Feather Trade

..."Like Grand Vapids, Feather Trade also hail from here; unlike Grand Vapids, they are not part of the in-crowd. Both Chisholm Thompson and Natalie Gazaway have ruffled feathers for being radical in separate ways – the former for his sharp upbraidings of the complacent and amoral, the latter for her unbridled sensuality. I’ve seen Feather Trade half a dozen times, including once at the esteemed 40 Watt a block away – but nowhere else does their moody black post-punk reverberate so clearly (finally, the scathing lyrics cut through all the velveteen distortion), and nowhere else have I seen Thompson so deftly pour himself into his act. The drummer shakes loose his hair and pounds all over his kit; Gazaway pumps silky slithering bass lines with her irresistible finesse. My friends and I agree: for the Feather Trade have never looked, strutted, and sounded more like bona fide rock stars. (Emileigh Ireland takes Thompson aside afterwards, and with dripping irony admonishes, “We need to talk about your future…”)Now, Thompson’s an attractive guy with an alluring glamor, no doubt – he’d just dyed his hair pink yesterday – but I hadn’t expected to see the gaggle of young ladies cheering emphatically before me. This amuses me to no end, for Thompson isn’t a Don Juan type at all; indeed, when I suggested later that these were “fan girls”, he completely dismissed the idea, insisting that they were only very enthusiastic festival goers. Well, be what they may, Feather Trade nevertheless knocked everyone’s socks off – particularly with their new shirts, which Thompson described to the crowd with relish: “Athens: Rich Kids Pretending To Be Poor Kids Pretending To Be Artists”. (As you might imagine, debates are still spiraling around that phrase on Facebook.)..."

- Lee Adcock, September 13, 2016 - Collapse Board

"I recently had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Natalie from Feather Trade before they opened up for The Soft Moon at the 40 Watt and she explained that they undeniably relate to the grimy side of Athens’ music scene. Feather Trade has been recording and performing for almost 3 years and although this seems like a long time, they have yet to attain the recognition they deserve. When I asked Natalie what one statement represents Feather Trade’s sound she explained, “We find critical inequities around us, and we point them out in our songs and otherwise. This makes us unpopular.”

This statement is perfectly exemplified in their lyrics, which are deep and soft unlike their shrieking guitar solos and blaring drumbeats. Chisolm, Feather Trade’s songwriter and front man pens lyrics that show the listener that life is not all rainbows and sunshine. Their song Deadboy states,

“Everybody wants to see the world, but no one’s gonna take the time to do it. And if you’re sad you should know by now, no one’s gonna stay to listen to it.”

Natalie further explains that their music is for the person who has had their heart broken by a lover, a friend, or maybe even their town. There is nothing ‘safe’ about Feather Trade’s music. This strong lyrical perspective is impossible to miss and furthermore is exactly what a heartbroken listener needs.

Feather Trade is ferocious and dark when they perform live. They are bursting with energy on stage with calculated feedback and a aggressiveness that I haven’t seen in the 40 Watt since The Black Angels. Natalie explains that, “We like to incorporate visual aspects to make it feel like an arena show even if it’s Flicker to 10 people” and I could not agree more. Their production was designed by installation artist Pascal DMX ,who strategically positioned several LED movers on stage that added a dark ambiance to their performance. While their production would not be considered ‘state of the art,’ it adds that visceral live experience that so many people are looking for.

Feather Trade is the dark horse that Athens needs. This is a band that is aggressive and straightforward. They are not some simple cookie cutter group trying to make shallow radio hits. They know the in’s and out’s of this town as seen in Deadboy where Chisolm writes,

“There’s a certain kinda cool that comes from living in a house on Boulevard. But I’m not gonna pay the extra fucking rent just so I can tell my friends how my life is hard. Fuck your trust fund.”

If you have not seen Feather Trade live yet I highly recommend it. They grabbed my attention from the second they stepped on stage and did not relinquish until their set ended. Feather Trade has big plans in store for this year and I am extremely excited to see what materializes."

- Chris Rogero, January 22, 2016 - Delamure Music

"On Wednesday evening, Oakland artist Luis Vasquez brought his acclaimed post-punk project, the Soft Moon, to the 40 Watt Club in Athens for a night of glacial dirges and morose synthpop. Playing in support were local acts Feather Trade and Muuy Biien who both know a thing or two about injecting some gothic moodiness and black-hearted self-loathing into their songs. Photographer Bryceson Center braved the sea of black clad revelers and haze of darkwave despair to come away with the photos below."
-GUILLERMO CASTRO, JANUARY 16, 2016 - Immerive Atlanta