Two Virginia artists hit the road in March en route to Austin, TX music festival mecca.
From the nation’s capital to the edge of Texas and back again, Shormey and Alfred. will each bring their unique sounds to audiences far and wide. The tour has them returning to many places they have already been before, but this will be each of their first times performing in Florida (March 6-9th)! This will be Shormey’s 2nd appearance at SXSW and her first as an official artist and Alfred.’s 3rd time at SXSW and their 2nd time as an official artist. See all the dates below after checking out their tunes. And if you see a city you know friends in, best give them a heads up that they have a chance to catch some of Virginia’s top-notch talent in their hometown this coming spring.
Shormey (Pop, R & B)
Alfred. (Hip-Hop, Neo Soul)
March 3rd – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd *with Mind Shrine
March 4th – Richmond, VA @ The Camel *with Mind Shrine
Together with Smartmouth, we’re making sure no one spends their night alone this Friday.
Another year, another Valentine’s Day…but what if this year was different? Instead of self-loathing or ruminating on your relationship (or lack thereof), why not be surrounded by a bunch of strangers for an evening? Sure, that sounds like the exact opposite of what you might do on a day dedicated to romantic love, but the lovers of beer and live music are gathering at Smartmouth Brewery this Friday to try and change your mind.
Located in the Chelsea business district of Norfolk, VA (aka West Ghent), Smartmouth Brewery Headquarters will be holding their first ever Valentine’s Day themed party, affectionally titled, “Nothin’ But Love” from 6PM – 11PM. With the help of their friends in Citrus City Records and Popscure, they aim to manifest a night filled with “nothin’ but love”—love for beer, love for company, love for music, love for love.
The culture of dedication and love is nothing new for the craft brewery. Since its inception in 2012, the brewery has become known for their unique craft brews that exude passion and a certain level of bravado—qualities that describe its founder, Porter Hardy. After having a successful career as a lawyer, Hardy decided that it was time for him to pursue his passion in life—beer. From that fateful moment, Smartmouth Brewery has established itself as one of the first original craft breweries in Hampton Roads with two locations (Norfolk and Virginia Beach), and a reputation with the community for its dedication to giving back.
“At Smartmouth, we love to have fun and to put our own twist on things. We’ve sort of left Valentine’s Day alone most years, but when the team came up with this idea, I thought it fit us perfectly. It’s a great mix of opening our arms to the whole community and having fun on Valentine’s Day,” says Hardy.
Of course every lovin’ heart needs a rhythm, and to keep the night moving along in a steady beat, there will be music performances happening in Smartmouth’s newly developed warehouse space. Dedicated to hosting what has become known as the Warehouse Live, this new venture has already established itself as a serious contender for holding live, intimate entertainment. We already know the crowd is in for a real sweet treat at the Warehouse this Friday, but if you need more convincing then follow along with us as we introduce you to the night’s artists below.
Local spinner, WIVVE, is sure to start things off right with his ability to feel the crowd’s energy and amplify it tenfold. Perhaps one of our favorite things is the diversity of musicality in his sets. It’s like he has a sixth sense and can tap into whatever the crowd is feeling with whatever sonic weapon in his armory.
Singer/songwriter, Koren Grace, is such a force to be reckoned with. Her dynamic vocals have a sense of vulnerability that enrapt any listener—like a siren call ready to take their prisoner. Combine that with her overflowing charisma and soulful spirit, and you just may develop Stockholm Syndrome—and we think you may be alright with that.
Artists like Cam Murdoch further our belief that genres are just limiting barriers leftover from an archaic state of mind. As an artist, there is nothing better than just being known for you and only you. There’s no way to pinpoint the sound of Cam Murdoch…he’s just Cam Murdoch—and that’s what makes him unique.
Intricacy immediately comes to mind when listening to this Richmond trio. Each note serves a purpose, ultimately creating a phenomenon of translation between the human and the instrument. The synergy is strong within Manatree.
If you’re looking for grooves, look no further. Shormey creates music is like a time portal with fuzzy compressed synths, playful guitar licks, and a riding bass-line reminiscent of that classic 70s funk and disco of the past, but with a modern twist. Her music is sure to lift you higher from all of the noise of reality.
Prepare to get beamed up with this Virginia Beach band. With plenty of funky riffs, rhythms, and “out of this world” vocals (sorry… I had to), the musicians in Paper Aliens are here to take over with their energetic, feel-good music.
Last but not least, if you’d like to hear more straight from the artists’ and organizers’ smart mouths about Friday’s festivities, then stay locked to these videos below that were just shot over the weekend at the Warehouse:
WIVVE, Cam Murdoch, & Koren Grace sat down with Cole and Jordan from Smartmouth to talk Valentine’s Day and “nothin’ but love”
Paper Aliens sat down with Cole and Jordan from Smartmouth to talk Valentine’s Day and “nothin’ but love”
POPSCURE PRESENTS TAKES LOCAL & TOURING ARTISTS, RECORDS INTIMATE SESSIONS WITH A FEW SONGS AND CHATS ABOUT THEIR PROCESS, INSPIRATIONS, AND NON SEQUITURS IN BETWEEN
Did something a little special for this session. We gave Chesapeake Shormey the setting her lo-fi disco dance tunes are made for – a prom, complete with a mirrored ball. Shout out to Zeke’s Norfolk for giving us a venue to live out our party fantasy, and all our sharp-dressed extras who weren’t afraid to get down.
We talked nonchalantly in our interview about influences, a move away from sad emo songs to dance tracks, and never overthinking feel-good tunes.
Popscure 