Lorelle Meets the Obsolete hail from Guadalajara, Mexico and have been releasing psychedelic post-punk since their debut, On Welfare, back in 2011. The band consists of primary members Lorena Quintanilla and Alberto González who come together to create walls of dystopian noise they dub “pattern music.”
Lorelle Meets The Obsolete at Rough Trade NYC – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
The band came through Rough Trade NYC this past Monday for the first show of a tour supporting Berlin goth-rockers The Underground Youth. The tour was supposed to be centered around various appearances at the now cancelled SXSW festival in Austin, but will continue into April with stops all across North America.
Lorelle Meets The Obsolete at Rough Trade NYC – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
The show started with the opening track “Ana” from LMTO’s fantastic 2019 release De Facto. The song starts from nothing and slowly builds into haunting vocal mantras and waves of heavily distorted guitars. It’s a dark, brooding track the set an ominous mood for the rest of the show. The band would play about half of the new record and also included other tracks such as “Waves Over Shadows” and “Eco Echo” from 2016s Balance. The band delivered a dense 9-track set filled with extended psych jams and lengthy outros that the showed the group feeding off each other’s energy.
Lorelle Meets The Obsolete at Rough Trade NYC – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
Last October, LMTO released a remix of the De Facto track “Unificado” by Pye Corner Audio – check that out HERE. Catch them on tour throughout March and early April and be on the lookout for more remix singles.
Brazil/NYC-based electro/indie-pop duo B.A.D.A. explore the inner workings of an artist’s journey in their new video for “Exile,” title track to their upcoming album. “Exile” is a dark pop thriller, held almost entirely on a minimal synth bass line, murmured vocals and melodic sorrow.
Aiming for conceptual depth while standing out in the overpopulated electronic-indie-pop scene is B.A.D.A.‘s ambitious mission. Brazilian artist/producer Pedro Cesario and Brooklynite multi-instrumentalist/producer Carey Clayton devoted the whole of 2019 to this mission after the vision for Exile came to Cesario during Burning Man in 2018. The story that underlies the single is very personal to Cesario, who states, “I quit music after experiencing a traumatic experience recording a demo when I was ten years old. The lyrics and film represent the creative hiatus in my life and my search for that grit again as an adult.”
The self-produced, trilingual album was recorded internationally throughout 2019, first in a cabin in Woodstock, NY, then at the Abbey Road Studios in London, and finally in Clayton’s bedroom in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. B.A.D.A. worked with the house engineer of Abbey Road, John Barret (George Ezra, James Bay), several guest musicians, and mastering engineers Luke Moellman (Great Good Fine OK) and Chris Gehringer (Janelle Monae, Harry Styles) along the way to create an auditory and visual experience through their music.
While the album navigates the same sonic palettes as contemporaries Bon Iver, The Japanese House, and Muna, B.A.D.A.’s sound unashamedly flaunts its romance with the dance floor, and each song seems to be specifically designed to soundtrack a lysergic trip. The uniqueness of the concept lives in the fact that the album’s scores are a blueprint of the journey itself, as the artists use their own identity and experience as a white canvas to perform the transformation.
The duo originally started as a remote project between Brazil and New York City, before Cesario decided to join Clayton in the city so that they could materialize the project into the real world. “Exile” materializes an unobvious music journey that reflects the chaotic state of pop in the turn of the decade, where boundaries of language, genre or identity no longer apply.
SpaceStation AM500 is the debut album from Timothy Alice & the Dead Star Band, a trio hailing from Buffalo, NY. Timothy Alice (stage name for Timothy Patrick Henderson) displays an astonishing number of influences in both his writing and singing styles throughout this record. With the help of Matt DiStasio on bass and Bub Crumlish on drums, Alice’s lyrics paint incredible pictures of an America we can all recognize today. You could be on the Great Lakes, in a sprawling metropolis, or the last bar on the highway between this state and that; each of these locations share a tale that Timothy Alice invokes with each track.
The opening track, “2 Am,” paints a picture that many may find familiar. The promise and elation of this song invokes the feeling of many 2 am’s we’ve all felt while bar-hopping around New York State – still full of energy and grit, while openly wondering where the night is going to take you. “It’s 2 AM and this place is jumping. I’m just trying not to lose my head again.” The song feels like a packed bar with 2 hours left before last call, full of vigor and hope.
SpaceStation AM500 mixes soul, blues, R&B and folk roots into a delightful set of songs with so much heart and movement in them. The band excels at feeling like you’re on the road with signs flying by in the darkness during “Just Take My Hand.” “Shadow on My Tail,” the longest track on the album, really showcases the soul in Timothy’s voice and also features a ripping solo from guest guitarist Andrew Kothen. The album also features a love song to the Windy City. The soul in Timothy’s voice while singing “Oh, Chicago” makes me long for a city I’ve only ever been to twice.
As the night grows longer and we get further into the album, “Honeypie” provides a tale of distorted love, building up to a cacophony that would be exception to see live. “4 Am,” the final track on the album, really highlights the difference two hours can make in a night. It tells a somber and sobering tale that we’ve all experienced in our lives, regardless of what time the clock is showing. With the help of an amazing band, Timothy Alice’s lyrics paint pictures of an America we can all recognize today. Whether he’s a in a league of his own or the product of a new generation of storyteller, he shows us all that we have a lot of great music and art coming our way in this next decade.
The progressive quartet Mipso has released dates for a 2020 spring tour shortly after ending a very successful Living Room Tour this past January. Canadian folk artist Taylor Ashton is set to join the group on select dates to support his debut album The Romantic that was released just last week.
Out of the 14 stops across North America, Mipso is set to perform three nights in New York. First, with back to back shows at the Rockwood in New York City on April 13 and 14 where they will be joined both nights by special guests Taylor Ashton, Steph Coleman and Alec Spiegleman. Then they will continue the journey northwest to Ithaca were they are slated to play at The Haunt on April 18.
Hailing from North Carolina, Mipso is said to be the new rising force in Americana music, combining historic roots with a new music edge. In addition to touring, Mipso announced they will be releasing a remixed follow up album to their 2018 release Edges Run. The album had put the group at the top of the bluegrass charts when released with the single “People Change,” receiving over 45 million streams on Spotify. Currently in the works is a new full length LP which will be released later in 2020 under Rounder Records.
Tickets for all shows are now on sale and can be purchased here. Below is a list shows with additional spring/summer dates still to be announced.
Mipso 2020 Tour
Apr. 10 – Roy’s Hall – Blairstown, NJ*
Apr. 11 – Arden Gild Hall – Arden, DE*
Apr. 13&14 – Rockwood – New York, NY +
Apr. 15 – The Katherine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center – Old Saybrook, CT
Apr. 16 – Shea Theatre Arts Center – Turner Falls, MA
Apr. 17 – UVM – Burlington, VT
Apr. 18 – The Haunt – Ithaca, NY
Apr. 19 – Hopewell Theatre – Hopewell, NJ
*with Taylor Ashton
+ with Taylor Ashton and guest Steph Coleman and Alec Spiegleman
Indie singer-songwriter Matt Longo, known as Thin Lear, has announced a new album queued for release on April 24. The full-length album Wooden Cave will be released under Egghunt Records and is primed to be a wonderful addition to Thin Lear’s already stellar collection of songs. He has yet to release a full-length album, but has been releasing singles and an EP that solidify the singer as a whimsical and thoughtful songwriter as well. Prior to the album release, Thin Lear put out a new single, “Maniacs.” Drawing from influences that range from Leonard Cohen, Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris, to Harry Nilsson, Randy Newman and Sam Cooke, to the leaders of the ’70s like John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan, Longo creates a vibrant and exciting track that sits perfectly in the pocket and allows the melody to develop.
Regarding the album as a whole, Longo says, “Disillusioned people getting lost in self-destructive or just generally dangerous thinking is a major theme of this album…the narrator in ‘Maniacs’ is pitching a cult-like community to an alienated, uncherished internet dweller. And you just know it’s going to be a rapid descent for this person, that they’ll soon be indoctrinated. That relentlessly chugging beat and the quick, dynamic changes in the song reflect a desperation and rapidly changing attitude. I wanted the song to feel like one breathless, spiraling fall from the very start, with that mellotron-laden opening. And I knew I needed a wild, unhinged sax solo at the end. It was really the only choice for the conclusion of the track.” And a wild sax solo indeed takes the song out on a more manic note, capping off a great first peek into what’s to come this April.
Laid Back Festival will be making its return this summer after a two-year hiatus, highlighted by an all-star slate of performers. Named after Greg Allman’s 1973 solo debut album, it was first held in 2015 in Wantagh, NY’s Nikon at Jones Beach Theater. The event continued in 2016 — expanding to five cities — and in 2017 saw the likes of Steve Winwood and Sheryl Crow headline. The festivities will return to Wantagh this year on Saturday, August 8 at the Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater and will be continuing the next day in Holmdel, NJ at the PNC Bank Arts Center.
Presented in partnership by Gregg Allman’s longtime manager Michael Lehman and Live Nation, Laid Back will be headlined by Steve Miller Band and will feature the likes of Brian Wilson (with Al Jardine and Blonde Chaplin), Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives, Taj Mahal Quartet, Gary Mule Deer, and Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe.
A celebration of American music and food, the Laid Back Festival serves as a showcase for all of the great cuisine and music upstate New York has to offer. It will feature regional restaurants, food tricks, breweries and wineries.
Live Nation presales begin Thursday, February 20 at 10 am ET; all remaining tickets go on sale Friday, February 21 at 10 a.m. eastern time. For complete information and details please visit, www.laidbackfestival.com.
Zachery Allan Starkey has released “XXX,” the dark and melodic second single and video off of his forthcoming album FEARCITY. Composed, performed, and produced by Starkey, “XXX ” is a symphonic techno odyssey that brings the listener deep into the pure hedonistic ecstasy of New York City nightlife.
Using analogue synthesizers and intricate arrangements, Starkey creates a throbbing, pulsing arpeggiated Techno bass line, then adds soaring lead melodies and pounding drums and percussion (inspired by the sound of the New York subway system), creating a dynamic club track that brings to mind the best work of electronic pioneers Giorgio Moroder and Patrick Cowley, whilst pushing the track firmly into the future.
Starkey says of the latest track: “‘XXX’ is my musical synthesis of a journey I have made literally hundreds of times, finding escape and release from the struggles of daily life on the dance floor. It’s a song for both my journey and the journey I’ve seen many others make in the safety offered by nightlife spaces. ‘XXX’ is about celebrating sex, pleasure, and freedom. Musically, ‘XXX’ is my attempt to marry my love of both techno and symphonic music.”
The first FEAR CITY single, the acclaimed “No Security,” discusses the political and economic chaos and fear that is consuming the world in 2020. With “XXX,” Starkey shows marginalized, disadvantaged, depressed, overworked, and economically struggling people escaping the present dystopian nightmare to find freedom, expression, and pleasure on the dance floor. The “XXX” of the title is not only a reference to sex and recreational drugs, it is also signifying the excitement of the unknown.
As a whole, FEAR CITY takes the 1970’s nickname for New York City, with a focus on the decadent nightlife, drugs, sex, darkness, class inequality and the opiate epidemic found across the 5 boroughs. It uses hedonism to escape the current, widespread political/economic fears, uncertainties and anxiety caused by the rise of right wing politics around the world. While culling influences from New York’s deep well of dance music history, FEAR CITY is a product of the current times.
“XXX” is accompanied by a music video created by director directed by William Murray and Zachery Allan Starkey, filmed in the seedy sex districts of Manhattan and late night Brooklyn, and features a cameo by revered Brooklyn House and Techno producer Lauren Flax, as well as Starkey’s live musicians, Laura Holden and Ruby Wang.
The Great South Bay Music Festival announced their 2020 lineup which will include performances from The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Rebelution, The Tedeschi Trucks Band, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, and many more. The festival will take place from July 16-19 across five stages and will include 75 performances.
The festival will be celebrating its 14th anniversary at Shorefront Park in Patchogue, NY and will consist of classic and contemporary rock, folk, blues, indy, jam-band, pop, prog, Americana, country, reggae, and funk music. The festival also has a new partnership with Blue Point Brewing Co. The new beverage sponsor will be serving up a wide assortment of their most popular brands, as well as some new “Exclusive Festival” brands to watch out for.
Both Friday and Saturday have a loose daily theme. Friday is the rock-reggae-ska day with headliner Rebelution, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (who are returning for their second appearance at Great South Bay), Pepper, Sublime Tribute: Badfish, and Oogee Wawa. And Saturday is the jam band day with headliner one of The Grateful Dead’s most proud and popular tributes: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, moe. and Vulfpeck guitarist, composer and producer: Cory Wong. Great South Bay will close on Sunday with the highly anticipated Tedeschi Trucks Wheels of Soul Tour, featuring the full 13-piece band playing a rocking two hour set. There will also be performances by St. Paul & The Broken Bones, as well as Nashville-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Gabe Dixon.
The festival opens on Thursday, July 16 at 3 pm and runs until 10 pm. On Friday, July 17, doors open at 3 pm and music will go until 11 pm. On Saturday, July 18, doors open at 1 pm and close at 11 pm. And the festival will wrap up on Sunday, July 19 with doors opening at 2 pm and finishing up at 10 pm. For more information and to purchase tickets visit The Great South Bay Music Festival’s website.
Andy Frasco and the UN brought their Royal Rumble tour circus to the Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday night, in the form of a high energy, wrestling themed showdown with co-headliner Big Something. Comedian Kyle Ayers doubled as the opening act and MC for the antics. The sold out crowd enjoyed the ruckus that ensued, as well as the jams.
Kyle Ayers kicked off the festivities with an unusual opening set of comedy directed at jam band fans. Shortly thereafter, Big Something descended upon the stage, delivering jam rock with a Southern and alt-rock flavor, along with extremely high energy. Members of Andy Frasco and the UN joined this party dressed in wrestling masks for a notable cover of Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.” At one point, Frasco dove onto Ayers, forcing him to wear a neck brace for the rest of the show. Big Something also performed the nineties throwback “Gangster’s Paradise” by Coolio.
After setbreak, Andy Frasco and the UN descended upon the stage once again, this time with even crazier stage antics. Known for stage diving, Frasco went for a ride early on in the set, and sported a bottle of Jameson throughout the night. Frasco was not without support from talented guests, as guitarists Dave Brandwein of Turkuaz and Brandon Niederauer took the stage for an electric cover of “Burning Down the House” by the Talking Heads. They also played their newly released track “Keep On Keepin’ On,” which was well received by the crowd.
The night was not complete without a stage diving race to drive the lane and dunk a basketball into the hoop setup within the crowd. Ayers refereed this challenge, while standing on top of Frasco’s piano. Frasco pulled off the victory while wearing his Wilt Chamberlain Lakers jersey.
The show was highly entertaining, and included some tasty blues, funk and rock-n-roll jams. This circus is back on the road this week in NY State, performing at the Buffalo Iron Works in Buffalo, NY on Tuesday, Feb 18th. Visit their tour page for more details.
Annie in the Water has just completed the most successful year in their career and is now embarking on the most ambitious tour of their career beginning this week. This tour has the band teaming up with Hayley Jane to perform Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours album in its entirety and will visit venues across the Northeast throughout the month of February.
Annie in the Water’s second album Time to Play was released last summer. It’s an album comprised of songs the band has been playing live for years but hasn’t received the studio treatment until now. It’s an album that gives a snapshot of a band on the rise and a band ready to take on the live music scene with a vengeance.
While they call the North Country home, Annie in the Water has roots all over the map. Their origin story stems from a chance meeting between singer/guitarists Michael Lashomb and Bradley Hester at Hobart College in Geneva in 2007. The two hit it off immediately and began jamming together. They would reconvene during summers off from college, jamming together and coaching at lacrosse camps. They recorded their first album Destination in 2011 while Hester was a graduate assistant coach at Jacksonville University.
Since forming, the band has undergone several lineup changes, with Hester and Lashomb the only constant over the years. The band is now a six-piece with the addition of former Formula 5 keyboardist Matt Richards last July. Brock Kuca (drums/percussion), Ryan Trumbull (drums) and Chris Meier (bass) complete the unit.
Annie in the Water and Hayley Jane have been rehearsing for this tour for the past several months and are set to kick it all off this Wednesday in Saranac Lake.
NYS Music recently sat down with the band to discuss their history, their influences and the upcoming Spread Rumours Tour with Hayley Jane.
NYS Music: First, I’d like to start by finding out more about each of you individually. Where is each of you from? What path brought you to where you are today?
Bradley Hester: I grew up all over the place, born in Colorado. I also lived in Ohio, Japan, Virginia, and I came to Upstate New York by way of Hobart College. Since college, I’ve been in Upstate doing the Annie in the Water thing but also coaching lacrosse. I will probably always coach lacrosse because it’s one of the ways I am bringing my value to life and I have learned so many things from the game that continue to impact the way I live my life.
Brad Hester (Photo: Brian Cornish)
Michael Lashomb: I was born and raised in Cleveland, OH. My parents were originally from Ogdensburg, New York. We would go visit Upstate and work on my grandfather’s land whenever we had time off from school, so I was able to become familiar with the North Country landscape and inner-city life throughout my childhood.
While I was in Cleveland, I was exposed to a lot of diverse styles of music. There was always new music coming through mainstream radio when I was a kid, also a lot of hip-hop and funk influence in the city. In the North Country, I was exposed to more roots style and country. So I had a good blend that influenced me. When I was about 11 years old, I heard blink-182’s song “Dammit” on the radio and I immediately thought of ways to learn the song. That motivated me and I just started diving into all sorts of musical styles. I specifically started basing my early style of play on John Frusciante’s (Red Hot Chili Peppers) fretboard work.
Throughout my late teens and early 20’s, I was always picking up different jobs to try to make it work. I moved down to Florida at one point and was recruited to be a lacrosse coach and teacher at a prep school in Jacksonville. After that, I went out to L.A. for a short time and worked on the TV show The Amazing Race. In my late 20’s, I decided to go full-time music. No Plan B for me. I couldn’t imagine not pursuing music as my life path.
Michael Lashomb (Photo: Brian Cornish)
Brock Kuca: I was born and raised in a little town called Morristown on the St. Lawrence River (Thousand Islands). I started playing music at the age of 10, the saxophone. That didn’t really work out so well. I discovered the guitar at age 12. That’s when the sparks flew and music became the main priority in my life. Before joining Annie in the Water full-time, I cooked fancy food in a local restaurant. I was also a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service and worked production at music festivals. Although I have a deep passion for cooking, it’s hard to really imagine my life without some kind of musical influence in it.
I met Mike and Brad some eight or nine years ago. Wow, that’s hard to believe. They would invite me out to play gigs in Potsdam, Alexandria Bay, Clayton and Watertown. I’ve shared the stage with various, very credible and outstanding musicians since then but the present combination of the six of us is a special thing. We are all writers/composers and are just starting to explore that realm with one another.
Brock Kuca
Chris Meier: I’m originally from Chatham, New York. My path to where I currently am heavily involved my time spent at SUNY Oneonta, where I met my bandmates from my first group, Space Carnival. We were lucky enough to have a great scene that eventually led to where I am now.
Chris Meier
Ryan Trumbull: Well, I grew up in the Adirondacks. I was born in Saranac Lake. All of my family members had some sort of musical talent, especially my uncle who had played drums for a long time.
Ryan Trumbull (Photo: Brian Cornish)
Matt Richards: I was born in Albany and reside just outside of the city in Delmar, NY. My life’s musical journey through multiple bands — my high school and SUNY New Paltz band, The Assortment of Crayons, followed by my three-plus years with Formula 5 immediately after college — is what brought me to Annie in the Water. If I weren’t making music, I’d likely be studying how birds make music.
Matt Richards, Brock Kuca and Michael Lashomb
NYSM: The group has evolved over the years, adding new members as recently as this past summer. Have the six of you started to gel as a unit yet?
BH: I feel we gelled the first time we played with each other in a rehearsal. The first show we played together felt like the right thing. The music and the feelings that go with it all get tighter as we continue to push ourselves into unknown territory. As long as we allow ourselves the freedom to explore at shows, we can uncover parts of our potential that would never have happened if we limited ourselves.
ML: The band finally became a full unit when Matt Richards joined in July of 2019. The first rehearsal we had, I personally felt that he was the glue of the entire unit and the gelling started then. Chris and Rippy (drummer Ryan Trumbull) had already been in the mix for six months and they were really sinking in with the backbeat and Brock has made considerable strides as a percussion player.
Everyone in the band is open to trying new things. They are constructive and they are professional. I am extremely lucky to have such great people in this band. I believe all of our collective experiences and knowledge have come together well. All of our individual skills have made the growth quick.
MR: We certainly have. I find our unity became most evident in what is now known as “The Church Set.” We were supposed to perform outside in Potsdam on Sept. 7 last year but due to poor weather conditions, we performed inside the local Methodist Church. We were effortlessly one cohesive unit this set, and have remained so since.
RT: I think we are just starting to mold our sound.
CM: Most definitely. We’ve really taken off as a unit and it feels like the sky’s the limit.
NYSM: How does the songwriting process work for you guys? Is there one person doing all the writing or is everyone given free rein to submit material?
BH: Songwriting works in a variety of ways. The album Time to Play is a collection of some of the songs Mike and I have been playing and performing for years, but I really enjoy opening up the floor for all ideas while we are creating. I feel like the best ideas can come into something with an open canvas, so even if one of us writes a song, everyone else can add ideas to it and add great elements. Everyone in the group is a creator, so I like to keep open the possibility of anyone bringing a song to the group and for the group to help develop.
ML: AITW music is a collective of material. Everyone in the band writes, which is terrific. Now that we have had some time to develop, we are more focused on writing as a unit. Sometimes a song can be written collectively but also one person may have a vision for a song, and as a group, it’s important for us to all do our best to help facilitate that creation. Songwriting will always be an evolutionary process for this band.
MR: We all have so many songs from our past that we want to work in this group. Perhaps everyone in this band is a terrific songwriter. There is a strong desire to work as one to create music in the future. Additionally, Bradley and I have performed a number of duo shos and write at least one song each time, live, in front of an audience. That is a process that is new to me but I love very much. Songwriting can be improvisation slowed down and improvisation can be songwriting sped up.
CM: This has been the most open format for writing I’ve ever been a part of. Everything is on the table.
Hayley in the Water Rehearsal at The Bank, Frankfort
NYSM: Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
BH: When I was young, I grew up on Top 40 hits and was influenced by country music through my parents. Garth Brooks was a go-to of mine when I was in elementary school and, strangely enough, because of my older sister, the Backstreet Boys had an impact on me before I became a teenager. Throughout middle and high school I got into bands like Styx, 311, 30 Seconds to Mars, Finch, Our Lady Peace, blink-182. From the hip hop angle, Eminem is someone I paid a lot of attention to in terms of diction and delivery of language, Kid Cudi for breaking out of norms, B.O.B., Andre 3000, Sammy Adams for their unique approaches. Bob Marley is a huge influence on me as well. Mike introduced me to Phish back in 2008 and I had such an uplifting experience that I knew I was going to achieve similar things with our band with time and patience.
I’m always influenced a little by the other bands in our scene, especially the bands we have the pleasure of playing with. Michael Franti and Spearhead, Andy Frasco, Nahko and Medicine for the People, Swamp Kids, Wild Adriatic, John Brown’s Body, Goose, Turkuaz, Big Something, moe., Twiddle, Nina’s Brew, among others. There are too many to name but I am slightly influenced by everyone I am lucky enough to experience!
ML: When I was eight years old, I was obsessed with the Grateful Dead. Not so much their music, but their artwork. I had t-shirts and patches on my backpack and everything. What is interesting is how their music has been woven into my style almost naturally. But besides them as an overall musical influence, I grew up on folk music — Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. I’m also a big fan of The Band. I love Pink Floyd, Daft Punk, LCD Soundsystem and Sigur Ros. Those are my ethereal outlets. I also loved punk in high school: Ten Foot Pole, MxPx, Pennywise, blink-182, Less Than Jake, 311, NoFX, but also heavy stuff like GWAR, Korn and Rammstein.
I got into jamband/bluegrass style stuff in high school. Stuff like String Cheese, Bela Fleck, Dispatch, moe., Umphrey’s McGee. Phish was a discovery that changed the whole game. But recently I have been getting more into traditional Celtic music like The Dubliners and different modern composition styles like Bon Iver and Hans Zimmer. Very grateful for all the music I have been exposed to.
MR: Steely Dan, Animal Collective, Ween, Yes, MGMT, Circa Survive, Phish, Vince Guaraldi, McCoy Tyner, The New Deal, RAQ, nature (like actual nature, not a band), Wilco, Dave Brubeck, Talking Heads. Okay, I gotta stop myself somewhere but I know I am missing at least 50 artists and will kick myself for not including them.
RT: Stewart Copeland, Brain (Primus), Anika Nilles, Benny Greb.
CM: Sly Stone, Beck, Motown, Steely Dan.
NYSM: When did you first develop a relationship with Hayley Jane? This tour sounds like it will be a fun collaboration. What was the genesis of the idea to do a Rumours tour together?
Hayley Jane
BH: I first developed a relationship with Hayley Jane back in 2016 when I posted myself doing a vocal exercise for the first time in eight months. She contacted me and was curious about what happened to me because she wanted to offer her experience going through vocal issues. We’ve been friends ever since, sitting in and co-creating whenever possible.
Sometimes it’s hard to remember how fragile our vocal cords can be if they do not get proper attention and strength training, but they are also very resilient and can come back from injury stronger than ever, which is how I feel now. I was able to dissolve the cyst that formed on my right vocal cord by taking many months of pure rest and also learning how to properly warm-up. Staying away from alcohol and drugs and remembering to stay healthy and hydrated is key to my intention to make my vocal cords last as long as I can stay alive.
ML: Brad and I first met Hayley Jane about four years ago in Vermont and that’s when a relationship started. The Vermont music scene has a tendency to bring like-minded people together. The project idea started when we were all at Grassroots in Shakori Hills, NC. Our band had been on a pretty solid Fleetwood Mac kick for a while so when we were in North Carolina, Chris was talking with Hayley about playing a Fleetwood Mac song. I’m not exactly sure how the conversation went because I wasn’t there, but now there’s a tour put together and I’m playing in it.
CM: I’ve been aware of Hayley for a number of years but we formally met last fall at Shakori Hills Grassroots Music Festival. The idea was developed there over the conversations we had in our RV on tour.
MR: I first met Hayley through Formula 5. She would perform with us in Burlington at Nectar’s when we would get up there. I think since we all love Rumours it just felt natural we reach out to Hayley and see if she would be interested in doing this with us. It all fell into place seemingly well.
NYSM: Thanks to all the members of Annie in the Water for your participation. Best of luck with this most ambitious tour.
The upcoming tour will have Hayley Jane opening each show with a set of original material, followed by a complete run-through of Fleetwood Mac’s storied Rumours album featuring Hayley Jane alongside Annie in the Water and concluding with a full Annie in the Water set.
Tickets are available now for all shows on the Spread Rumours Tour. For more information on the tour and where to purchase tickets check out the Annie in the Water website here. Check out the band’s latest album Time to Play below.
