songwriter, and drummer-turned-guitarist Kim Ware of the Good Graces is known for her unique brand of raw, folk-leaning “southern indie” music. Performing with a rotating cast of musicians, Ware has been crafting tracks with both guts and heart since picking up her first guitar in 2006. 

“capital R” is the new impassioned and cathartic single from the Good Graces. Ware’s voice curates a raw vulnerability atop a tried and true indie rock formula recalling the candid flair of Liz Phair. There is a sense of timelessness to the track though it effortlessly defines a generation of 90’s angst with beautiful openness, creativity and sense of self-worth. 

“Compared to most of my other songs, this song came about in a pretty interesting way. It was the result of an assignment from my therapist. I was dealing with some complicated feelings and she urged me to write a letter, to myself, from the feelings. At first I thought, “hmm… what?” But a few days later I was journaling and the letter just came out, and a few days after that the song followed. I recorded my acoustic and vocals at home and Jerry Kee did the rest in his studio in Mebane, NC. This is one of the most fun ones to play with my band, and it’s really cathartic to sing that chorus,” says Ware.

OUT NOW: Gabriel Naïm Amor "La Nuit Pour Nous Deux" [Digital Single]

The first song from Luz de Vida II: A Compilation to Benefit Homicide Survivors titled "La Nuit Pour Nous Deux" by Gabriel Naïm Amor, featuring Beth Goodfellow, John Convertino of Calexico, and Thøger Tetens Lund of Giant Sand is out now and available on all digital music platforms.  Listen to the song below, and then CLICK HERE to pre-order Luz de Vida II on vinyl through Zia Records, or the Digital LP via Bandcamp and receive the first single today. All proceeds raised from Luz de Vida II album sales will go toward services for advocacy, support, and emergency assistance for families impacted by homicide provided by Homicide Survivors, Inc.

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER LUZ DE VIDA II NOW

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

Five years ago today...

Electronic synth-pop duo Band & The Beat released their third Digital Single for the track "Sweet as Honey".

Neon Belly - The Boys Are Alright

[Repost from Just Some Punk Songs; by Mick Fletcher, September 4, 2021]

So, today's song. It's by a band from Wilmington, North Carolina called Neon Belly. They feature a line up of Lacie Jay (vocals), PMAttitude (guitar/bass) & Nice Derek (drums/production). They've just released a Self Titled 5 track ep which is available on Bandcamp as a name your price download https://fortlowell.bandcamp.com/album/neon-belly and on 7" vinyl from Fort Lowell Records. It's on an assortment of coloured variants and limited to 100 hand numbered copies. You can get it here: https://www.thefuzzyneedle.com/shop/neon-belly-neon-belly 

It's a fundraiser release, 100% of the sales from this record will be used to provide School Supplies & Hygiene Products in New Hanover County as part of a charity drive managed by Wanda's Creative Hair Salon at 1001 Castle St, Wilmington, NC 28401 [Phone: (910) 297-1745]. 

Their sound is straight up shouty, enthusiastic punk. Female vocals, rough and ready production all performed with great gusto. One of the highlights is a cover of a song released as a single in 1978 by Netherlands band The Filth (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81c_T42rx-8). I think it's better than the original. 

This however is the lead track, it's called The Boys Are Alright...

Five years ago today...

Jacksonville, Florida's post-rock instrumental trio Moyamoya released their "Ded Mel 25" Digital Single, which featured an incredible remix of the same track by Atlanta, Georgia based multi-instrumentalist / producer Navigateur.

Navigateur

PREMIERE: the Good Graces unveil lyric video for moody new single, "capital R"

[Repost from Immersive Atlanta; by Guillermo Castro, August 27, 2021]

Relationships can be tricky. So many conflicting emotions. So many competing motivations, both acknowledged and unseen. Who can make sense of human behavior? After all, there’s definitely, definitely, definitely no logic, right? On new single “capital R,” Kim Ware pulls back the curtain and exposes the tangled knot of contradictions and thorny rationales that often drive our decision-making. “I don’t wanna be here / But you’re so inviting / And this time I think I might stay,” she sings on the softly glowing chorus. Couched in warm hooks and moody atmospherics, it brims with the candid poetics that has informed the Good Graces’ songwriting for well over a decade.

“I’ve always tried to make my songs a very honest reflection of who I am,” Ware says. “But what part of life fits neatly in a box? Life is not a simple thing. So I often end up writing about that non-simplicity.”

After living in Atlanta for sixteen years, Ware recently moved back to her family’s farm in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. The transition has helped her connect to her past and deepen her appreciation of home. Since then, she’s been working with NC engineer/producer Jerry Kee (Superchunk, Archers of Loaf, Polvo) on the Good Graces’ forthcoming sixth full length.

“Capital R” is the first taste of that collaboration and it finds Ware embracing a more rock-centric sound. There are shades of folk-leaning Americana, of course, and the billowing synths help coat the track in a dreamy shimmer. But the driving force remains Ware’s knack for marrying tasteful melodies to piercing observations. Here, it’s the daunting realization that despite someone’s flaws—their domineering attitude and “half-assed optimism”— there is an intractable attraction that can’t be ignored. Why? Who’s to say. Simple truths can be hard to come by. But maybe, just maybe, we like it that way.

Stream the single and lyric video [below].

“capital R” releases this Fri., Aug. 27. Pre-orders are available here.

The Good Graces will perform on Sat., Aug. 28 at the EARL alongside the Preakness and Ben Trickey (full band). Doors open at 8 p.m. Admission is $12 in advance or $15 DOS. 21+ to enter. Proof of vaccination or negative COVID test required. Mask up, y’all.

More Info

Web: thegoodgraces.org

Bandcamp: thegoodgraces.bandcamp.com

Facebook: @thegoodgraces

SoundCloud: @thegoodgraces

Tumblr: thegoodgraces.tumblr.com

Twitter: @theGoodGraces

the Good Graces; photo by John McNicholas

OUT NOW: Neon Belly 'Neon Belly' [EP], available on all digital platforms + 7inch vinyl

Happy Birthday to Scott Madgett of Moyamoya

Interview: The Good Graces Get Therapeutic

[Repost from Adobe & Teardrops; by Rachel Cholst, August 30, 2021]

Singer, songwriter, and drummer-turned-guitarist Kim Ware of Adobe & Teardrops fave the Good Graces is known for her unique brand of raw, folk-leaning “southern indie” music. Performing with a rotating cast of musicians, Ware has been crafting tracks with both guts and heart since picking up her first guitar in 2006. She’s one of those rare artists whose melodic lines and candid lyrics feel so natural they’re almost unnatural; she’s been praised as a “songwriter’s songwriter” as well as “an Atlanta treasure” by local musicians and press alike.

Born and raised in a small North Carolina town called Kings Mountain, Ware was a naturally introverted child. Her love of music led her to take up drumming, where she could participate in songs safely from the back of the stage. She got her first drum kit for Christmas at sixteen and taught herself to play, drumming in alt-rock bands (including popular Wilmington, NC act Tex Svengali) throughout her twenties and thirties. Eventually she moved to Atlanta, where she joined two bands whose songwriters (Jeff Evans of Chickens and Pigs and Mary O. Harrison of Virginia Plane) inspired a new appreciation for lyric-driven, narrative songwriting. But it wasn’t until 2006, after finding an old acoustic guitar at the Lakewood Antiques Market, that Ware began writing and singing her own work as the Good Graces.

During the 2020 pandemic, Ware launched two projects designed to connect local artists and friends despite quarantine restrictions: a virtual Facebook venue called “Kimono My House,” which includes members across the world and continues to grow daily, and a podcast called “Quarantuned With the Good Graces,” where she interviewed musicians about their creative processes and the need for artists to stay connected.

After sixteen years in Atlanta, Ware recently moved back to Kings Mountain, where she lives in a farmhouse her family has owned for more than a century. “I’m constantly writing songs that reflect this place, and I’m realizing that maybe I’ve always been writing about home in some way or another.” She’s working with NC engineer/producer Jerry Kee (Superchunk, Archers of Loaf, Polvo, Kingsbury Manx, Dex Romweber, Shark Quest) on the Good Graces’ sixth full-length album, exploring “the stuff of home” from the farmhouse and her father’s peach orchard next door: the objects, faces, emotions, and natural features that make a familiar place feel confusing and comforting at the same time.

Ware’s new song “capital R” was written for an assignment from my therapist. It’s pretty upbeat and rockin’, with a southern indie style. It was produced by Jerry Kee (Superchunk, Archers of Loaf, Polvo, Kingsbury Manx, Dex Romweber, Shark Quest) at his Duck-Kee studio in Mebane, NC. I played acoustic guitar and sang; Jerry played everything else.

In her interview, Kim digs into her influences, her favorite touring memories, and the best way to support artists in these trying times.

Who are some of your musical influences?

90s stuff – Nirvana, Liz Phair, Juliana Hatfield. A little emo, I love Rainer Maria and count them as one of my favorite bands ever. That stuff, combined with some of my favorite Americana/country-ish songwriters like Lucinda Williams, Lydia Loveless, and, more recently, Jaimee Harris – those are probably informing my current writing the most. Early on, I was really drawn to the writing of John Darnielle (the Mountain Goats) as well as his percussive guitar style. The drums were my first instrument so I think I approached (and still do) the acoustic guitar music like a percussion instrument.

Tell us about your favorite show you’ve ever played.

We got to open a handful of dates for Indigo Girls the summer of 2015. The first show happened to be on my birthday, at Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In the middle of our set, the crowd started singing happy birthday to me. I’ll always remember how amazing that felt! A close second is our last record release at Eddie’s in Decatur GA, in November 2019. The room was packed, the crowd was so appreciative, it was really a perfect night. Hard to believe everything took such a drastic turn just a few months later.

What’s the best way a fan can support you?

I’ve been enjoying sharing content over at my Patreon; it helps keep me accountable and gives me a place to try out new song ideas, release demos, stuff like that. And the monthly patron model is an awesome means of support – patreon.com/kimware

Recent release you cannot stop listening to?

I’ve really been enjoying the most recent Adult Mom album, “Driver.” Really great songs and awesome production.

Is there a professional “bucket list” item you would love to check off?

One day I’d really love to tour in Australia.

the Good Graces — Official, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

the Good Graces; photo by John McNicholas

Happy Birthday to Ryan Trayte of Saywells Designs

Ryan Trayte of Saywells Designs, graphic designer for Luz de Vida

Happy Birthday to Paul Jenkins of ...music video?

From concerts to comedy to art shows, 6 ways to work it out in Wilmington this weekend

[Repost from StarNews; by John Staton, August 26, 2021]

Saturday: Lauds

This Wilmington dream pop band's self-titled debut EP on Fort Lowell Records can sound like lost or forgotten songs from late '80s or early '90s college radio. Undeniably retro in their nostalgic appeal, the moody yet cautiously upbeat tunes -- filled with intricately layered guitars, lots of effects and echoey vocals -- somehow fit perfectly with our pandemic-worried world.

On Saturday, Aug. 28, Lauds -- which is singer/guitarists J Holt Evans III and McKay Glasgow, guitarist/keyboardist Boyce Evans, drummer Ross Paige and bassist Gavin Campbell -- will play a masked, outdoors album-release show for the EP at Satellite Bar and Lounge on Greenfield Street with Durham band Check Minus.

More:Wilmington dream pop band Lauds matches its retro sound to a moody modern world on new EP

Details: 7 p.m. Aug. 28, at Satellite Bar & Lounge, 120 Greenfield St., Wilmington. Free, 21 and up. Masked, outdoors show.

Lauds; photo by Ross Langdon Page

OUT NOW: the Good Graces "capital R" [Digital Single]

Life is beautiful, and it's amazing how cyclical things can be.  Kim Ware of the Good Graces used to live in Wilmington, North Carolina, and run a record label called Eskimo Kiss Records.  She released music for Fort Lowell Records' owners: James Tritten's band Audio Explorations, as Tracy Shedd herself.  Now, the Good Graces, after recently departing Atlanta, Georgia, have relocated to Shelby, North Carolina. Meanwhile, Fort Lowell Records is based out of Wilmington, North Carolina, and releasing music for the Good Graces these days... 

Including this brand new single for a fantastic pop-gem titled "capital R", which is out today -- Friday, August 27th -- on all digital music download and streaming platforms!  Check it out:

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

Wilmington dream pop band Lauds matches its retro sound to a moody modern world on new EP

[Repost from StarNews; by John Staton, August 25, 2021]

J Holt Evans III, a songwriter and guitarist with the Wilmington dream pop band Lauds, said he thinks his group should "come out as endorsers of things." Just for starters: English musician Johnny Marr of The Smiths. Pad Thai. Vaccinations. And, since he and two of his bandmates went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Tar Heels basketball and recently retired coach Roy Williams.

Evans is just kidding around, of course. But while we're talking endorsements, Lauds recently got a big one from Wilmington-based independent label Fort Lowell Records, which released the band's self-titled debut EP on July 30.

"I love reverbed-out, echoey guitar music. Call it shoegaze, dream pop, whatever," Evans said.

And while the four songs on "Lauds" are undeniably retro in their nostalgic appeal, sounding at times like lost or forgotten tracks from late '80s or early '90s college radio, the moody yet cautiously upbeat tunes somehow fit perfectly with our pandemic-worried world.

On Saturday, Aug. 28, Lauds will play a masked, outdoors album-release show for the EP at Satellite Bar and Lounge on Greenfield Street with Durham band Check Minus. On Sept. 11, they'll play the Palm Room in Wrightsville Beach with indie rock act Arson Daily.

The origins of Lauds date to three years ago, after Evans and singer/guitarist/songwriter McKay Glasgow, also of Wilmington folk-rock act Tumbleweed, bonded over the songs of Neil Young. They met when Glasgow was recording Tumbleweed's 2018 album "Little Yellow House" with Evans' father, Holt Evans II, who played with the Wilmington pop band Hungry Mind Review in the '90s and early 2000s and has produced some of the best albums ever made in Wilmington, including Astro Cowboy's forever-epic "Hedonism Colosseum."

"Lauds kind of formed through our friendship," Evans said, and soon enough he and Glasgow had joined with his younger brother, Boyce Evans, who plays drums on the record but keyboards and guitars for live shows, to create their own version of the driving, intricate, effects-laden guitar music they'd been listening to since they were in elementary school.

"Growing up with my dad, we'd ask him to get us a Nickelback CD," Holt Evans said. "He'd say, 'You know, you need to go and listen to Joy Division right now or you're grounded.'"

He remembers hearing early U2 albums "Boy" and "October" played in the car on rides to school as a kid.

"Now I feel like I can't get away from echo or delay on any guitar part I write," Evans said.

For his part, Glasgow cites the elder Evans as an influence as well.

"Just like their dad influenced them, for the last three years we've been recording together he's been giving me the same music," Glasgow said, citing such post-punk outfits as The Chameleons and New Order.

Lauds, however, put their own spin on the dream-pop genre.

The driving "Wasted Hours" and "Wait Forever" have almost surfily coastal vibes, while the more laid-back "Never Was" is infused with a kind of pretty sadness.

Album closer "Sandpiper," a song Glasgow said was inspired by growing up mere yards from the Cape Fear River, has a more sprawling, epic feel distinct from the EP's tightly constructed first three songs.

"It took us a while to get to the sound that you hear on the record," Boyce Evans said. At first, "It was more straightforward, cleaner rock. Then we kind of turned that to 11."

Boyce's brother agreed that the band wanted to "put the vocals and the guitars and the drums all on equal footing," conjuring a vibe with their sound while lyrics speak vaguely, though at times poignantly, to difficult emotions and troublesome memories.

"If people get to our lyrics we're proud of them," Glasgow said. "But they are secondary."

The band, which started to build a local following with eight or 10 shows before the pandemic, has enough material for a few more EPs. They've also added a couple of new members, Gavin Campbell on bass and Ross Paige on drums.

In addition to a couple of self-released singles, the band also has a song on 2020's "GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter" for Fort Lowell, which has emerged post-pandemic as Wilmington's most prominent indie label, having released new records this year from Port City acts Sean Thomas Gerard, punk-rockers Neon Belly and Lauds.

As for the band's punchy moniker, it arises from Evans III being a "huge fan of one-syllable band names." He added that "we'd be lying" if he said the band "didn't have a spreadsheet of like 100 names that we fought tooth and nail over." (Three that didn't make the cut? Grouse, Flowerhouse and Orca Boys.)

Lauds have also been working on a completely unironic cover of Don Henley's moody 1984 hit "Boys of Summer," which, if they play it at Satellite this weekend, might provide a fitting coda to Wilmington's own hot, pandemic-infused summer.

Want to go?

What: Lauds (EP release show), with Check Minus

When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28

Where: Satellite Bar & Lounge, Greenfield St., Wilmington

Info: Free, 21 and up. Masked, outdoors show.

Details: FortLowell.bandcamp.com/album/lauds

Next up: Lauds plays Sept. 11 with Arson Daily at the Palm Room in Wrightsville Beach.

Lauds; photo by Ross Langdon Page