Communion Presents

Communion is amongst the hottest live music club night in the UK, US, Ireland & Australia. Curated by Ben Lovett (Mumford & Sons), Kevin Jones (Bear's Den) and producer Ian Grimble. Having kicked off in Oct '13, the Communion US Club Nights occur monthly across 9 US cities: NY, DC, Philly, Bloomington, Louisville, Nashville, Minneapolis, Madison and Rock Island!

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Exclusive Communion Interview: Stereo Confession

Stereo Confession are set to play Communion Minneapolis tomorrow night!!  We got a chance to chat with Jordan and Max before the show...here's what they had to say:

-What's your favorite thing about the Minneapolis music scene? Max: My favorite part of the music scene is how many of the bands work together and have their different individual groups. It's cool to see different genres of music get their time to shine. Growing up in this scene has really been an interesting experience because it opened me up to so many different types of music.  -Describe yourself in one quick sentence: Jordan: Energetic California wannabes that would probably suck at surfing. -Favorite concert you've ever been to? Jordan: The Orwells and Twin Peaks hands down because it was a huge all ages show and The Orwells are a personal favorite. For once the Triple Rock finally invited kids inside to see an epic show.  Max: Damn this ones a hard one but if I had to choose one concert that really sticks out it definitely would have to be Arcade Fire just because of the energy that they have on stage. The close follow-up would definitely have to be The Replacements at Riot Fest though. That was magical.  -What are you listening to now? Jordan: Personally I take a lot of influence from bands like Wavves and FIDLAR. Also old school punk acts like Agent Orange and the Descendants. I feel like they mend well together in forming our genre which brings together a sort of punk-y/surf sound.  Max: I love what those bands are doing but I also have been getting a lot of ideas from older bands too like the Beach Boys and the early Beatles work. Also been listening to a lot of this new local band called Some Pulp. Crazy good harmonies and feel good doo-wop/surf songs. -Do you have anything exciting going on now (or soon) that everyone should know about? Max: We're preparing right now to release our single for the album. I think it's going to be something that everyone can dig and get into. We are also extremely pumped to play at the Varsity Theater with Frankie Teardrop, a band that we all really enjoy. Jordan: And of course we are still recording our album with Ed Ackerson. We still have a ways to go, but in the mean time we'll be playing lots of shows and skatin' around.

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Follow Stereo Confession here:

www.facebook.com/stereoconfession www.twitter.com/scmpls

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Exclusive Communion Interview: *repeat repeat

Playing Communion Nashville on Thursday, *repeat repeat are set to blow your mind!  Here's a chat we had with them on what to expect...

-Why did you want to play a Communion show?  Communion shows are featuring bands that we love personally, making music that we love. Also, the artists featured on Communion shows seem to have the type of trajectory we would want to have as a band. -What are you most looking forward to with playing a Communion Club Night? Playing a Communion show will put us in front of an audience that we don't always get to play in front of, I think it's a mixture of people who have eclectic tastes and like everything from electronic music to dance to folk. Playing with Vinyl Thief, our good friends. I (Jared) used to book them for some shows in town and it's fun to watch them grow and gain more notoriety. Plus Grayson (the lead singer) is an amazing frontman.  -What's your favorite thing about the Nashville music scene? As Nashville grows, the more opportunities there are for artists to succeed. More shows, more blogs, more press, more festivals. I think living in Nashville gives an artist an edge over a non-music city in that you have the ability to choose the direction you want to take your music. You can tour regional and hit several major cities, we have an excellent radio station that features local music, and there are so many great local bands that you can play and tour with. -What's something you feel stands out about your live shows? I believe we want our shows to be a mixture of good music and fun. We don't want to be stuck-up or too cool for school, but we want to be taken seriously at the same time. I think we capture a good mix of that live. Being able to play music with my wife (Kristyn) and my best friend (Andy) helps our live show convey a sense of fun, love and urgency. -Do you have anything exciting going on now (or soon) that everyone should know about? We put out our debut album, Bad Latitude, in March and have been touring and promoting with that. We already have an albums worth of new material and are planning to go back in the studio this fall. -Describe yourself in one quick sentence: Spooky Surf Pop. -Favorite food of Nashville? Sushi. Vegetarian Sushi. And Perrier sparkling water. -What is one of your favorite places in Nashville? We have four dogs, so the Shelby Dog park.  -Favorite album? Of all time? That's an unanswerable question. I have the cover of Radioheads "Amnesiac" album tattooed on my arm, so that's definitely in the top 10. Also, anything by The Mama's and the Papa's, the Beach Boys, The Turtles, The Raveonettes, Arcade Fire, Mother Mother, The Beatles, The Fling, Cults, etc. It's a long list. -Favorite concert you've ever been to? Paul McCartney at Bonnaroo last year. -What are you listening to now? A lot of Rogue Wave. Bass Drum of Death, Surfer Blood, Real Estate, BRONCHO, the Drums. ----------------------

Follow *repeat repeat here and come see them at Mercy Lounge on Thursday!

facebook.com/repeatrepeat instagram.com/repeatx2 twitter.com/repeatx2

Tickets Available Here: https://www.stereoposter.com/events/23957

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Exclusive Communion Interview: Dirty Dollhouse

Philly's Dirty Dollhouse take the Underground Arts Communion stage on Thursday!  Here's some lovely words we had with frontwoman Chelsea Mitchell.

-Why did you want to play a Communion show? 

Because Communion always puts together awesome line-ups! You get to see the cream of the local crop AND a national act or two. Plus, when Carolyn Lederach is involved, you know it's gonna be good.

-What are you most looking forward to with playing a Communion Club Night?

I'm really excited to watch the other bands - I've heard such great things but I've never shared a bill with any of them before! And that also means that we'll probably be playing for a bunch of people who've never seen us, so it's a perfect opportunity to make new connections.

-What's your favorite thing about the Philly music scene? While the Philly music scene is actually several different scenes, we still gather under the same happy umbrella. The whole artistic community here is very supportive. I've made friends across many musical genres and love to collaborate with all of them. -What's something you feel stands out about your live shows? We try to make our harmonies as lush and atmospheric as possible. It's usually just me playing a single instrument between the three of us, so it takes people aback sometimes that we can fill a room with so much sound. -Do you have anything exciting going on now (or soon) that everyone should know about? Dirty Dollhouse is releasing a studio EP this fall with the help of Brian Strouse and Josh Friedman from The Lawsuits! We also enlisted fine Philly folks like Brad Hinton and Kate Bernhardt to round out the sound. -Describe yourself in one quick sentence: Should I do it like a newspaper headline? "Formerly shy nerd takes the stage, becomes regular nerd."

-Favorite food of Philly?: Just about anything from Reading Terminal, but particularly Termini Bros. and their delicious confections.

-What is one of your favorite places in Philly? I love Fergie's Pub. I feel like you can stop in at any time, on any day, and you'll always find a friend. Plus, Ali Wadsworth will make you a drink and then serenade you. What could be better? -Favorite album? My answer to this question and most other questions is Joni Mitchell's Blue. -Favorite concert you've ever been to? The Shins at Tower Theater with my dad. He was dancing the whole time. -What are you listening to now? Lots of Hurray For The Riff Raff.  Do yourself a favor and see them! ____________________

Follow Dirty Dollhouse here:

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/dirtydollhouse Instagram: @DirtyDollhouseMusic Twitter: @DirtyDollhouse_

TICKETS FOR COMMUNION CLUBNIGHTS AVAILABLE AT: www.communionmusic.com

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Exclusive Communion Interview: James Apollo

James Apollo takes our Communion NYC Stage this eve...Check out our chat with him here then come say hi tonight at the party at Rockwood!

-Why did you want to play a Communion show?  I got thrown out of the church as a kid. I new someday I'd get back in. I want the sauce. -What are you most looking forward to with playing a Communion Club Night? There's nothing the band and I love more than rolling into a new community. Its not about setting up and putting on a show. Its about being a part of the world. I'm a loner by nature. I play music to make friends. -What's your favorite thing about the NYC music scene? New York is my favorite place to be a musician. You can work. You can play three gigs a night in as many bands on as many instruments. You don't get that in Louisiana. There aren't enough birthday parties. -What's something you feel stands out about your live shows? There's a big difference between listening to a James Apollo record and seeing a James Apollo show. I believe in performance. I believe in selling it through. I believe in consciousness. People are usually a little surprised we don't play things like they are on the record. I forgot how we played 'em on the record the minute we walked out of the studio. We have different players every night. different arrangements. Different vibes. I believe in transience. -Do you have anything exciting going on now (or soon) that everyone should know about? My new record, "Angelorum" comes out next week. Its a strange concoction and one I'm hoping you all take a listen to. -Describe yourself in one quick sentence: Bone fed razor backed factualist. -What is one of your favorite places in NYC?  When in New York, Fort Tilden is the hidden treasure. Just start walking towards the ocean. Give it a couple hours and you're there. -Favorite album? how much time you got? -Favorite concert you've ever been to? I remember being a kid and going to see John Spencer Blues Explosion. I was stunned. Alex Chilton opened up. I was too young to understand Chilton, but I met him after the show and he gave me a few pointers. But he died so young. I'm second guessing those pointers. -What are you listening to now? Some sort of pipe organ concerto where Noel Coward makes animal noises over the pipes. -Vinyl vs. Compact Disc vs. Casette vs. Download?  What's the winner? I usually resent technology, but I travel light. Some advancements are hard to argue with.

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Exclusive Communion Interview: Mideau

Mideau play Communion NYC tomorrow night!  We had a chance to chat with them before the show to see what they're looking forward to and what we should look forward to.

-Why did you want to play a Communion show?    We’re glad to be part of something great - there is an immense amount of talent on the Communion roster and playing the Communion shows.  It’s an inspiring environment.   -What are you most looking forward to with playing a Communion Club Night?    We’re really looking forward to seeing the other acts – we have the privilege of sharing the stage with our fellow Utahns Desert Noises, as well as Catfish and the Bottlemen. It should be an entertaining night.   -What's your favorite thing about the New York City music scene?   How expansive and diverse it is! There’s a lot of energy in the New York music scene.   -What's something you feel stands out about your live shows?   We’re kind of an odd blend of contrasting elements, and our live show demonstrates that. There’s a lot of diversity in the songs and structures that keeps things hard to pin down.   -Do you have anything exciting going on now (or soon) that everyone should know about?    We’ve been working on the release of our first full-length album. We released a 4 song digital EP (called Way with Words EP) prior to SXSW and are in the throws of getting the full-length out there. Daytrotter also just released our session.    -Favorite food of New York? 

No matter what city we’re in, there tends to be a lot of taco eating going on. We realize that’s not really a famous food of New York, so we probably need some culinary guidance for our time here.    -Favorite concert you've ever been to? It’s a little tough to narrow down a favorite concert. But, we can agree that a recent favorite live music experience happened at SXSW. Our Daytrotter session was sandwiched between The Autumn Defense and Spandau Ballet. Watching those two very different bands play up close in a private session in a small house in Austin was fascinating.  Also, Spandau Ballet told us in very thick British accents that we had a “smooth sound”, and we enjoyed that. 

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Follow Mideau at: @mideau - Instagram: @mideaumusic

Tickets for Communion Club Nights available: www.communionmusic.com

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Exclusive Communion Interview: Siiga

Siiga are set to play one of their first ever shows in America this week.  Communion NYC will be their 2nd.  Be sure not to miss Siiga on Tuesday at Rockwood!  Here's a quick chat we had before it all starts...

-What's your favorite thing about the New York music scene?

Not living in New York I'm not very qualified to answer but I can say that the history and influence around the music scene of New York is ingrained in almost all musicians in some way or another.  New York is a cherry on top of the list of places you dream to go and play your music when you are starting out and working on your songs in your bedroom or wherever you are, no matter where you come from.  

-What's something you feel stands out about your live shows?

Working on the beginnings of Siiga was a very DIY process hiding out in the remote Scottish Hebrides.  I wasn't even considering how I might translate what I was doing to the live stage. It was all just about following instincts and recording whatever felt good with the limited tools I had. I ended up with some pretty huge soundscapes and full band tracks that could never be replicated solo.Now however, I've had to get my head around how to build these textures and sounds around my songs live but be able to pack it all up in a suitcase.  My talented friend Iain Hutchison and I worked hard to rework these songs between us and cover as much as we can by using our guitars, samplers, foot-switches, effects, loopers and old toy keyboards.  To replicate the layers I had recorded, Iain is often playing guitar, triggering drum samples and keying in basslines on a little synth simultaneously, while I cover more rhythm with pedals, layer vocals on a tape looper and we both try not to blink!  It's a little like a two-man-one-man band this way but it's a lot of fun exploring as a separate entity to the recorded tracks. We love our gadgets, both old and new so we try to blend a very organic core sound with elements of varying eras of technology mashed in together. -Do you have anything exciting going on now (or soon) that everyone should know about?

Traveling to play shows in New York is exciting, we head for L.A straight after to play some more which will be a lot of fun as i've never been right the way to the West Coast of the U.S, Denver is my furthest adventure west so far. I self-released 'The Sea and The Mirror' which we are in New York to perform, so being given the opportunity to take this music I was making in such a little place to these amazing cities is very exciting to me. -Favorite food of New York?

A friend of mine and native New Yorker took me to a great little place called John's Brick Oven Pizza last year on Bleeker Street.  He was giving me an insider tour of Greenwich Village and said it was the best pizza in the city.  It was the best pizza I've ever had, anywhere.... It was so big I had to use a fisheye lens to fit it into a photo!

-What is one of your favorite places in New York?  (open ended...can be location, store, sights, etc)

New York is one of my favorite places in the world, the first time I was lucky enough to visit, I flew into Newark airport and the landing blew my mind.  I'd seen this iconic skyline throughout my childhood in pictures, T.V and film but that first time I looked out of the window of the plane as we slowly meandered down over the Hudson to see Manhattan begin to fill the horizon, I was completely mesmerized by the place and have been ever since.  My favorite thing to do here is just walk with no plan and see where I end up.  I stumbled upon the High Line the last year which for someone who grew up in a fishing village, it's a very cool way to submerse yourself on an urban safari.  -Favorite concert you've ever been to?

Back in Scotland one of my favorite gigs there was Bonnie Prince Billy playing in a beautiful venue in Glasgow called The Old Fruitmarket some time ago. To me, he's the master of achingly raw Americana and watching him up there with his guitar was like an education in how to break hearts with the starkness of a broken love song.  In that setting accompanied by just a piano and a harmony singer he had me stood still in silence.  -What are you listening to now?

War On Drugs - Lost In The Dream has been on my car stereo non-stop for the last month.  It's got this instant hazy nostalgia to it that conjures up a kinda Springsteen/Dylan/Bryan Adams driving sound where in my head I'm out on an open U.S desert highway with the windows down as oppose to a rainy single track road in Scotland with my window wipers on full!

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Follow Siiga here:

http://www.siiga.co.uk/ | Instagram: @siiga | www.facebook.com/siigamusic | Twitter: @tweetsiiga 

Tickets to Communion NYC at Rockwood on Tues 6/3 avail at: www.communionmusic.com

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We’re excited to welcome international record label and concert promoter Communion to Bonnaroo! Check out their showcase on 6/12 at the Sonic Stage with The Weeks, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Foreign Fields and Tim Baker & Adam Hogan of Hey Rosetta! http://bit.ly/1qA3Aki

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Exclusive Communion Interview: Hunterchild

Hunterchild is playing our last Communion Club Night of May at Codfish Hollow Barnstormers.  Here's a few words we had with them:

-Why did you want to play a Communion show?

We were invited to this show after playing the Basementstormer show last month. Our experience at the basement show was so amazing and warm and exciting! It was instantly obvious to us the people there where authentic and excited about live music and the community there is energizing and reciprocating. It was my favorite show so far in this project and a chance to come back and play the Barn on May 22nd is something we are looking very forward to!! -What are you most looking forward to with playing a Communion Club Night?

Truly just the people and the energy. It's hard to explain but there is something fresh and magical in the air. The people are genuine and every one involved really seems to care. This to me seems so honorable and we feel fortunate to be able to be a part of that experience. It feels special and so we want to have a very special performance. -What's your favorite thing about the Iowa music scene?

Iowa! It's like Field of Dreams...your in the middle of nowhere yet people come. It's a nice change of scenery to be so far away from the city. Reminds me of growing up in the Midwest living in the country. -What's something you feel stands out about your live shows?

All of you running these shows and making them possible are real music lovers with real passion and it shows. Thank you! -Do you have anything exciting going on now (or soon) that everyone should know about?

We have our Album Debut being released on Temporary Residence Limited a week before our show there!

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Follow Hunterchild here and then come see them Thurs night!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hunterchildmusic

Tickets Available at: www.communionmusic.com

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Exclusive Communion Interview: Bootstraps

-What are you most looking forward to about playing the Communion shows? We’re thrilled to be a part of Communion, because we believe it attracts a discerning music lover, who truly listens to records and wants to discover great new music. Performing for this kind of audience is the best.  -What's something you feel stands out about your live shows? We have an air-cannon that we use to fire t-shirts at the audience between songs.  That’s not true.  Honestly, we've really worked to make our set dynamic, so that it has the energy of a proper rock show as well as quieter, stripped down moments.

-What place(s) are you most looking forward to eating at while on the Communion Tour? Nashville and sushi shouldn’t make sense… but Virago is incredible.   -Favorite album and/or Favorite concert you've ever been to?

Last week I was blown away by a Neil Young solo set at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.  I’m not sure two hours of anything in this life can top that… 

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Exclusive Communion Interview: Daniel & The Lion

Daniel & The Lion are another stellar act on our Communion Nashvile Club Night TONIGHT!!  Be sure to come check them out at Mercy Lounge!

-Why did you want to play a Communion show? /  What are you most looking forward to about playing a Communion show? I've been following the Communion showcases in Nashville since I moved to town, and I'm always impressed with the quality of music involved. I'm mostly looking forward to hearing the other bands playing! -What's your favorite thing about the Nashville music scene? My favorite thing about the Nashville music scene is that there's just so many musicians. Everyone can relate to one another. -What's something you feel stands out about your live shows? I think our songs are very exposed in our live performances. The vocals, harmonies - they all sit on top of the music and serve to pull the audience in. -Describe yourself in one quick sentence: We are equal parts musician, gamer, nerd, and grandma. Maybe slightly more than equal part musician. -Favorite food of Nashville? Our favorite place to eat in Nashville is Prince's. Hands down. -Favorite album and/or Favorite concert you've ever been to? My favorite album is "I'm Wide Awake It's Morning." My favorite concert was Sufjan Stevens, in LA, just after his Illinoise album. There were inflated superman dolls.

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Follow Daniel & The Lion here:

www.facebook.com/datlband www.twitter.com/andthelion www.instagram.com/datlband

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Exclusive Communion Interview: Penny & Sparrow

The dapper duo, Penny & Sparrow, are set to take our Communion stage in Nashville on Thursday.  Here's our chat with Andy and Kyle...

-What exciting things do you have coming up?

we do indeed have exciting things coming up...April 22nd we release "Struggle Pretty" which is our sophomore full length!!! Immediately after we release we start a Texas/SE Tour to play new stuff in front of folks...we are (understandably so) smiling a great deal these days...

-What's something that standout about your live shows? one thing I like about our live shows is the unexpected quiet... Bars have alcohol, people drink it, we do too, people talk, we sing,  people get loud, then you can't hear singing very well....that's usually the way of things...but somehow, during some of our shows, drunk or not, there's a supernatural quiet that rolls in every so often... We like that!

-Tell us a bit about yourselves: We like barista parlor, Kyle has his master's degree in public health, Andy reads comic books and fantasy novels multiple days a week, Kyle has better foot arches than any ballerina you've ever met, Andy is a certified Crossfit coach, Kyle is married to a girl named Becca, Andy is married to a girl named Sarah....

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Follow Penny & Sparrow here and then come see them at Mercy Lounge on Thursday!

Facebook- www.facebook.com/pennyandsparrow Twitter- www.twitter.com/pennyandsparrow (@pennyandsparrow) Instagram- www.instagram.com/pennyandsparrow (@pennyandsparrow)

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Exclusive Communion Interview: Empires

Empires are a fantastic band out of Chicago.  We're lucky enough to have them on the Communion Louisville show tomorrow night.  Here's their interview with us...

-Why did you want to play a Communion show?

 It would be easy for a show of ours in Louisville to be overlooked or under-promoted. Having the opportunity to work with a highly visible brand in a city that's not super familiar with us is a great opportunity. I think any band would want to do so. 

-What are you most looking forward to with playing a Communion Club Night? 

Hopefully this is the first of many. It would be great to build a relationship and eventually be a part of Communion in all of its markets.  

-What's something you feel stands out about your live shows? 

I think we're currently playing tighter and better than we ever have. We all really believe in the new songs and I think that comes through live.

-Do you have anything exciting going on now (or soon) that everyone should know about? 

We've got a few festivals coming up (Bonnaroo, Hangout, BottleRock, ACL), a new music video for our first single off 'Orphan', and a new EP coming soon, along with a limited edition 10". 

-What are you most looking forward to eating in Louisville? 

Since were not super familiar with Louisville, I'm sure we'll find that nearest place to get some good tacos (not like Taco Bell tacos, although I'm pretty interested in the waffle taco).

-Favorite album and/or Favorite concert you've ever been to? 

Lately it's been this band called Tinariwen. They're from Mali, Africa made up of Tuareg Rebels. We saw them recently at SXSW and it was one of the best shows I've seen in a really long time. That stuff seeps into your bones.

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Follow Empires here and then come see them LIVE at Zanzabar tomorrow night:

http://facebook.com/weareempires

https://twitter.com/weareempires

http://instagram.com/weareempires 

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Exclusive Communion Interview: Plateau Below

Playing Communion Bloomington TOMORROW night, we bring you our exclusive interview with Plateau Below...

-Why did you want to play a Communion show? /  What are you most looking forward to about playing a Communion show? Communion seems like a really cool event. Some of my friends have played at others in the past that I've gone to. Looking forward to playing The Bluebird for the first time. We've never played there before and it's kind of the classic venue here in Bloomington. I know Lou Reed has played there before, and I think Dylan even played there once.  -What's your favorite thing about the Bloomington music scene? Our favorite thing about Bloomington music is the house show scene. It's really large and diverse. And floors get broken. -Favorite place to eat in Bloomington: We love Dats. -Favorite album? John Prine - Self Titled Debut

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Exclusive Chat #2 with Cub Sport in Preparation for Communion Philly TOMORROW!!

Here's our second chat with Cub Sport about what they're looking forward to when coming back to Philly and playing the Communion shows...  See them at Underground Arts TOMORROW NIGHT!!

-Why did you want to play a Communion show? We played at a Communion show in London last year and it was awesome, so we were keen to do some in the US. -What are you most looking forward to with playing a Communion Club Night? This is our first US tour, so we're just really excited to be playing a live show in Philadelphia for the first time! -What's your favorite thing about the music scene in Philly? I don't know much about the live music scene in Philly, but I know that WXPN is a really awesome radio station. I think that having a great local radio station definitely helps develop a healthy music scene. -What's something you feel stands out about your live shows? I think our vocal style and use of harmony are pretty unique for our style of music, so that probably stands out a bit in our live shows. -Do you have anything exciting going on now (or soon) that everyone should know about? After we play this Communion Club night, we're heading up to Canada to play some shows there, then we're doing some west coast shows. It's our first tour in these regions - we're excited!  -Describe yourself in one quick sentence:

Dog person and cat person at the same time

-What is one of your favorite places in Philadelphia? Last time we were in Philadelphia we got a pizza that was a few feet wide, so our favorite place is probably that pizza shop. -Favorite album and/or Favorite concert you've ever been to? The album I've been listening to heaps lately is Dream Cave by Cloud Control. I got to see them play live a couple of times over the last week which has made me love the album even more.

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Joey Sweeney chats with Communion before Philly Show on Thursday!

Joey Sweeney is a writer, performer and all around interesting person.  Learn more about him here and then come see him and his long hair arkestra on Thursday at Communion Philly at Underground Arts!

-Why did you want to play a Communion show?  I attended the first edition of Communion in Philly and what I really liked about it was the "indoor festival" feel of the event. There's a lot going on, and you're free to wander. I also like that it's a curated lineup, and your brain tries to make you find the common threads. -What are you most looking forward to with playing a Communion Club Night? I've yet to play Underground Arts with my big band, the Long Hair Arkestra, yet. We're ten pieces (horns, strings, etc.) and the UA stage might be one of the only small club stages in town that we'd fit on. So mostly what I am looking forward to is being able to move my arms.  -What's your favorite thing about the Philly music scene? That, in recent years, live music has completely trounced the once-dominant DJ culture here; that wasn't always the case -- in fact, I can never remember it being the case ever before. And I've got nothing against going out and dancing (far from it), but the reversal of fortunes over the last few years has been remarkable.  -What's something you feel stands out about your live shows? Well, the size of the band is one thing, but I also feel like this family vibe comes across with us. We put a lot into those shows, emotionally, so that at our best, there's a level of warmth coming off that almost un-band-like. I always describe what our band sounds like live as the end of a particularly crazy episode of Saturday Night Live in the 1970s. There is lots of saxophone and even more feelings. -Do you have anything exciting going on now (or soon) that everyone should know about? We're starting to work on the next record, called Ladies Man, which will be a covers record of all songs penned by women.  -Describe yourself in one quick sentence: A slightly younger version of the Bill Nighy character in Love, Actually. -Favorite food of Philly? Double cooked fish at Han Dynasty. -What is one of your favorite places in Philly?   Port Richmond Books, a giant used bookstore that takes up the entire property, which used to be a silent movie theater in the 1920s. -Favorite album and/or Favorite concert you've ever been to? Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson at the Camden Riversharks Stadium.

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Exclusive Chat with The Nepotist Before Communion NYC

Here's our chat with the lovely Chris Frank (CGF) and Jacob (JCC) of The Nepotist.  Be sure to catch them at our Club Night TOMORROW at Rockwood!

-Why did you want to play a Communion show? CGF: I saw Willy Mason play one last fall and it just floored me. I’d spent the summer away from New York and wasn’t totally sure I’d move back. But that night felt like the city was showing off, reminding me how much happens here and here only.I knew instantly that I wanted to play one of these shows, and six months later, here we are. E.B. White says “no one should come to New York to live unless he is willing to be lucky.” This year I’m starting to understand what he means.

-What's your favorite thing about the New York music scene? CGF: New York is supersaturated with talent, in pretty much all styles of music. Being surrounded by all these talented musicians is my favorite thing, except when it terrifies me. JCC: On any given night in NYC I can walk into one of my favorite venues and almost always catch an incredible unknown act, or see one of my favorite musicians randomly sitting in unannounced. That kind of atmosphere continues to quench my musical thirst day in and day out.  -What's something you feel stands out about your live shows? CGF:  One thing I’ve heard is that you can tell we’re a band, not an assembly of hired guns. I love watching teams work together—in music, basketball, business, everywhere—and you don’t always get that at concerts. You do with us. -Do you have anything exciting going on now (or soon) that everyone should know about? CGF: We just finished a few session videos, tracked and filmed live, that do a good job capturing us as a trio. Those are coming out this month, and I’m excited to show people what we do. Now that the trio is documented, though, we’re starting work on a record that will be most emphatically not live. Instead, we’ll  see what kind of mischief the three of us can make with new instruments and overdubs. -Describe yourself in one quick sentence: JCC: Is this about us as a band? If so, The lovechild of The Black Keys, Muddy Waters, and Rhye. -Favorite food of New York CGF: The duck confit from Cafe Mogador knows no equal. JCC: I'm a pastry monster, so the Milk and Cookies at Jane knock my socks off.  -What is one of your favorite places in New York? CGF: Mudspot has been my favorite cafe since I moved here in 2006.  JCC: ID Clothing on Bedford Ave is solely responsible for me not walking around naked. -Favorite album and/or Favorite concert you've ever been to? CGF: David Byrne, Ithaca NY, 2004. If that’s the best concert I ever see, I won’t be upset. JCC: Favorite Album, Ahmad Jamal: Live At The Pershing Favorite Concert, Radiohead @ Bonnaroo Music Festival, 2006. 30 Songs, two Encores, 80,000 People. Magical. 

[communionpresentsusa]

Communion Chats with Neulore Before May Club Nights

We've hit May and that means it's time for our next round of US Club Nights!  We're lucky enough to have Nashville's Neulore as part of the traveling bands.  Here's our interview with Adam Agin and William T Cook (aka Neulore) before they set out on the road:

What are you most looking forward to about playing the Communion shows?

Getting to experience the community aspect of what Communion shows revolve around.

What's something you feel stands out about your live shows?

Hopefully, passion and authenticity

Describe yourself in one quick sentence:

We are just some guys with a dream, trying to sing about something true.

Favorite album and/or Favorite concert you've ever been to?

It's always a revolving door, but The Reminder by Feist is very high on Adam's list. 

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Follow Neulore here, then come see them at Communion this month!

facebook.com/neulore youtube.com/neulore @neulore for Twitter & Instagram

Tickets for Club Nights available at: www.communionmusic.com