Show Review:: Night Argent 9/1

Night Argent
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Columbia City Theatre; Seattle, WA
Written by Kristen Schell

Sex appeal, drums that give you chills, and crisp vocals. Night Argent live is an entirely different experience than say… listening to their EP via Spotify, with a bottle of wine and two cats, which is what I did before going to their show at Columbia Theater in Seattle, WA.

Not only does the band have a clean performance, Night Argent also handled their sound check perfectly – and, I must admit, it is flawless. No mic-squeaks or pitchy vocals, they are basically perfection.

The first song of their set was amazing, all thanks to their heartthrob drummer, Zac Burrell. Drums pounding, full of emotion, yet equally steady and confident. It immediately drew doting fans to the front. The set included the cleanest vocals and guitar riffs I’ve heard in a while and it’s safe to say Night Argent has their stage performance down to a T!

The highlight of the night was when Night Argent circled around the drums at center stage. BOOM BOOM, I immediately find myself inching to the front of the stage. All of the band members begin beating the drums and explode out right into their hit “Widowmaker,” off their self-titled EP!

Talk about a show that ends with every fan pressed up against the stage, props to Night Argent! While frontman Chase Manhattan was a bit jumpy (not in a bad way – just hard to get a good IG pic in all honesty), I loved the overall vibe of the show! I highly recommend you check out their latest EP, Night Argent available on Spotify here. I also suggest you look out for their tour dates… or at least hang a band photo on the wall because these guys are hot, in every sense of the word!

Review:: Aftermath | Fever Fever

Fever Fever, a Columbus, Ohio based band came out with their first ever album titled: Aftermath. It was released September 16^th, 2014. It can best be described as chipper. While this album has some darker more sensitive soul type tracks (Fingertips, Windward) the bulk of their songs are upbeat in sound (Hypnotized, Line in the sand). I would describe their style as simple, the best kind, making Fever Fever the ultimate mix-tape “go to.”

It is no wonder this band has already found its way to the big screen. Receiving airtime on popular shows like, The Real L Word, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and Teen Wolf. Their music has a unique muted pull, which drags the listener through a scene that can only be created with simple, clear, and harmonic music cohered with stunning visuals.

They have rich hallow vocals causing a low echo to ring through your head as you listen. The drums gradually lift your spirits as you begin the track, carrying you to the finish. Each individual track will pick you up emotionally, drop you to the floor, and then throw you through a metaphorical window.  This roller-coaster ride is worth every second. I highly recommend giving Fever Fever a try.

Release Date: September 16th 2014
Rating: 3.5/5
Runtime: ~36 mins

Track Listing
1. Aftermath
2. Blue
3. Hypnotized
4. Sea meets earth
5. Windward
6. Fingertips
7. Hope is a child’s toy
8. Beautiful Dream
9. Madness
10. Line in the sand
11. Inceptiones Novae
12. Collapse 

Written by Kristen Schell

5 Questions With:: Youngblood Hawke [Bumbershoot Edition]

Interview conducted by Kristen Schell.

It’s a small world after all! Now this isn’t something I would normally say unless I were on the Disney ride, but here’s a fun story for you. Iglu and Hartly was the name of a band that formed prior to Young Blood Hawke. Back in 2008, I was a student of Ms. Martin(aka singer Sam of Young Blood Hawke’s mother)’s keyboard class. I had first hand sneak previews of Iglu and Hartley’s music when Ms. Martin would promote the band via background music to frantic typing. Flash forward and now this duo have moved on to bigger and better things, creating the amazing band we know as Young Blood Hawke!

For those who already know this band (and even for those of you who don’t), here is some exclusive insight to the band’s name origin, creative process, and long-term goals! 

How’d you all meet?

We started writing songs and after a few months we had about 100 songs.

What were the origins for your name “Young Blood Hawke”?

“Sam had read the book, it’s about a young writer from Kentucky who moves to New York and makes a name for himself. We all read it and agreed we shared similar experiences.”

What bands were you previously apart of?

Iglu and H

artly.

What are your future plans?

“Hunker down and start writing for our new record, it will hopefully be released by next year!”

What’s does creative process look like for you as a band?

“Start the instrumentals out and play it for Sam, if it has a good feeling everyone starts adding their perspective instruments and pieces”

Young Blood Hawke’s long-term goal is “do this for the rest of our lives, writing the best possible record we can, hopefully we can accomplish that.” 

Watch out for amazing things with this group, they have a creative vision that is sure to end up making it big time and even your pickiest friends will enjoy a couple songs from their album! 

5 Questions With:: Kins [Bumbershoot Edition]

Interview conducted by Kristen Schell.

Serendipity brought them together and creativity has made them flourish. Kins are an indie-rock band based in the UK. Alex Knight and Thomas Savage met in Australia while their previous bands were on tour. Alex moved to England where they found the remaining two members of the band. We chatted about making mixed tapes and their creative process. While I only spoke with two of the four they were a pleasure to converse with.

Their set [at Bumbershoot] was a masterful blend of both high and low energy songs. Heads were bobbing and hands were clapping. The music was outstanding live, which is always a plus for any bands.

Are there going to be any new songs as teasers from your upcoming album?

 

“Seattle’s going to hear the first live version of one of songs on the next record,” said drummer, Alex.

Where do have you been spending the majority of time touring/playing?

“Every time we leave North America it’s always too soon, I’m never ready to leave”

How do you go about creating new music?

“Mostly me [Thomas Savage] noodling around and the live versions are adapted so they are more exciting. There are no rules, especially being in bands before. We aren’t concerned about image because we just try to have no boundaries.”

Tell me a little bit about your album artwork? What made you select the image of the ape carrying the dog?

“It’s definitely related to our personalities.  It’s a two species interacting that clearly wouldn’t happen.”

What are your plans for the future?

“The huge focus is this second record… longevity is the plan, to build a catalog and sustain a career making music” 

After our interview, Kins noted how Americans are “peachy about life,“ at least when it comes to music. I guess we can say that both Kins and Lucy Out Loud love, share, and get excited about new music!

5 Questions With:: Gregory Alan Isakov [Bumbershoot Edition]

Interview conducted by Kristen Schell.

Gregory Alan Isakov is both humble and hilarious; this is a rare find and indeed a treat to speak with. He is a creative visionary combining both his experiences and craft of story telling into his music. There is a richness that cannot be mimicked in his vocals and the fluid harmonies that guide you through the story often places you somewhere unexpected. 

The day after his performance at Bumbershoot, I was able to chat with him about his his sound, how his performance went, and what we can expect next from him!  

How was bumbershoot?

 

“I never know what to expect with festivals, it was really exciting”

I like to start interviews with a brief origins type story, can you tell me how you began making music and when you decided it was a career?

“I’ve always played music for myself and it became like eating dinner just a part of my day. I went to school for horticulture and played for myself mostly. I began booking random shows and it started having a mind of its own”

“Second Chances”, is my favorite from your last album Weatherman, could you tell me a little bit about that track and how it came to be?

“That song totally was going to ruin my life we had like sixteen versions. I wrote that song with my little brother. That’s so nice to hear… you could have like two records of versions of that song.”

Do you feel your sound has changed since the start of your music career? I’m noticing a newfound richness in your vocals?

“For me everything feels so different. It’s kind of hard to get away from yourself. We did a lot of it on tape, which we haven’t really done before.”

What’re your plans for the future, more albums, any plans for collaborations in the future?

“Yeah, I have friends all over we try to hangout and work on things together. It’s one of my favorite things.”

If you have some free time on your hands, please, please, please take the time to listen to him and his newest album “The Weatherman.“ It is by far his most powerful and moving album. His talent will carry him through far beyond three albums and we cannot wait to see what else he has in store.

5 Questions With:: The Weather (Previously known as Campfire OK) [Bumbershoot Edition]

Interview conducted by Kristen Schell.

This band is definitely going places and we had the chance to chat with the mastermind behind The Weather/Campfire OK, Mychal Cohen, a cool easy-going fellow.

They all met sporadically, slowly piecing together their sound. The band (who performed as Campfire OK) played their second Bumbershoot since coming together in 2010. Their performance was AMAZING, both old and new songs (mostly new from their recently released album “Infinite Loop”). 

Campfire OK, now going by the name The Weather, knows how to move a crowd and at Bumbershoot they blew the lid off of my expectations! Excitement for the band, they are changing their sound and also their name, let me add in their new stuff is beyond incredible!

What are your plans for the future?

“That’s a funny question because it’s not necessarily up to us. We’d love to play at more festivals and we’d love to travel a lot more. All we can do is make music and be kind to the people who are on our team, and hope people will receive it well.”

Anyone you’re looking forward to hearing at Bumbershoot?

“We’re looking forward to hearing Foster the people, Elvis Costello, and of course, Wu Tang Clan”

How would you describe your sound?

“Our new music has less folk, we are moving toward a more energetic electric feel. Still remaining true to our style, much more developed”

Can we expect any collaborations or touring in the near future?

“It’s definitely a dream of ours to tour with Foster the People, if it does it does and if it doesn’t that’s ok. We’ll just keep making music”

What is a must have for living in Seattle?

“Coffee!”

Festival Review:: Bumbershoot

It was phenomenal weather for the always-raining Seattle, WA and Bumbershoot 2014 was hands down one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I was able to enjoy the luxuries of a three-day pass to scope out both old and new artists. The experience as a whole can be best described as breathtaking – I say this because between all of the walking, my breath was literally gone (not to mention how many “wooo’s” and “you’re amazing’s” were screamed out after each outstanding performance). I ended the weekend with no voice, sore legs, and a giant grin. 

For those who may not be familiar, Bumbershoot is a festival hosted around the Seattle Center in Washington, which highlights a variety of different artists, comedians, and other performers. It is a HUGE deal over on the west coast and people all over come to be swept up in the action. (Fun fact – bumbershoot actually means umbrella…does anyone else see the connection here? no? …okay, moving on.) Here at Lucy Out Loud, we had the chance to cover the festival for the first time(!!!) and this was not only an opportunity for us to get some west coast coverage, but it was also a way to check out even more artists we’ve never heard of or posted about before!

Though the festival also included some great comedic performances, we focused more on the musical side of the festival and took some time enjoying awesome live acts! Our musical favorites from the festival included The Lonely Forest, Hook ‘N Sling, and Young Karin. Their performances were phenomenal and their crowds were screaming for an encore – what more could you ask for?

In between the chaos that is a music festival, we also had the chance to sit down and chat for a bit with a handful of bands and artists who were scheduled to perform. All of who were ecstatic to sit down and talk to us about their future goals, beginnings, and share their enthusiasm for being at Bumbershoot!

This experience left us with some new musical favorites as well as some exclusive interview teasers. And to continue with the festival coverage we’ve been posting lately, starting tomorrow we’ll be giving you guys a daily dose of Bumbershoot interviews with artists including Gregory Alan Isakov, Kins, Young Blood Hawke, Campfire OK, and La Luz! 

Keep your eyes peeled and let us know if you attended the festival – if so, what were your thoughts and experiences?!

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Written by Kristen Schell