Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Nuclear Honey Plays the PNC Downtown Raleigh Movie Series

Every child dreams of making bank by selling sugary lemonade in their front yard.  Some entice customers with freshly squeezed lemons, others with extra sugar; but for Gray Henderson, he lured in customers with the rhythmic beat of drums.

Fast forward to the present and Henderson has exchanged his drums for a guitar and the lemonade stand for one of the many music venues across the Triangle.  Henderson, along with Reaves Greer, Mark Voller and  Kenan Jernigan, have joined forces to make the southern rock and roots band, Nuclear Honey.

Prior to forming Nuclear Honey in 2011, Greer and Henderson played in two other local bands, Ascella Vega and Sign of the Rhino.  These collaborations started in high school and have all been a part of their musical journey, leading them to their current sound.

Henderson and Greer released Tombstone Sessions as their acoustic debut EP.  The recording was done with Dave Bartholomew in the office of his family's tombstone engraving business, hence the title. They later decided to expand their sound and get plugged in, adding three new band members. With the help of the fundraiser Kickstarter.com, they recorded Nobody Panic, a 7-track album that was released in the summer of 2013.  The album provides the classic sounds of pure rock-n-roll with folk roots.

 Nuclear Honey is a part the new PNC Downtown Raleigh Movie Series, playing this Friday, May 30.  The event features local bands and movies that were filmed in North Carolina.  The fun begins at 5 at City Plaza and ends at 10:30. Nuclear Honey will take the stage around 5:30 and then the long time friendship of Henderson and Greer will transition to the notorious pals, Cal and Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights.  Come out early and enjoy local brew and food trucks.  Some chairs will be provided, but guests are highly encouraged to bring their own. 

Visit Nuclear Honey's profile at Reverbnation and in true stalker form,  follow them on Twitter, and like them on Facebook. Nothing beats live music under the stars followed by Ricky Bobby saying an overly
extended prayer to an 8 pound 6 ounce baby Jesus.  Shake and bake.

Photo Credit: Kristen Hill
Album Cover Art:  Patrick Shanahan

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Lincoln Theatre Hosts Scythian and The Moore Brothers


On an overcast afternoon in western North Carolina, hundreds of people gathered on the Hillside Stage at this year's MerleFest Festival.  Some patrons of the festival knew exactly what was about to happen, but for others it would be an unexpected performance to say the least.  Within moments of taking the stage, Scythian had every member of the audience dancing and jumping to the beat of their Celtic music.  For the duration of the performance, it became apparent that Scythian thrives on getting engaged with their audience and maintaining that connection from start to finish.  Including instruments like the fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and even an accordion, Scythian provides an experience for music listeners that you can't resist being a part of.   

Prior to greeting old and new fans alike at the conclusion of their performance, Scythian announced they would be returning to North Carolina in order to play at Lincoln Theatre on May 23.  Lead singer Danylo Fedoryka, spoke with The Triangle Beat recently about their Merlefest experience and their upcoming show in Raleigh.   

The Triangle Beat: Scythian has a unique blend of musical influences in the sound they create.  How or where did that originate?
Daniel:  We all shared in a love for Irish music and our parents are from the Ukraine, though we all grew up in the Shenandoah Valley.  Once we started making music, our goal was to start including all aspects of our upbringing.  It seems perfect for our goal in playing music and hopefully our fans continue to enjoy it.  For us it has always been about being who we want to be as musicians and part of that is never trying to play into a certain genre.  We are not bluegrass, we are not rock, we include elements of a lot of genres but you can’t really label us one genre.

TTB: What brought Scythian together?
Dan:  It all started with Joe and Alex living together out of college.  We attended Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio and together we made up the founding members of the band.  Ben-David’s dad taught at the same school as my parents, so we met him through our parents.  Tim, our newest band member, also attended the same school that we did.  My sister is in the process of finishing up her doctoral degree and will be joining us as a member of the band when that is complete.  Since college though, we've all settled in Alexandria, VA just outside of D.C., which seems to be a great fit for all members of the band.   

TTB: You’re in your 10th year as a band, what has changed the most for Scythian during those 10 years?
Dan:  It really takes a while to find out what your sound is.  For us, we started as street performers in college and certainly didn’t envision being a full time band and doing so without a record label.  It is always a work in progress, but it is the spirit of our shows that has allowed us to continue to produce things we are proud of.  It has been a natural evolution over time, that we intentionally took our time with.  Now we are in a position that we can share what we want with our listeners. 

TTB: Building off of those years together, where does the band envision going in the future?
Dan: Most directly we are taking fans on a 10 year reunion trip to Ireland.  It is going to be really special for us to go out with our fans on a bus as we perform all over Ireland, but we also get to be tourists with our fans as well.  We will spend most of our time on the West Coast, but we are so excited for the trip.  10 years has been a big deal for us.

TTB: You’ve now played at Merlefest several times, what has that experience been like over the years?
Dan:  Having played Merlefest several times now, we have been able to witness the growth of the experience through our music and the other performers.  This past year, the dance tent was off the chain.  To summarize that experience there was body surfing bluegrass at the dance tent. There were also twice as many performers for the midnight show.  Surprise appearances really made a difference and going into this year there was a lot bigger interest from musicians, wanting to be a part of the whole experience.  Bluegrass Situation co-hosted and that certainly helped to get a lot of bands to join in the action.  That experience was quite intense to have so many talented musicians on one stage.  So it is nice to see the festival evolve and to be a part of that experience.

TTB:Can you tell me what producing Jump at the Sun was like and who does most of the writing for the band?
Dan: Jump at the Sun is our newest album and it encompasses what we feel is a true representation of what we want to sound like.  It pre-released at Merlefest and was well received from the crowd there.  As an album, it incorporates all elements of our unique sound and we wanted it to represent the energy you'd experience from one of our live shows.  Typically I write some of our music, but my brother is the main writer for the band.  Something unique about Jump at the Sun, Ben-David Warner, our banjo player, wrote 3 songs for this album and we are really excited to bring this all together on the album. 


 TTB: Is this Scythian's first time playing in the Triangle?  What do you want people to take away from the experience they have during a Scythian concert?
Dan:  We've actually played a couple of times in Raleigh, we originally played at the Berkley CafĂ© and this past year we hosted the IMBA festival dance tent.  For the people who catch our show, we are constantly switching instruments throughout our show and so it really is a testament to the musical talents of our band members.  We want to engage our fans and get people to start dancing.  Our main goal is to get fans to forget about their worries for a short amount of time and just enjoy good music.  We are also excited to have the Moore Brothers opening for us.  We met them at Merlefest when they were 11, 14, 16 years old and they completely blew us away.  They are awesome young musicians featuring a mandolin, bass, and guitar player that you don’t want to miss.

More information about Scythian, upcoming tour dates, and the 10 year reunion trip to Ireland can be found by visiting the Scythian website. Scythian is made up of Danylo and Alexander Fedoryka, Josef Crosby, Ben-David Warner, and Tim Hepburn.  Scythian and the Moore Brothers will be taking the stage this Friday night at Lincoln Theatre.  Doors are set to open at 8pm and the show starts at 9pm.  The show is open to all ages and tickets can be purchased by going on the Lincoln Theatre website.


Saturday, May 17, 2014

The 6th Annual Taste of the Triangle


For the sixth consecutive year, the Carolina RailHawks' Taste of the Triangle Pregame Festival returns to WakeMed Soccer Park on Satuday, May 17 at 5:30pm.  The Taste of the Triangle presented by Chef's Academy has become one of the RailHawks most popular pregame festivals.  The event will precede the RailHawks match on May 17 when they host Southern-rival Atlanta Silverbacks at 7:30pm.  For more information on Taste of the Triangle visit their website.

Taste of the Triangle originated in 2009 and features restaurants, breweries, and vendors throughout the Triangle offering free samples to individuals with tasting bracelets.  For only $16 you can enjoy fine cuisine from area restaurants and local brew courtesy of White Street Brewing Company.  Taste of the Triangle will be located adjacent to the stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park and will include live music presented by ReverbNation.com.

Individual tickets for RailHawks home matches can be purchased here and Taste of the Triangle bracelets are on sale now and can be purchased online or by calling the RailHawks Box Office at 919-459-8144.

*Information Courtesy of RailHawks Media Release

Friday, May 16, 2014

Artsplosure Celebrates 35 Years

The streets of Raleigh will be vibrant and full of life this weekend as Artsplosure celebrates 35 years of promoting the local arts.  The weekend brings a balance of national arts mixed with local talent, providing exposure to those who are underrepresented. 

The festival takes place this weekend, May 17 and 18 in Moore Square and Raleigh's City Market area.  Events for all ages will be provided such as:
  •      The Art Market featuring over 170 arts and crafts vendors
  •      Kidsplosure
  •      Interactive Visual Arts installations 
  •      Aerialists 
  •      The Student Art Exhibit


An arts festival would not be complete without musical performances with coverage from every genre from Jazz to Alternative music.  Some artists featured are Tim Chaisson Trio, London Souls, Ryan LeBlanc, and Kim Wempe. Check out the Artsplosure website for a complete listing of artists and times. 

Celebrate the arts at this free event on Saturday from 11-10 and Sunday from 10-8.  Head over to the Artsplosure website for more details. 


Thursday, May 15, 2014

World of Bluegrass Event 2014

Official hashtags: #WOB, #IBMA, #Raleigh

Press Release:
Organizers of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass 2014 event announced today that the Nashville-based bluegrass trade organization will keep its World of Bluegrass event in Raleigh through 2018, including the popular Wide Open Bluegrass festival.
 
Additional details about World of Bluegrass 2014, which will take place September 30 – October 4 in Raleigh, North Carolina, were revealed Friday, May 13 at a press conference at Raleigh’s Red Hat Amphitheater.
 
An initial lineup of musicians who will perform as part of this year’s Wide Open Bluegrass Festival was announced, including Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder with Bruce Hornsby, Del McCoury Band with special guests, the return of Hot Rize (one of the most influential bluegrass acts of the ’80s, releasing their first new studio album since 1990), Gibson Brothers, Steep Canyon Rangers, Sierra Hull, and the Wide Open Jam, featuring the superstar lineup of Sam Bush, Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, Edgar Meyer, Bryan Sutton and Stuart Duncan. Additional performers for both the ticketed (paid) portions of the festival and the free Street Festival will be announced in the coming months.
 
Also announced at the press conference was the return of PNC as presenting sponsor for the Wide Open Bluegrass festival, and, as last year, the inclusion of the Whole Hog Barbecue Championship as part of the World of Bluegrass festivities.
 
The North Carolina Pork Council also announced a new addition to this year’s program: a ticketed event that brings together under one tent - for the first time - a sampling of some of the finest barbecue from the three major regions of the state: Western, Lexington and Eastern.
 
Speakers at the World of Bluegrass press conference were Raleigh mayor Nancy McFarlane; Nancy Cardwell, Executive Director of IBMA; Ann Edmondson, Director of Communications and Marketing, North Carolina Pork Council; Denny Edwards, President & CEO of Greater Raleigh Convention & Visitors Bureau; William Lewis, director ofPineCone—The Piedmont Council of Traditional Music; Rebecca Quinn-Wolf, Vice President, Director of Client & Community Relations of PNC Bank and IBMA Board chair Jon Weisberger.
 
“The immense success of moving IBMA’s World of Bluegrass events to Raleigh last year had a huge impact on raising the profile of bluegrass music and the IBMA as an organization,” said IBMA’s Cardwell.  “We continue to receive compliments about last year’s events, we’ve seen a 39% increase in membership during the past two years, and the support and enthusiasm of the Local Organizing Committee in Raleigh and everyone in North Carolina has been so gracious and genuine. We are thrilled to announce the extension of our partnership with Raleigh, North Carolina through 2018, and we look forward to adding even more exciting elements to World of Bluegrass Week, as we continue to facilitate connections in the bluegrass music industry and work together to introduce the best music in the world to new audiences and fans. If bluegrass music moves you, I invite you to attend the event that moves the bluegrass music world.”
 
"Our region saw tremendous economic success from last year's debut of Wide Open Bluegrass in Raleigh," said PNC’s Quinn-Wolf. "We look forward to supporting the continued contributions this festival will bring in the areas of arts and culture, economic development and education in our community."
 
IBMA – the International Bluegrass Music Association – is the professional trade organization for the global bluegrass music community. The organization’s stay in Raleigh is the result of a partnership with The Greater Raleigh Convention & Visitors Bureau, PineCone—The Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, the City of Raleigh and a local organizing committee.
 
IBMA’s World of Bluegrass event, an annual bluegrass music homecoming,consists of four parts: the IBMA Business Conference, September 30 – October 2, the 25th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, scheduled for Thursday evening, October 2, the Wide Open Bluegrass music festival, October 3-4 (which includes both free stages and ticketed performances) and the Bluegrass Ramble, an innovative series of showcases, taking place September 30 – October 2 in downtown Raleigh and at the Raleigh Convention Center.
 
The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau reported that last year’s World of Bluegrass event generated $10 million in direct visitor spending for that region, with total attendance for the week’s activities estimated to be over 154,000, exceeding expectations for the event’s first year in Raleigh. Over 300 performances by more than 160 different artists took place during World of Bluegrass 2013.
As last year, events during World of Bluegrass will take place at the Greater Raleigh Convention Center, the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, the Red Hat Amphitheater and at various venues in town.
 
The Wide Open Bluegrass music festival can be experienced in two ways: as ticketed shows at the Red Hat Amphitheater and Raleigh Convention Center stages, and on the free Street Festival stages. PNCreturns as the presenting sponsor for both the ticketed portion of Wide Open Bluegrass and the free Street Festival.
 
The free Street Festival will include 80+ bands, four music stages, a dance tent, vendors, an arts market, concessions, youth performances and activities - including programming set up by IBMA’s Youth Council, a free Exhibit Hall and a Masters Workshop Stage in the Raleigh Convention Center. The full list of performers for the Street Festival will be announced in the coming months.  
 
Also returning this year is the Whole Hog Barbecue Championship—a weekend of bluegrass-flavored fun for the whole family.
 
Those wishing to obtain tickets for the ticketed portion of the Wide Open Bluegrass festival (which takes place at Red Hat Amphitheater and Raleigh Convention Center Ballroom Stages), Bluegrass Ramble Showcase passes, IBMA Business Conference registration, IBMA Award Show tickets and hotel reservations should go to IBMA’s website, www.ibma.org. Single day general admission for the ticketed portion of the Wide Open Bluegrass festival starts as low as $50, with a three-day Bluegrass Ramble pass available for $75. Additional details and pricing information are available at the website.

Haw River Ballroom Presents Langhorne Slim

Surrender, the act of completely giving in and relinquishing all resistance; this is the concept behind Langhorne Slim's latest song, performances, and life.  He discovered the best way to surrender himself was through writing.  In Langhorne Slim's eyes, he didn't choose the life of music, it chose him because he was "born this way." 

His writing is comprised of everything that makes him Langhorne Slim; his childhood, mistakes, and successes have all lead him to his current world of traveling and performing.  In his recent travels, Slim revisited his younger years by returning to his alma mater, Solebury School in New Hope, PA.  He credits the arts school with feeding his creativity because traditional curriculum didn't challenge him and he "...acted out in school."  Drama productions and playing guitar kept him focused with teachers that encouraged him to explore his artistic talents.   During his visit, the students and faculty were treated to an intimate show.  Slim says it was a, "...surreal and gratifying moment" to return to the place that helped shape him.


Messages of rebellion and releasing the inner freak within us all can be heard on each of Langhorne Slim's albums, but this message is even more pronounced in "Animal," his most recently released single.  In this song, Slim encourages everyone to release the inner beast and live life as an individual; the message of nonconformity is loud and clear.  This is how Slim feels his life needs to be lived, as a nomadic musician, making connections through his lyrics. 

Slim's sound is tough to nail down.  His earliest influences come from Nirvana, but many of his songs are punk-rock with an Americana twist, or a "folk explosion" as he would describe it.  The most recent and successful album, The Way We Move, placed him with his current band, The Law.  Slim's sincere lyrics about strength and exploration meshed with The Law's raw sound with sharp edges creates a genuine sound that awakens the soul.   

Slim struggles to choose just one most memorable moment from his travels these past 12 years. For him, the culminating experience makes him feel fortunate and fulfilled.  According to Slim, the act of performing "...is indescribable.  Something takes over and I'm no longer aware of my consciousness."   There are plenty of notable moments to choose from. Slim has performed with stellar acts like The Avett Brothers, The Violent Femmes, Drive-By Truckers, and The Lumineers.  He also pleasantly recalls his appearances with Conan O'Brien because he grew up watching the talk show icon.

Langhorne Slim and the Law are excited to return to the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw this Sunday, May 18.  They want everyone to join them for one large dance party, along with co-headliners, Deer Tick, and openers, The Districts.  Come out and get your dance on to start your week off right for an $18-$20 charge.  The doors open at 7 and the show starts at 8.


Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Local Band Local Beer with North Elementary

North Elementary

While six days may not seem like a significant amount of time, it was just right for Carrboro based, North Elementary, to produce their newest album.  Honcho Poncho, the recently released album from North Elementary, seems to be a noticeable difference from their previous work.  As indicated in remarks from the leader of the band, John Harrison, "We were sorta like…we can do this…we put the work in...why not...lets make a finished album in six days.  It was a lot of fun and seemed natural for us at this point.

 That natural production Harrison refers to on this record also includes support from an additional songwriter.  Featured on tracks, Hi-Lo and Left Doubt, Sean Parker, another local artist from the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area, joins Harrison and Betty Rupp to produce an energetic and more complete record from start to finish.  Head over to North Elementary's website to purchase the album and learn more about the band.  

Catch North Elementary playing this Thursday, August 28 at Tir Na Nog.   This is an installment of their weekly Local Band Local Beer free series presented by WKNC 88.1 and Younger Brother Productions.   Joining North Elementary will be Ocotpus Jones and Deep Ecology. 

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Leopold and his Fiction - Third Eye Blind After Party Headliner



Leopold and his Fiction are bringing their high-energy and dramatic show to Lincoln Theatre on Saturday, May 10.  The band's name is fiction itself considering no one from the band is actually named Leopold.  Rather, he's a fictional entity created by frontman Daniel James that allows him to create a story that comes to life on stage.

 James moved from his birthplace of Detroit to attend San Francisco State to study writing.  On leaving his home, James says, "I was born and raised in Detroit for 20 years of my life. It has influenced every part of everything I do. There is most certainly something in the water."  While polishing his writing craft, his stories started developing into lyrics and soon became full length songs.  Eventually, his solo work turned into a complete band with a thunderous garage-rock sound.  Now, his vivid stories are being told through song, live, and on stage.  


We recently spoke with James about his work and the process for creating musical art.  He says that every aspect of it is, "entirely inspired, nothing forced or fabricated.  My method is allowing clarity and seeing life as it really is.  It used to be about reaching for life through an alternative view, variations in complexity. Not so much anymore.  Today is today."

The group has had plenty of practice for perfecting and sharing their work.  They have performed over 230 shows in the past ten months.  James says this is the highlight of his career because sharing his work is what he enjoys most.  They've also had the fortune of performing at notable festivals like SXSW and Austin City Limits.

Leopold and his Fiction are currently working on completing their fourth album and hope to have it released next fall.  To learn more about the band, visit their website.

Leopold and his Fiction will perform on the inside stage at Lincoln Theatre this Saturday, May 10.  Also performing will be Honor by August and Third Eye Blind on the outside stage.  There will also be food trucks available for your dining pleasure.  The doors open at 6 and the show starts at 7.  For ticket information, visit Lincoln Theatre's website







   
    

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

PineCone Presents Mipso



PineCone is treating the Triangle to a free Mipso show on behalf of mothers everywhere.  Bring your picnic goodies (no alcohol, please) and some cushions to Bond Park in Cary for the 5 o'clock show on Saturday, May 10.

Mipso is a relatively young band formed in Chapel Hill, but they have accomplished some great feats during their existence.  Jacob Sharp, Wood Robinson, and Joseph Terrell make this three-piece of self-proclaimed "renegade traditionalists."  Their latest album, Dark Holler Pop, has received praise for creating witty lyrics for otherwise traditional music, refreshing the bluegrass-Americana scene.  The album speaks of moving forward, taking leaps in the future, and of course, a little bit of romance.  Focus on the future seems fitting considering the band is gaining more attention with every show performed.


Some of this attention took place recently at MerleFest, a festival celebrating bluegrass, Americana, and folk music.  Mipso's Joseph Terrell was honored with MerleFest's 2014 Chris Austin Songwriting Award for "Angelina Jane is Long Gone" from the Long, Long Gone album.

Come join the fun this Saturday and enjoy food, the Carolina sky, and the sweet sounds of Mipso.  Visit the PineCone website for further details and for more concerts throughout the summer.  


Monday, May 5, 2014

Cat's Cradle Presents Man Man at King's Barcade


Building upon the success of their 2013 album, On Oni PondMan Man will return to the triangle this week to perform at King's Baracade.  This Philadelphia based band utilizes a wide selection of musical instruments to create a sound that is unlike most other artists out there today.  Man Man frontman, Honus Honus, provided The Triangle Beat with some insight as to what we can expect in the future of the band and from this week's performance in a recent interview.


The Triangle Beat:  Is this your first time playing at King's?

Honus Honus:  This will be the first time for Man Man to play at King's, although we have played in Raleigh several times over the years.  I think our first time in Raleigh, we played at a small venue called the Berkley Cafe and several other venues since then, but we are excited to get to play at King's this week.

TTB:  Man Man has created a very unique sound.  How or where did that sound originate?

HH:  We started out of Philadelphia and some of the band still lives there, but like many bands we have experienced a lot of changes.  Ultimately you want to find people who are interested in playing the same music as you do and we were able to do that.  For me, all that matters is that we are liked and with that we just try not to over think it.  If it sounds good and it happens to be supported by our listeners, then it works for us and we've just stayed with it.

TTB:  What has it been like for the band since producing your first record back in 2004?

HH:  Progressively it becomes more difficult as you try to get recognition, but luckily we are writing songs that people are enjoying.  We have certainly had to take the pain with the gain as a band, I mean it's certainly not all wine and roses.  We are very fortunate to have people wanting to see us play and so every time someone hears our music and enjoys what we are doing, then we consider it a success.

TTB:  Do you start with a vision of what the band is going to become, or does it develop more naturally over time?

HH: You never know what can happen, I didn't know what it was going to become.  You spend years working on music and in minutes people determine if you can be successful or not.  We honestly try not to think about the future, we just have to think about making another record.  Once you break it down and start looking at the numbers, you have lost the purpose of being a band.  You have to be grounded in reality and so we focus on the present and hope that it will reach more and more people.  Fortunately we are not a band that is reliant on other bands that are out there.

TTB:  What do you want the experience to be like for listeners when they come to a Man Man show?

HH:  We hope that we can create an urge to want to see us again.  Regardless of turnouts, we still try to give the best show possible.  You never know when the run will be up so you have to enjoy it while it is out there.  For the people that are familiar with our music, they come out and they are willing to move.  My hope is to regenerate culture and hopefully listeners are inspired to go out and make some form of art based on what we do.  I believe that is our role as a band and it is a great part to play.



This event is presented by Cat's Cradle and will be at King's on Wednesday, May 7.  Joining Man Man will be local act, Octopus Jones. More information on Man Man can be found by visiting their website.  The doors open at 8pm and the show is scheduled to start at 9.  Ticket prices are $14 in advance and $16 on the day of the show.    

  

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Catching Up With Bombay Bicycle Club

Bombay Bicycle Club, an indie rock band from North London, will be sharing their latest album at Cat's Cradle on May 12.  The band is in the middle of a large tour that covers Canada, the States, and Europe to promote their most recent album, So Long, See You Tomorrow.  In anticipation of their show, we spoke with the band's lead guitarist, Jamie MacColl. 


Even though the members of Bombay Bicycle Club are relatively young, they have quite a history together.  Their collaboration started when they were in their early teens with frontman Jack Steadman, guitarist Jamie MacColl, and drummer Suren de Saram performing together under the name of Canals.  In 2006, bassist Ed Nash joined the band and they eventually settled on the name Bombay Bicycle Club.  When asked about the origin of the name, MacColl laughed and said, "It was an Indian restaurant that we used to walk by when we were going to school and we thought it was a funny, but great, name. It became an inside joke and we eventually settled on it.  It's funny that after all of the names we went through, that is where we landed." 




When listening to So Long, See You Tomorrow, it's evident that the band pulls inspiration from more than just one genre.  MacColl explained that their musical influences have evolved since their teenage years.  At first, inspiration came from American bands like Sonic Youth and the Pixies.  Through the years, pop and hip-hop have edged into their sound, due to artists like Drake and Kanye West.  The new album is certainly danceable and provides moments of high-energy with songs like, "Feel" and "Luna." 


According to MacColl, the band is excited to be playing in the States for a few different reasons.  They appreciate the ambitious mentality of Americans, "In the U.K., people look down on you for having overly ambitious goals.  In the U.S., no goal is too big or ridiculous."   They also appreciate that American audiences seem to dance more, rather than moshing, and there is a larger age span among the fans. 





MacColl says that all members tend to be on the shy and calm side, but on stage, they have a strong energy and presence.  They are excited to share this enthusiasm and make their music come alive to a new audience on May 12 at Cat's CradleRoyal Canoe, a Canadian rock band, will get the night started at 8.  Tickets are $17 in advance, $20 at the door.