The Grenadines

Play some music. Meet some people. Sell some records. Get some exposure.
Eight Birmingham bands will do exactly that during a trip to South by Southwest in Austin.
This 10-day event in the state capital of Texas -- part film conference, part music festival, part interactive extravaganza -- offers local performers an opportunity to spread the word about their music, give their careers a boost and make connections with other folks in the industry.
Official concert slots at SXSW, set for March 11-20, are the most sought-after prizes. But record labels and other organizers stage their own showcases and performance parties when the music portion of the festival is in full swing.

'“Everyone floods the place, and it’s mass insanity and everyone’s excited,” says Travis Morgan, founder of Birmingham’s Skybucket Records. “Nobody’s going to have a huge success overnight; nobody’s got delusions of grandeur. But there are a ton of industry people, and it’s a way to hook up with other bands, set up tours and meet with up-and-coming music agents.”

Through the Sparks will be part of the "Bham Goes to SXSW 3" showcase in Austin. According to band member Jody Nelson, they'll be promoting a new singles collection at the festival. "We'll probably be giving it away, wherever we can," Nelson says. "We'll try to sell things, too." (Special / Hannah Slamen)
For the past two years, Skybucket has been instrumental in presenting an Austin showcase of Birmingham players during SXSW. The label will do it again in 2011, with the help of some key colleagues.
Jeff Tenner of Homewood’s Soca Clothing, a former music manager, returns for his third year as an organizer and sponsor.
“This is my way to stay in touch, to help young bands,” Tenner says. “Our whole vision has been that Birmingham is full of great bands, and we’ll do what we can to see that Birmingham is on the map.”
Communicating Vessels, a new record label run by Jeffrey Cain of Remy Zero and Jim Fahy of Teen Getaway, also is on board for the Birmingham showcase this year.
“It was a no-brainer,” Fahy says. “We want people to take notice, in a serious way, of what kind of town Birmingham is, and that art is being made here.”
Organizers hand-picked eight acts to represent the Magic City at “Bham Goes to SXSW 3,” a showcase at Annie’s West, a nightclub on Austin’s West Sixth Street. (In previous years, the showcase found a home at the Creekside Lounge, on East Seventh Street.)
DETAILS

What: “Gas Money: Bham Goes to SXSW 3.”

When: 8 p.m. Feb. 26.

Where: Bottletree, 3719 Third Ave. South, Birmingham, Alabama.

Lineup: Grenadines, Delicate Cutters, the Magic Math, the Wilson Thrills.

Tickets: $7.

Info: 205-5336288 or Bottletree website.

The lineup for March 19, noon-6 p.m., will feature Delicate Cutters, Great Book of John, the Green Seed, Grenadines, Gum Creek Killers, Magic Math, Through the Sparks and Vulture Whale.
Some of these acts played at previous Birmingham showcases; others are newbies. Some have performed at SXSW proper; others jump into showcases staged by out-of-town friends.
“We played in the official deal there about seven years ago, and have been back every year since,” says Wes McDonald of Vulture Whale. (His band will perform several times during SXSW 2011, and has an official spot on the festival lineup.)
“It’s a big sea of mayhem, but a great experience,” McDonald says. “There’s a lot good about it, but it’s not really what you think at first. Thousands of bands are playing. If you’re going there to get famous, that’s not a good reason. You have go to down with there a certain amount of realism. There’s a very positive energy; everybody there is a music lover. It’s the Disney World of rock music.”
Exploring Disney World takes money, of course, and the same goes for the SXSW experience.
Aside from basic travel expenses -- transportation, lodging, meals and the like -- organizers for the Birmingham showcase typically rent the venue in Austin, provide free admission and offer free beverages to attract audiences. The event also requires sound equipment, crew members, a stage manager and staffers at the merchandise table.

The Grenadines were surprised by the size and scope of South by Southwest during their first visit in 2009. "Looking back, I had no idea there were going to be so many bands," singer Lauren Shackelford says. "There were so many things going on, around every corner." (Special / Lauren Shackelford)
Marketing costs can include advertisements in Austin newspapers, plus handbills and fliers to promote the showcase. Many bands give out free merchandise on the street, including copies of their CDs.
Getting acts noticed at SXSW can cost a label thousands of dollars, Morgan estimates. However, he believes the expense is well worth it.
“It’s a Herculean task,” Tenner agrees. “But we all understand the idea that the more you play out there, the better off you are. The first one, to me, was just magic. People came and stayed and loved what we were doing.”
To help local bands defray their costs for the trip -- and to give Birmingham concertgoers a taste of what the Austin showcase will be like -- Morgan, Tenner and the team at Communicating Vessels have arranged a series of benefits here called “Gas Money: Bham goes to SXSW 3.”
The first show took place at Rojo on Feb. 19, and featured acts such as the Green Seed, a hip-hop trio. According to Randall Turner, a member of the band, the first benefit was a resounding success.

South by Southwest turns Austin into a music-loving madhouse. "I am so ready for crazy," says Randall Turner (also known as R-Tist) of the Green Seed. "Austin is a good place for new artists to shine." (Special)
“I can’t even wipe the smile off my face,” Turner says. “It was a large group, for the most part, as many people as you can get into Rojo. South by Southwest has always been on our radar, and people who knew we were going were all excited.”
Two other “Gas Money” concerts are set for Feb. 26 and March 11 at Bottletree. Another show is scheduled March 5 at the Spring Street Fire House. Each lineup features some of the eight bands who’ll travel to Austin this year, as well as other local acts.
“The best part of it, aside from the actual showcase, is to see the support from other bands in Birmingham,” says Lauren Shackelford of the Grenadines. Her psych-pop group, playing Saturday at Bottletree, made it to Austin for the first “Bham Goes to SXSW” in 2009.
“When you’re all going there as a group, it makes you feel good, and there’s such a spirit,” Shackelford says. “We share gear, ride together, carpool and stay with friends. It’s inspiring and fun to see the other bands. I’m really excited; I can’t wait."
- The Birmingham News

"The Grenadines ended with a set that got all of the (cool) people off of the porch and moving. Looking around, most everyone was keeping time. Spouses Michael and Lauren Shackelford produced the electrifying vocals backed with David Swatzel’s guitar mastery."

The Grenadines, after an afternoon of mischief


After an eventful early afternoon, I sat down with David Swatzell and Lauren and Michael Shackelford of the Grenadines over lunch at Urban Standard. Since the current incarnation of the band came together, they have released two EP albums. Over the past year, they have been working to record songs off of these albums into one LP and have spent time in the studio recording new material as well. They will perform at Bottletree on Saturday at 8 with The Delicate Cutters, Magic Math and The Wilson Thrills as part of the “Gas Money: Bham Goes to SXSW” benefit concert series. Tickets are $7 and are available by calling (205) 533-6288 or online at www.thebottletree.com.


Clair McLafferty for Birmingham Box Set: I heard y’all have been recording for the past year. Can you tell me a little bit about that?

Michael Shackelford: Well, we’ve been recording a lot. So, we’ve had a couple EPs we’ve put out, and we’re just going to try to cram it into one thing and master all that to come up with a finished product. But we’ve got a great lineup going right now, we’ve worked with Jim a little bit, we’ve worked with Danny, worked with Lynn Bridges in Oxford just recently and in Sheffield, AL, and are working with Jim Eno on what we hope will be another full length. We’ve been doing a lot of recording.

Lauren Shackelford: And we’re supposed to go back in the spring and finish up the full length we’re working on with Jim.

BBS: What changes have happened in the lineup?

MS: The overall feel, that’s one thing that changes every time when a member comes in or out.

David Swatzell: Over all lineup changes, I came in about a year ago or a year and a half ago after another guitar player bailed before a sold out show with Jenny Lewis, and had to learn everything in like a day to play this show.

MS: We had this lineup and had played one show with Jenny Lewis. Two days later, three members of our band quit. I called David, he stepped up to the plate, learned it all and killed it. We have a guy who’s just amazing on bass, but he has his own projects so he plays with us whenever he’s not on tour with his other projects.

BBS: Seems like y’all have gone through a lot of changes in a short period of time.

DS: Holding on for dear life.

BBS: How has that influenced your style?

DS: When I joined, me and Michael had been writing for fun, playing songs. I didn’t even think I’d be part of the Grenadines. A few of those songs were brought over when I joined, and a few solo songs of his were brought in and it kind of rounded everything out and gave it more of its own sound.

LS: A little more rock.

MS: I will say, having David in the band has definitely changed how we play in a very positive way. Our musical styles are very complimentary.

BBS: Sounds like it’s fallen together. What are some stylistic influences that might have changed over the course of all this?

LS: We used to be a little quieter, I guess. Now it’s a little more rock-oriented and kind of psychedelic. We changed from really dreamy and soft to louder and more psychedelic.

BBS: What’s on your iPods?

DS and LS: The Kinks, Rolling Stones, Sonic Youth.

MS: The good stuff. All of it. It’s tough to say how it’s influence us. I’m influenced by most everything, whether in a positive or a negative way. We try to make every song different, something we haven’t done before. That goal alone has helped the songwriting a lot. That way, you know you’re not ripping yourself off completely, and that you’re doing something new.

BBS: What has it been like to work with Jim Eno?

LS: He’s super laid back.

MS: He’s really a scientist.

DS: He knows how to trim away all the fat and get to the core of the song. He’s really good at getting the bare bones.

MS: Something that’s amazing about his style is that he gets the best sound before tracking. There’s very little you have to worry about afterwards. It’s gotta be good, or he’s not going to hit record. Especially for a guy who just plays drums as his primary instrument. It’s just amazing. And he really likes Tecate.

LS: We’re hoping for this record to be done this time next year. The stuff we made in working with him is totally different from what will be on our other full length. That one will hopefully be done by the time we leave for Austin.

MS: Right now, the Jim album is only about four or five songs, but will hopefully, hopefully, be full length by the time it gets done.

Posted by Clair at 7:09 pm on February 25th, 2011. No comments... »
Categories: Interviews, Local Folks. Tags: birmingham magazine, bottletree cafe, jim eno, the grenadines.

The Grenadines perform two lunchtime numbers
Lunchtime diners at Urban Standard and outside in Five Points today were treated to music from the Grenadines.


Video by Seth Newell





The band is one of four performing during tomorrow night’s Gas Money: Bham Goes to SXSW 3 benefit, which will take place at Bottletree. The show will raise money for Birmingham bands (including the Grenadines) who will be performing in Austin, Texas, during the South by Southwest Music and Media Conference next month."

After an eventful early afternoon, I sat down with David Swatzell and Lauren and Michael Shackelford of the Grenadines over lunch at Urban Standard. Since the current incarnation of the band came together, they have released two EP albums. Over the past year, they have been working to record songs off of these albums into one LP and have spent time in the studio recording new material as well. They will perform at Bottletree on Saturday at 8 with The Delicate Cutters, Magic Math and The Wilson Thrills as part of the “Gas Money: Bham Goes to SXSW” benefit concert series. Tickets are $7 and are available by calling (205) 533-6288 or online at www.thebottletree.com.


Clair McLafferty for Birmingham Box Set: I heard y’all have been recording for the past year. Can you tell me a little bit about that?

Michael Shackelford: Well, we’ve been recording a lot. So, we’ve had a couple EPs we’ve put out, and we’re just going to try to cram it into one thing and master all that to come up with a finished product. But we’ve got a great lineup going right now, we’ve worked with Jim a little bit, we’ve worked with Danny, worked with Lynn Bridges in Oxford just recently and in Sheffield, AL, and are working with Jim Eno on what we hope will be another full length. We’ve been doing a lot of recording.

Lauren Shackelford: And we’re supposed to go back in the spring and finish up the full length we’re working on with Jim.

BBS: What changes have happened in the lineup?

MS: The overall feel, that’s one thing that changes every time when a member comes in or out.

David Swatzell: Over all lineup changes, I came in about a year ago or a year and a half ago after another guitar player bailed before a sold out show with Jenny Lewis, and had to learn everything in like a day to play this show.

MS: We had this lineup and had played one show with Jenny Lewis. Two days later, three members of our band quit. I called David, he stepped up to the plate, learned it all and killed it. We have a guy who’s just amazing on bass, but he has his own projects so he plays with us whenever he’s not on tour with his other projects.

BBS: Seems like y’all have gone through a lot of changes in a short period of time.

DS: Holding on for dear life.

BBS: How has that influenced your style?

DS: When I joined, me and Michael had been writing for fun, playing songs. I didn’t even think I’d be part of the Grenadines. A few of those songs were brought over when I joined, and a few solo songs of his were brought in and it kind of rounded everything out and gave it more of its own sound.

LS: A little more rock.

MS: I will say, having David in the band has definitely changed how we play in a very positive way. Our musical styles are very complimentary.

BBS: Sounds like it’s fallen together. What are some stylistic influences that might have changed over the course of all this?

LS: We used to be a little quieter, I guess. Now it’s a little more rock-oriented and kind of psychedelic. We changed from really dreamy and soft to louder and more psychedelic.

BBS: What’s on your iPods?

DS and LS: The Kinks, Rolling Stones, Sonic Youth.

MS: The good stuff. All of it. It’s tough to say how it’s influence us. I’m influenced by most everything, whether in a positive or a negative way. We try to make every song different, something we haven’t done before. That goal alone has helped the songwriting a lot. That way, you know you’re not ripping yourself off completely, and that you’re doing something new.

BBS: What has it been like to work with Jim Eno?

LS: He’s super laid back.

MS: He’s really a scientist.

DS: He knows how to trim away all the fat and get to the core of the song. He’s really good at getting the bare bones.

MS: Something that’s amazing about his style is that he gets the best sound before tracking. There’s very little you have to worry about afterwards. It’s gotta be good, or he’s not going to hit record. Especially for a guy who just plays drums as his primary instrument. It’s just amazing. And he really likes Tecate.

LS: We’re hoping for this record to be done this time next year. The stuff we made in working with him is totally different from what will be on our other full length. That one will hopefully be done by the time we leave for Austin.

MS: Right now, the Jim album is only about four or five songs, but will hopefully, hopefully, be full length by the time it gets done.
- Birmingham Magazine