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.

LET'S DANCE at Satellite Bar & Lounge in Wilmington NC - Friday, September 1

Join us at Satellite Bar & Lounge on Friday, September 1st from 8:30-11:00pm as Fort Lowell Records hosts LET'S DANCE: a Vinyl DJ Night of dance-centric Alternative / Indie / Underground music deejayed by label owner James Tritten

CLICK HERE FOR FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

BMN Exclusive Premiere: Soda Sun "The Ghost Plant at Blood Run" (Fort Lowell Records)

[Repost from Blood Makes Noise; August 22, 2023]

In late 2017, John Goraj left the Los Angeles hustle for Tucson’s contemplative desert beauty. Seeking an artistic revival, it wasn’t long before the ex-folk troubadour joined forces with local musicians Johny Vargas (guitar) and David Foley (drums), as well as then bassist Derek Cerretani, to form Soda Sun.

"The Ghost Plant at Blood Run", Soda Sun's latest digital single, 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, wet, spongy 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.

Click here to listen to Soda Sun “The Ghost Plant at Blood Run": https://orcd.co/flr063

Hailing from Tucson, Arizona, Soda Sun quickly made their mark in the 2020s with a unique combination of atmospheric melodies. Stay Here (Fort Lowell Records), their 2021 debut album which was mixed by Larry Crane (Sleater-Kinney, She & Him, Elliott Smith), earned critical acclaim. Soda Sun's organic instrumentation and authentic narrative have cultivated a dedicated fanbase, both locally and internationally.

Today, Blood Makes Noise is excited to share with you the official World Premiere of Soda Sun's brand new digital single, "The Ghost Plant at Blood Run".  Fans of other artists such as Bonnie Prince Billy, Cotton Jones, Damien Jurado, Lambchop, Phosphorescent, and Songs: Ohio will enjoy Soda Sun's music. Click the link below to listen to "The Ghost Plant at Blood Run" by Soda Sun now.

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.

OUT NOW: Soda Sun "The Ghost Plant at Blood Run"

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, wet, spongy 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 combination of atmospheric melodies. Stay Here (Fort Lowell Records), their 2021 debut album which was mixed by Larry Crane (Sleater-Kinney, She & Him, Elliott Smith), earned critical acclaim. Soda Sun's organic instrumentation and authentic narrative have cultivated a dedicated fanbase, both locally and internationally.

LISTEN TO DIGITAL SINGLE

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

LET'S BOOGIE!

Join us tonight (Aug 24) at Satellite Bar & Lounge in Wilmington NC for LET'S BOOGIE — a night of Electro-Synth-Funk / Post-Disco — featuring FADER on the 'wheels of steel'!

CLICK HERE FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

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.

190 Proof: James Sardone Chats about Booze, Being Under the Influence, and Dive Bars

James Tritten of Fort Lowell Records [L] and James Sardone [R]

[Repost from V13; by Christopher Gonda, August 13, 2023]

As an artist, James Sardone just never stops growing. You can see it on his brand new EP Colors (vinyl version here), a real exposé of the guitarist’s skills as a songwriter. From Wilmington, North Carolina, the singer-songwriter uses his guitar and his pop sensibilities in tandem, combining the influences of 40 years of alternative and indie music. Originally from the Appalachians, Sardone has been etching out his place within indie rock for some time now, stemming back to his younger years in the late 1980s when he was part of the post-punk trio Brickbat.

His sound and musical preferences have evolved over the years to now a more electronic-influenced, 1980s retro feel. There are many highlights within this new set of songs, including two versions of the song “Colors of Your Brain,” one a shortened radio edit, while the other an eleven-minute marathon track meant to keep those feet moving. In addition, you’ll find a brilliant take on Blondie’s “Dreaming,” which features guest piano by none other than Tracy Shedd.

The reason for all the musical changes by Sardone over the years is simple: he doesn’t like resting on his laurels. This means that he is not content with staying in one musical space for too long because he feels confined or gets bored quite easily. That’s why so much of his music, over the years, has sounded so different because it’s more about the authenticity and the amusement in it for Sardone, rather than just succumbing to a perceived pressure to sound a certain way.

But never mind music for now! Today, we are joined by Sardone for a 190 Proof interview, in which we discuss his alcoholic beverage preferences, being under the influence, dive bars, and more.

First things first: beer, wine, or liquor?

James Sardone: “Oh, hello. It depends if I’m having a glass with a meal or not; but as you say, first things first… Bourbon. I’m a known foodie and used to work as a sous chef, so wine is the go-to with a good dinner. Beer comes last, but I like Belgian and German beers like Duvel, Delirium Tremens, or a Weihenstephaner. Extremely hoppy beer doesn’t work with my buds (kind of like some freaks not liking cilantro), and makes my mouth taste like an eternal ashtray.”

What was the first drink you ever had, and how old were you?

“Probably Coors or Budweiser and mostly like started some bad habits at 14. I’m sure some awful swill like Miester Brau or Miller High Life might’ve been involved. I had no idea what to drink. There wasn’t any really good booze like we have today. It was all Canadian Club out of our parent’s liquor cabinet.”

It’s been a long day, and you get to have a drink: where are you, and what do you get?

“If I’ve been working in the sun, a crisp Pilsner; if it’s been a hard day working the jobby job, an Old Fashioned. Not to be confused with the ‘new” Old Fashioned with the muddled, radioactive cherry and orange slice… I’m talking ye olde, original whiskey cocktail. I just muddle a small demerara sugar cube with Angostura and orange bitters, splash that with a tidbit of soda, add bourbon or rye and express the oils from an orange peel. Simple, alcohol forward as the booze critics like to say.”

What’s the most unique/strangest/most batshit thing you’ve ever had to drink? Describe the experience.

“Barium, it’s like drinking chalk, but then comes the x-ray. If you don’t need your pipes looked at, I don’t recommend it. Nothing to see here folks, just too much coffee.”

What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever done under the influence?

“Back in the early 2000s, I was on a date with my now wife, and we went to the Rodeo Bar in NYC (where I used to run sound). We were ending the date with a nightcap; we ended up closing down the bar. On the way out, I tried to be dashing like some kind of ’40s film hero by sliding down the stair handrails from the upstairs lounge, completely wiping out, and rolling down the stairs. I was feeling no pain; luckily, no serious injuries beside some bumps and a good deal of embarrassment. We still laugh about it.”

What do you think is a totally overrated drink or brand?

“I did a blind taste-test with James Tritten of Fort Lowell Records, between Buffalo Trace and Ancient Age; I chose Ancient Age (laughs).”

You only get to listen to one album, but it’s only when you drink, and it’s for the rest of your life; what is it?

“The Replacements, Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash.”

Marry, fuck, kill: Your choices are Captain Morgan, Admiral Nelson, Sailor Jerry?

“Kill ‘em all and get yourself a good, funky bottle of Smith & Cross. It’s great in a ‘Charles Dicken Punch.’”

What’s the worst (or best) dive bar you’ve ever gone drinking to?

“The MARS Bar/ NYC. Definitely some characters out of William Kennedy’s Ironweed alongside ’90s hipsters, The mix was horrible to look at.”

If a drink could define your life so far, what would it be and why?

“The Old Fashioned. I’ve been in the music biz for a very long time, so everything I do with my music, I try to be mellow, professional, and exceptional. I like the magic and mystery in the crystal whisky glass as well as not knowing every detail about an artist in the days before mobile devices and the internet.”

A fan asks to buy you a drink in a bar; what do you choose?

“I accept, of course; I usually cap that offer by telling them I drink for free and can I buy you the next one?!

What do you think about kids soaking tampons in alcohol and then inserting them up their asses to get drunk?

Um… I have never ever heard of that. Whatever happened to sniffing glue? Good enough for The Ramones, good enough for you!”

Where is the most embarrassing place you have barfed?

“Going back to the late ’80s, in the median of Fifth Ave, downtown Wilmington, North Carolina. I was walking home from a friend’s house just around daybreak, ‘walk of shame’ if you will. I suddenly projectile vomit bile three feet. I was wearing a trench coat and a trilby; later, a friend told me he saw me on his way to work and thought it was Tom Waits for a second.”

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

'ambient busic' by infinitikiss | Fort Lowell Records 2023

[Repost from Daily Vault; by Tom Haugen, July 28, 2023]

An aptly titled album from the highly creative artist Nic Jenkins, as infinitikiss he uses improvised backing track cassette tapes, vibrational therapy and chakra/energy systems for 75 minutes that are steeped in mood and colors in a ROYGBIV sort of way.

“drinking cherry hibiscus tea at a stop light at sunset” gets the listen off to a soothing, dreamy start, where very gentle guitar floats alongside the waves of calm droning. “the smell of burnt turmeric” follows, and presents a bit of a darker landscape, where a tinge of mystery enters the sparse, meditative song craft.

Moving along, the middle tracks are some of the best, and include the more firm gestures of “in the same vibration that pothos green grows,” which swirls with cinematic appeal. “or the minty jade of ginkos” is equally enjoyable, and carries a touch of sci-fi like exploration that makes great use of percussive sounds in a sparing but effective strategy.

Closing in on the end of the listen, “tears of happy mermaids” recruits the sound of woodwinds for a very light and hypnotic eight-plus minutes of very precise instrumentation, and “from a lavender halo we are projecting ourselves” finishes with a warm buzzing and raw electronic stabs that nearly sound mechanical in their technical nature.

A truly unique listen that incorporates indie-rock, alt-pop and electronica amid the looping skills, the most obvious and known parallel here would be Brian Eno. For those who really dig into the genre, other luminaries like William Basinski,  Boxhead Ensemble, and Pye Corner Audio would be good reference points.

For those who prefer to own the physical product, the LP artwork is equally as colorful as the music, and is restricted to just 100 vinyl copies, but certainly worth seeking out for fans of ambient songwriting.

Rating: B+

ORDER VINYL RECORD

OUT NOW: La Cerca "Gimme Some Myrrh" [Digital Single]

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.” 

LISTEN TO DIGITAL SINGLE

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

Dusted || The 10 Best Cover Songs Of July 2023

[Repost from Add to Wantlist; by Dennis, July 31, 2023]

Dreaming || Cover: James Sardone || Original: Blondie

North Carolina singer/songwriter/guitarist James Sardone (ex-Brickbat, Burnley Brothers, The Jimmy Nations Combo, Loose Jets) released his compelling Colors EP this month on Fort Lowell Records. In addition to two original tracks, it also includes this six and a half minute long rendition of Blondie’s 1979 single Dreaming, featuring Tracy Shedd on piano. It’s melancholic, atmospheric and worthy of the title.

WL//WH Weekly Shoegaze / Dreampop / Psychedelic / Indie Tips - PICKS OF THE WEEK

[Repost from While Light // White Heat; by Fabrizio Lusso, August 1, 2023]

Wilmington, NC indie rock /shoegaze group led by Adam Bastug, Doggy Daycare “(forgetting) sarah marshall” single on Fort Lowell Records

Delving into early ’90s Shoegaze and Noise Rock realms, a noisy, drunk confession stirs jagged poignant melodies carved by lush, loud and hooky guitar swells, nestled amid thick abrasive riffs and saturated fuzz-laden distortions, to overwhelm strained, sore vocals with angsty romantic longings and brooding disenchanted moods.

James Sardone – Colors

[Repost from Rosy Overdrive; July 24, 2023]

Release date: July 21st

Record label: Fort Lowell

Genre: Synthpop, new wave, indie pop, post-punk

Formats: Vinyl, digital

Pull Track: Colors of Your Brain

Fans of a certain strain of underground indie rock music will recognize North Carolina’s James Sardone as the guitarist of Brickbat, the Wilmington-originating noise rock band that released three records in the 1990s and toured with the likes of Jawbox and The Jesus Lizard. Sardone’s music has certainly evolved since those days, as evidenced by the latest release under his own name, Colors. The five-song EP runs over half an hour in length, although half of that is devoted to a dancefloor-friendly remix of opening track “Colors of Your Brain” and its truncated “radio edit”, meaning that there’s about fifteen minutes and three songs of “new” music, one of which is a cover song. That said, Sardone offers up plenty to enjoy in these three tracks.

Opening track “Colors of Your Brain” is vintage new wave/college rock at its best, with Sardone’s clear vocals leading an instrumental brimming with New Order-esque bass melodies and swooning synths. It’s a sharp pop song that is too strongly-written to fall victim to any sort of mindless retro fetishism, and while follow-up track “Life of Love” isn’t as immediate, it’s arguably even more sonically interesting. Its post-punk influences lurk a bit more under the surface as it adopts a tougher alt-rock posture (even as its lyrics are aggressively optimistic) and even throws in a surprisingly heavy guitar solo. Sardone then pulls into the EP’s centerpiece–a six-and-a-half minute version of Blondie’s “Dreaming”, slowing down the original’s giddy new wave into a slow, deliberate but still starry-eyed synthpop ballad. Sardone incorporates it into Colors’ light-seeming but deep sound effortlessly. (Bandcamp link)

Doggy Daycare - "(forgetting) sarah marshall"

[Repost from If It's Too Loud; by Ken Sears, July 21, 2023]

As the shoegaze genre continues to splinter into subgenres, we now have a new one: Southern shoegaze. That sound is brought to us by Doggy Daycare out of Wilmington, NC. On their new single, "(forgetting) sarah marshall," the quartet show off the sheer force shoegaze can have behind it. The song is drenched with 90's indie rock reverb and much as the lush drone of shoegaze. It's more of a hybrid of early Smashing Pumpkins and My Bloody Valentine, with just enough of a Southern twang to keep things unique and interesting. "(forgetting) sarah marshall" is the kind of single that's going to make you thrilled to find out what a band does next. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long to hear more from Doggy Daycare.

You can listen to "(forgetting) sarah marshall" below.  For more on Doggy Daycare, check out the band on Instagram.

James Tritten - Fort Lowell Records Interview

[Repost from Primitive Man Soundz; by Dakota Brown, June 26, 2023]

Tell me about growing up in Tucson, AZ before relocating to Raleigh, NC. What led to this move for you and the label? What was your childhood like? When did you first begin to fall in love with music? Were these things that were relevant around your household growing up? Do you have any siblings?

Fort Lowell Records was born in Tucson, Arizona in December 2009, however I personally grew up in Jacksonville, Florida during the 1980s and 1990s. The majority of my youth was focused around soccer — which I started playing in 1979, as well as skateboarding — which I first took to in 1981.  During those times, Thrasher Magazine and Powell Peralta skate videos were pretty much what introduced me to new music: hip-hop, metal, and punk. Music was more of a soundtrack delivered via cassette tapes played through a portable boombox used to keep the energy up for our skateboard sessions, wherever they may be held: backyard half-pipes, launch ramps in the middle of the street, behind a grocery store, abandoned buildings, at the local school, etc.. My brother and I shared the same interests, bonding over music from Iron Maiden to Motorhead, and 7 Seconds to The Misfits. The first vinyl record I ever bought was Agent Orange's When You Least Expect It EP around 1984, purchased solely because Vision Skateboards made an Agent Orange skateboard deck with the same artwork and band logo; I had enough money for the record, but not the skate deck.  

Meanwhile, my sister was part of a school dance group. At the time I had no idea that their performances used (a lot of) New Order's music, until about 1988 when I became a big fan of New Order myself and then realized I had been hearing their music from my sister for the past few years.  Not to mention, solely as a fan of the movie itself she also played the heck out of the Pretty In Pink soundtrack prior to my own acknowledgment of its greatness and the future-favorite bands of mine on that album. 1987 was when I truly first fell in love with music, in the way I am still in love with music today. Echo & The Bunnymen had just released their self-titled album; their last studio recording with drummer Pete de Freitas. A good friend of mine at the time was a guy named Mike Gibbs, who I played soccer with. We never spoke about music ever, barely even spoke about skateboarding; I think he tried it once. One day Mike randomly walked up to me in Shop Class, handed me a copy of that Echo & The Bunnymen album on compact disc, and said, "My Mom just bought this album, and we've been listening to it in the car every day for the past few weeks on our way to school. I thought you would like it, so she said I could let you borrow it to check it out."  

My life with music started in that very moment. I fell in love not only with that album and Echo & The Bunnymen as a band, but I fell in love with the idea of music, becoming a musician, and living a life full of music in every way possible. I knew I wanted to be involved in the music industry from the moment I heard that album. I knew I wanted to do something — make albums / records — to possibly move someone else in the same way Echo & The Bunnymen had moved me in that very moment.   Unfortunately Mike is no longer with us, but there is not a day that goes by that I don't think about how his simple gesture affected my life.  I will always be grateful for him and his Mom, and forever cherish his serendipitous act of kindness in middle school. Fast forward to North Carolina; it was in 1993 when my then-bandmate / now-wife Tracy Shedd and I first visited our now-home state.  Immediately we knew we wanted to move to North Carolina, but it ended up taking twenty-years to make that happen, mainly because we decided try out some other areas — such as Boston, Massachusetts and Tucson, Arizona — before finally making the commitment.  Finally, on our 2011 US Tour for Tracy Shedd after playing a show at Slim's in Raleigh, NC with friends Schooner and Miami Jetski, we made the decision together to take the plunge. It took two years for the planning and logistics, but in 2013 I took a job as the General Manager of The Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, North Carolina and we moved from Arizona to NC.  Five years later we would make one last transition, in-state this time, down to the coastal city of Wilmington, NC — which is where we now call home, and where Fort Lowell Records resides. Being kids from Florida, living by the water just made more sense to us. Wilmington has truly become our home, and we are doing everything to nurture its soil, and establish our own deep roots for a long lasting, music-filled future.

What would you and your friends do for fun growing up? Who were some of your earliest influences in your more formative years? When and where did you see your very first concert? When did you realize you wanted to spend your life pursuing music? Have you participated in groups yourself?

The first rock-n-roll concert I can remember going to was The Beach Boys in 1985 at Metro Park in Jacksonville, Florida with my Mother; that was one of her favorite bands, along with Chuck Berry.  Then, about five years later I bought the first concert ticket of my own to see fIREHOSE at the legendary music venue Einstein A Go-Go in Jacksonville Beach, FL — because all skateboarders back then were fans of fIREHOSE, after seeing Natas Kaupas in the 1989 Santa Cruz Streets of Fire video skating to their song "Brave Captain" and delivering his infamous fire hydrant trick. Einstein A Go-Go is as important to my story as receiving that Echo & The Bunnymen CD in Shop Class. Anyone who grew up in or around Jacksonville, Florida during the 1980s or 1990s and is now involved in the music industry will tell you more-or-less the same thing: Einstein A Go-Go shaped me, in almost every way. It was home to my very own inaugural live performance in 1991 with the first band I was in, Tumbleweed; documented here on VHS Tape by my friend Jamie Newell (that's me singing, playing guitar, in the paper chef's hat; don't ask).  It was where I saw Primus the next year on their first US Tour, and The Cranberries on their first tour state-side one year later.  It was where I bought some of my most prized Echo & The Bunnymen rare vinyl records, my first Mudhoney t-shirt, and the New Order subway station poster that hung in my bedroom during high school and first few apartments to follow. It was where I learned to dance to shoegaze music, smoke my first clove cigarette, and make-out with a girl on the beach at night.

Einstein A Go-Go is where Tracy and I cut our teeth as musicians with our first band together, Sella.  It is where we learned everything about being a live band: how to book shows, how to promote yourself, how to perform on stage, how to engage with the audience, how to build a fanbase, how to work through mistakes, how to continue improving your craft, how to support your peers, how to be a part of a scene, etc. It was an all-age music venue located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida that hosted dance nights and live concerts, plus had a record store attached on the side.  All of our earliest influences were being hand-fed to all of us by the Faircloth Family, owners of Einstein A Go-Go, and the various DJs who occupied the booth during its existence.  I personally did not start going there until the 1990s, but I remember my brother talking about sneaking out his bedroom window to go there many years before. Einsteins was equally as influential to our Floridian community in the 1980s, and provided a stage for some of our favorite artists in their early years like 10,000 Maniacs, Jane's Addiction, The Replacements, Sonic Youth; too many to name.

How did the label initially come to be and how did you guys meet each other? What was the overall vision and dream for the label? You guys have released some great works by the likes of Neon Belly, Death Kit, Andrew Collberg, Kim Ware, Tracy Shedd and La Cerca. What have been some of the most fun you’ve had working on projects and why?

I met my wife, Tracy, for the first time in January 1993. She was auditioning for a band called Sella that I was putting together with my friend Steven Haley. At the end of the audition, I told Steven, "I am going to marry her someday" (which I did on June 1, 2000).  After Sella disbanded a few years later, Steven and I started a duet called Audio Explorations. Tracy began to work on music of her own under the name Aerial, then Tiny Dynamite, and finally her maiden name Tracy Shedd.  For the years that followed, both Tracy Shedd and Audio Explorations were very fortunate to receive the support of various record labels such as Teen-Beat, Eskimo Kiss Records (run by Kim Ware), New Granada Records, and Devil In The Woods. We moved to Tucson, Arizona in 2006, and immediately fell in love with the music scene and community in general. This was during that odd time in the music industry when Compact Discs were beginning to lose their luster (for some people) and the idea of Digital Music was just starting to become a household consideration; however, online streaming was not quite there yet (as we know it today).  New bands trying to break into the scene (any scene) were now making their music available exclusively as a free download on MySpace, just to ensure people would listen to it.  

Up to that point, our own personal experience with music was to make it available on a physical medium for people to buy, and they would; assuming it was something the listener liked (whatever the genre). We did not understand the idea of giving one's music away for free.  So, we decided to put our money where our mouth was, start a record label, and promote / release music for artists that we liked — providing the same 'label support' we had received ourselves for the past decade. We immediately sold our 1976 Yellow CJ5 Jeep (with a 4" Lift Kit) to fund the first few projects for Fort Lowell Records; I still remember standing beside it just before we put it on the market as I called Zach Toporek from Young Mothers to talk to him about being the first artist. We lived in the Fort Lowell neighborhood of Tucson, Arizona at the time, so the name was obvious to us from the start.  It provided an indigenous element, which we wanted, as our original vision for the label was to only work with artists from Tucson AZ.  The other original idea was to only release 7inch singles; in the early years we were basically just trying to be the Sarah Records of the Southwest USA.  That all went out the window a few years later when we succumbed to the idea of full length albums, driven by the request of the bands we were working with at the time, as well as the fact that we ended up moving to North Carolina. 

Now, our vision is simple: to release great music that we love; glad to see you (Primitive Man Soundz) agree about the "great" part — thanks!  For the most part, everything we release (and have released) is by a friend of ours; and if not a direct friend — a friend-of-a-friend. Ultimately, this is what makes every release "fun": hearing the joy in the voice of someone you care about when they get to hear their own music on vinyl, or hold that twelve inch jacket in their hands for the first time.  For me, it is one of the greatest pleasures in life. And to share that experience with my friends keeps me going. For us, our This Water is Life project might be one of the most special things we've worked on. It is a self-sustained and ongoing series of split EPs with two express purposes: to highlight new hip-hop and indie rock music from Southeastern North Carolina together one one record, as well as to provide a platform for local non-profits 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. There are a lot of terrible things happening here with our water supply, and people need to know more about it. This project provides the local subject matter experts an opportunity to help educate our community with what's going on. We have released two volumes so far, and are in the middle of working on the third and forth as we speak. In addition to the environmental importance of the project, North Carolina hip-hop and indie rock have always been favorites of ours so it’s wonderful to be able to include Wilmington artists of both genres together on one release; hip-hop on Side-A, and indie rock on Side-B. 

What elements are most important to you when running a label and what exactly does it take to run FLR during these times? What have you been working on currently? Any new projects, or things you’d like to share for the spring/summer?

Talent, trust, and respect are most important to both Tracy and me for Fort Lowell Records, as well as vinyl (of course). If we do not like the music — correction, if we are not the biggest fans of what we are considering releasing — then unfortunately there is nothing we can do for an artist. This is a characteristic everyone should look for with any partnership they encounter, let alone working with a record label to release someone's music. Without our absolute love for the music, there is no way we could do what we do for our artists, or our label in general. For us, trust and respect are an essential part of any relationship, and this is no different with business.  Fortunately, we have a lot of talented friends, so we chose to focus Fort Lowell Records' efforts on helping people who we already have trusting, respectful relationships with. This is something we learned from Mark Robinson at Teen-Beat early on in our own music career with Tracy Shedd, and came to further understand as our careers progressed. It keeps things low risk and a lot more fun, as well as rewarding. Lastly: vinyl. Vinyl is final. As stated before, there is simply nothing like hearing your music on wax, or holding your own physical record in your hands. In the end (for us), that is what we are doing all of this for: to get music that we love on vinyl, so we can put the record on the shelf of our own personal collection at home, as well as drop the needle on the record when we want to hear the music — which includes at our various DJ Nights around Wilmington, North Carolina.

Some new releases on the horizon that we are very excited about (in no particular order of release date or favorites): 

• Tracy Shedd has a tasty new song titled "Let It Ride" with an infectious groove coming out soon as a digital single.  It is the very first song we recorded on our new-to-us 1980's 16-Track 1-Inch tape machine (analog, baby), and also features Andrew Gardner from La Cerca delivering a sweet lead guitar part; recorded as an impromptu session while visiting us here in Wilmington NC on a US Tour for his ambient album A Nice Sweet Getaway (an album fans of Brian Eno or Cocteau Twins should definitely check out).

• Local Wilmington NC indie rock legend James Sardone has his debut EP titled Colors coming out July 21st.  It includes remixes by Pitchfork's favorite De La Noche. The hit song on the EP "Colors of Your Brain" sounds like it could have come straight out of the recording sessions of New Order's Power, Corruption, and Lies. I can't wait to DJ this wax at one of our local Let's Dance DJ Nights.  People may remember Sardone from his 1990's band Brickbat, who used to tour with Jawbox, The Jesus Lizard, and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.

• For all of you shoegazers out there... Mark my words when I say "Doggy Daycare." Their sick new mind melting digital single "(forgetting) sarah marshall" drops July 28th.  Think Swervedriver meets Feeble Little Horse meets Starflyer 59 meets Dinosaur Jr., and they all go largemouth bass fishing together here in Southeastern North Carolina on the Cape Fear River, which by the way has been polluted by The Chemours Company (assholes; Chemours, not the bands); see This Water is Life above.

ADDITIONAL RELEASES COMING: 

• La Cerca [Digital Single]
• Soda Sun [Digital Single]
• Summer Set - Members of De La Noche [Vinyl LP]
• Naïm Amor [Vinyl LP]
• Jon Rauhouse & Blaine Long [Vinyl LP]
• Blab School - Debut Album [Vinyl LP]
• Common Thread Fountain - 30-Year Anniversary [Vinyl LP]
• Forest Fallows - Members of Mute Swan [Vinyl LP]
• Female Gaze [Vinyl LP]
• Red Dwarf Star - Members of Maserati and Failure [Vinyl LP]
• Kicking Bird - Sophomore Album [Vinyl LP]

Is there anything else you would like to further share with the readers?

"Thank you!" for your interest in Fort Lowell Records, and reading this interview to learn more about what we are doing.  As a gift, I would like to introduce you to a very special album titled ambient music by our own artist infinitikiss from Albuquerque, New Mexico. We released this album just a few months ago, and with all due respect to everything we have ever released, I have to be honest in saying this album quite possibly may be one of the most important projects we have been involved with. Infinitikiss ambient music grew out of artist Nic Jenkin's own slow-growing interest in sound healing, vibrational therapy, and learning about chakra / energy systems, which helped him realize (and illuminate) that a collection of sounds from live improvisations which were recorded to cassette tapes, originally to serve as backing tracks for live solo performances, could actually be its own album. The song titles reflect the moods and colors (aka spectral wave) of the blending and bending of colors in a rainbow (ROYGBIV), as well as to the energy fields of our bodies; corresponding to the “roygbiv” sequence and play with imagery of said colors. In our opinion, every human being in the world deserves to know about infinitikiss' album ambient music and have the opportunity to experience it, which is why it is our gift to recommend Jenkin's masterpiece to you, so you too can benefit from its existence in the world as much as we already have.