WEDNESDAY FEB 01, 2017
529 Presents:
529 & Irrelevant Music Present:
Vita and The Woolf
Man Up, Yancey | If I (ex Wire Method)
Vita and The Woolf
Vita and the Woolf is the sound of operatic vocals meeting neo-soul synth pop. Driven by the anthemic voice of front woman, Jennifer Pague and supported by the dynamic drumming of Adam Shumski, Vita and the Woolf has been melding cross-genre influences in their powerhouse electronic style since their first EP Fang Song came out in 2014. The band’s head-turning live show has since grown to reflect both the range of Pague’s vocals and the music’s shape shifting energy. Originally inspired by the love relationship between novelists Vita Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf, the name “Vita and the Woolf” was chosen while Pague was studying abroad in Europe in 2012. Upon returning to the states and going through a variety of line-up changes, the band has since solidified as a collaboration between Pague and Shumski. In the past year this configuration of Vita and the Woolf has been featured on the Urban Outfitters Music Blog, NYLON Magazine, and other regional and national media outlets as the band gears up for their upcoming album release in 2017. Stay tuned for more info about “TUNNELS”, the band’s new full length record.
Vita and the Woolf recently toured as direct support for Rasputina on a 17-date cross country tour. In addition they have performed at XPoNential Music Festival in 2015 on the same lineup as St. Vincent, My Morning Jacket, and Courtney Barnett. And have opened up for Milk & Bone, Christine Perri & Colbie Caillat, Hamilton Leithauser, and The Parlour Tricks.
Vita and the Woolf is the sound of operatic vocals meeting neo-soul synth pop. Driven by the anthemic voice of front woman, Jennifer Pague and supported by the dynamic drumming of Adam Shumski, Vita and the Woolf has been melding cross-genre influences in their powerhouse electronic style since their first EP Fang Song came out in 2014. The band’s head-turning live show has since grown to reflect both the range of Pague’s vocals and the music’s shape shifting energy. Originally inspired by the love relationship between novelists Vita Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf, the name “Vita and the Woolf” was chosen while Pague was studying abroad in Europe in 2012. Upon returning to the states and going through a variety of line-up changes, the band has since solidified as a collaboration between Pague and Shumski. In the past year this configuration of Vita and the Woolf has been featured on the Urban Outfitters Music Blog, NYLON Magazine, and other regional and national media outlets as the band gears up for their upcoming album release in 2017. Stay tuned for more info about “TUNNELS”, the band’s new full length record.
Vita and the Woolf recently toured as direct support for Rasputina on a 17-date cross country tour. In addition they have performed at XPoNential Music Festival in 2015 on the same lineup as St. Vincent, My Morning Jacket, and Courtney Barnett. And have opened up for Milk & Bone, Christine Perri & Colbie Caillat, Hamilton Leithauser, and The Parlour Tricks.
Man Up, Yancey
"Over the past year, Man Up, Yancey has rode a wave of changes: More shared songwriting between singer Yancey Ballard with guitarist John Pierce and bassist Grahm Naylor, a rotation of drummers (currently Ryan York), ‘90s damaged heartbreak ditched for a queer cruxed post-punk style. Not to say queer narratives weren’t always present, however, Yancey Ballard’s journey beginning Hormone Replacement Therapy has altered the band’s path fairly dramatically. “I feel like this video is like a sweet kiss goodbye to my voice," Ballard says. "[It] made us have to write all new songs because my voice changed so quickly, changing the style I sing in because it is constantly getting lower. I’m not able to hold a note most of the time so I do more spoken word now. I feel like it's affected how I think and write as well but I don't even know how to articulate that.” “Oversensitive” is a portrait of post break-up anxiety, the most yearnful number on last year’s Blue Fuzz EP. The earlier “Opinion” video explored the dissonance of self-perception, both directed by Decatur native Cory Ferreira and assisted by Dorian McNall and Ari Fouriezos. Mica Levine’s performance in “Oversensitive” switches between femme rage and sultry complacency, Ferreira noting: "The psychotic break references two ideas of self, and that’s not to exclude the implication of another character, especially through the dual layout of the video.” Man Up, Yancey is one of a few bands upping queer visibility in Atlanta's local music community that for has long been cis-led, often male and often straight. With a fresh set of songs to be released later in the spring, the band’s newly developed sound contributes to a long history of Southeast jangle pop (cue Pylon and the 1980s Athens post-punk sound). As these older tracks are no longer performed, “Oversensitive” is a last documentation into the Atlanta band’s past, their fruitful beginnings now clearing way for future developments." -Creative Loafing Atlanta
"Over the past year, Man Up, Yancey has rode a wave of changes: More shared songwriting between singer Yancey Ballard with guitarist John Pierce and bassist Grahm Naylor, a rotation of drummers (currently Ryan York), ‘90s damaged heartbreak ditched for a queer cruxed post-punk style. Not to say queer narratives weren’t always present, however, Yancey Ballard’s journey beginning Hormone Replacement Therapy has altered the band’s path fairly dramatically. “I feel like this video is like a sweet kiss goodbye to my voice," Ballard says. "[It] made us have to write all new songs because my voice changed so quickly, changing the style I sing in because it is constantly getting lower. I’m not able to hold a note most of the time so I do more spoken word now. I feel like it's affected how I think and write as well but I don't even know how to articulate that.” “Oversensitive” is a portrait of post break-up anxiety, the most yearnful number on last year’s Blue Fuzz EP. The earlier “Opinion” video explored the dissonance of self-perception, both directed by Decatur native Cory Ferreira and assisted by Dorian McNall and Ari Fouriezos. Mica Levine’s performance in “Oversensitive” switches between femme rage and sultry complacency, Ferreira noting: "The psychotic break references two ideas of self, and that’s not to exclude the implication of another character, especially through the dual layout of the video.” Man Up, Yancey is one of a few bands upping queer visibility in Atlanta's local music community that for has long been cis-led, often male and often straight. With a fresh set of songs to be released later in the spring, the band’s newly developed sound contributes to a long history of Southeast jangle pop (cue Pylon and the 1980s Athens post-punk sound). As these older tracks are no longer performed, “Oversensitive” is a last documentation into the Atlanta band’s past, their fruitful beginnings now clearing way for future developments." -Creative Loafing Atlanta