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Event
The Vespers
Skyflight Productions presents The Vespers from Nashville, TN on Monday November 16th at The Albert S George Youth Center at Barnesville Memorial Park in Barnesville, OH. On their third album, Sisters and Brothers, the Vespers combine Americana roots with pop melody and rock &
roll muscle. It's an album about growth and discovery, about finding your place in the world and your sound
by leaning on the support of those around you. For the Vespers, those supporters include one another.
Comprised of two pairs of siblings the Cryar sisters and Jones brothers, all natives of Nashville, Tennessee
the Vespers began making their own kind of rootsy, southern stomp in 2009, throwing themselves into a
music scene that was rich in history and high in competition. Playing as many as 115 shows a year and selling
more than 10,000 copies of their second album, The Fourth Wall (2012), The Vespers found themselves at a
crossroads. They could make another album of bluegrass-influenced folk music a genre that had grown
quite popular since the group's early days or they could throw some newer influences into the mix.
"We wanted to make a new sound, something people hadn't heard from us before, and Sisters and Brothers
came out of that desire," says Phoebe Cryar. Over five years, the Cryars' and Jones' had laughed, fought,
cried, smiled, learned about life and played their hearts out. Without the influence of a label or an A&R team,
they'd learned to rely on each other, trusting few outside influences apart from the support of their own fans.
Those fans had helped The Vespers through the hardest of times, becoming not only the band's supporters,
but their family, as well. The time had come for the Vespers to make an album birthed from the ups and downs
of traveling in a band, an album that focused on the great things that can happen with the support of your literal
and figurative sisters and brothers.
The Vespers didn't abandon their old sound for Sisters and Brothers; they just expanded it.
"Phoebe and I were fresh out of high school when we started the band," Callie Cryar adds, thinking back to the
days when they were teenagers working the 5 a.m. shift at a Nashville donut shop. "You're never more vulnerable
or unconfident than you are at that time. But in the years leading up this album, we all became more comfortable
with each other, with our emotions, with ourselves. We became adults, and we stared delving into
some of the emotions that we wanted to make people feel. People want to feel when they listen. They want to
feel something intense, and that's the kind of album we hoped to record."
Looking for the right collaborator to help them evolve, The Vespers turned to Paul Moak, a Grammy-nominated
producer and accomplished songwriter who operates his own recording studio, Smoakstack, in south Nashville.
Moak pushed the musicians to create music that was raw and real instead of polished and perfect. The
goal wasn't to sound flawless. It was to find imperfect performances that captured a genuine moment, performances
that raised the hair on everybody's arms. If a take didn't evoke that sort of response, it was scrapped.
"We used to record our vocals over and over, separately, until every single note was perfectly correct," Callie
remembers. "But Sisters and Brothers was completely different. We wanted it to be raw. We realized there was
more attitude and more emotion whenever Phoebe and I sang together, even with that slight element of imperfection."
"Every time you make a record, you're summing up where you've been for the last few years, says Bruno
Jones. "Our band went through some challenges in those years, but we also went through a lot of growth, both
onstage and off. We came out of it and realized we still cared about each other."
Bruno adds, "Sisters and Brothers is a rallying cry for the band."
Indeed, Sisters and Brothers does feel like a battle cry. It's an album about beating the system, banding together,
taking care of those around you and focusing on what really counts.
Having grown up in New London, a small Minnesota town, Brady Toops spent the majority of his early years running around on diamonds and athletic fields. After making a brief stint in Minor League Baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals, he left the world of athletics in 2006 to pursue his first love, music. Being accustomed to life on the road and traveling more miles than one cares to count, Brady finally made his way to Franklin, TN to work with songwriter/producer Anthony Skinner. In the early summer of 2011, his 5 song EP, "A Little Love", was released.
Now based out of Nashville, TN, Brady Toops released his latest project, a self-titled full length album in the late summer months of 2013. With the success of his LP, Toops authenticated the grassroots following he's developed over the last few years. The new album was produced by David Leonard (of All Sons and Daughters) and displays a unique combination of spirituals and folk tunes, showcasing Toops' gospel roots. As an indie artist who often defies category, Brady continues to redefine the proposed gap between the sacred and secular, making music that truly appeals to the soul.
Kevin Davis of NewReleaseTuesday.com commented in his review of the new record, "My favorite types of albums grow deeper with each listen, and Brady Toops is the deepest album I've heard all year." RELEVANT Magazine recently featured Toops on their highly popular RELEVANT Studio Sessions, naming him "one of our favorite new artists." In the last year, Toops has toured the United States tirelessly, playing alongside artists like John Mark McMillan, NEEDTOBREATHE, Ellie Holcomb, and Switchfoot, turning new listeners into devoted fans with his modern, yet timeworn songwriting approach and rustic baritone voice.
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LocationAlbert S George Youth Center (View)
130 Fair St
Barnesville, OH 43713
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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Contact
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