Lolabelle album release with Freak Phone and pond 1000

Lolabelle celebrates their debut EP release with an evening of distorted guitars, bittersweet melodic charms, and unbridled cathartic release.

Lolabelle is an indie-rock band from West Buxton, Maine. In the summer of 2024, a group of neighbors met in their backyard and bonded over a shared love of 90s alt rock, bringing together an unlikely pairing of musicians: Kurt Fedora (bass), a veteran of the touring scene who recorded with J Mascis/Dinosaur Jr, Mark Lanegan, and GobbleHoof, among others; Gene Gill (drums), a music educator and saxophonist with feet in both the classical and jazz worlds; and Caroline Homer (vocals/guitar), an ex-opera singer and late-in-life guitar player. With the addition of Stephen Bennett (of bands Robert Samantha and God’s Furniture) on lead guitar, the group hit the circuit and played increasingly-hyped shows throughout New England.

Their first official studio release features four tracks pulled from Lolabelle’s already-prolific catalog. Limb appears to be a simple pop song about making up the distance over the phone with a loved one, but has something more sinister under the surface: lines like “I’m dying over you” and “I know you’re gonna get back to your glory” hint at a darker story, a plea for permanence. Not Well conjures the feeling of winning an argument in your head, for it all to go out the window when that person you love (and fear) inevitably ruins your life again. An angry yet tender ballad, it’s a welcome contrast to the heavier moments on the EP. Plane Song, inspired by an intense fear of flying, explores the baseless rituals and compulsions we partake in to try to keep those we love safe–the frantic attempts to “make my ritual, prepare my back for the breaking.” The closing track, Sugarbowl, starts as a pensive soliloquy and crescendos to roaring country rock, climaxing with a cacophony of noise and emotional exorcism; all before brightness is witnessed, even for a fleeting moment.

This precarious balance between light and dark is the crux of what makes Lolabelle special. The deeply visceral approach to lyrics and sound is what has made the band compelling to audiences in the past two years, who have connected deeply with their honest and moving live show, always driving to find the truth in imperfection. As Caroline says: “I’m trying to own it; the contrast of it all. I can be sweet, and I can scream. It’s all inside me”.

Freak Phone makes music for impatient ass shakers. 

The dreamy sounds of Katie McShane’s songwriting find a mighty home with her mesmerizing band, pond 1000. Composed of a group of long-time collaborators in Southern Maine, pond 1000 is: Katie McShane (guitar, vocals), Iris Marion (guitar), Dylan Kumnick (drums), and Jesse Heasly (bass). Their sound ranges from heavily distorted guitars to the ethereal, with contemplative lyrical collages floating throughout tightly fitting counterpoint and intricate grooves. Soaring melodies navigate jagged soundscapes and aggressive rhythms, creating a lush tapestry of hypnotic and crystalline songs.  The performances on pond 1000’s daffodiL are driving and full of character, and that essence directly translates onto the stage.  Their energetic performances showcase the band’s dynamic musicality and reveal a temperament that is both plaintive and joyous.