Athens music scene remains vital for local musicians
By Eleanor Stubley
Will Ingram compares music’s creation to the stages of pregnancy.
“Athens is the fallopian [tube] of music in the south… “ says Ingram. “The seeds are planted for great art here, and then there’s a gestation period when you’re playing through the college scene, and then when you’re touring, that’s when you’re in that third trimester, and then hopefully you’ll get birthed onto the national stage…”
It sounds odd, but Ingram’s metaphor works. Wieuca is not the first musical group to have an experience likened to this metaphor. Musicians have planted their musical seeds in Athens for over 40 years. The B-52’s found their start in Athens in 1976. In 1980, R.E.M. was born. Since then, Athens has been the birthplace of countless other musical artists and groups.
The seeds of Wieuca were planted in Athens in 2012. Ingram and multi-instrumentalist Robert Smith were freshmen at the University of Georgia. Both Ingram and Smith knew that if there was ever a time and a place, Athens was the place and their time was coming.
Fast-forward to 2018. Wieuca’s fifth tour, set to begin March 8, is now only a few days away. Today, the group has released a handful of albums and extended plays (EPs). Wieuca is in what Ingram describes as “that third trimester.” However, Ingram and bandmate Jack Webster vividly recall the phases that came before and the community and the experiences that led them and many of their predecessors to musical success.
“We were not a fully-formed idea, like at all,” says Ingram, who pulls his gray beanie over his eyes and chuckles thinking of the band’s start. “So, we basically sucked for like the entire first year… and… anyone who saw us then probably didn’t want to see us for like three years after that, so we finally just had to kind of be like, ‘No, we’re cool now!’”
The steps involved in Wieuca’s gestation period are the same steps that bands before them had to take. The early days of Wieuca mirror the days that most college freshmen experience their first fall semester. The group spent its days looking for people who shared similar interests, finding places that accommodated those interests and, of course, a lot of trial and error.
“When we were recording our first album, we recorded it at four different houses…” says Ingram of some examples of these trials and errors. “Literally Robert would be laying down drum tracks in the kitchen while the roommates are trying to get milk out of the fridge without hitting the symbol by opening the door too wide.”
The first two years of Wieuca’s career were like most bands’ and greatly defined by the group’s need to establish themselves. Before anything else, the group simply had to start somewhere. If they did this, they could establish themselves and create a support system.
At first, the band focused on establishing themselves in a smaller facet of the Athens community- UGA students. Ingram says it was as simple as knocking on doors in the dorms. Those knocks created a following for Wieuca.
Wieuca began performing at least twice a week for the first two years, mostly at Greek Life events which were helpful for the group’s promotion.
“When you’re brand new to town, we discovered that playing a lot is helpful for letting people know you exist,” says Webster. “And then as you mature as a band, you play less and less frequently and make sure those shows are well publicized.”
From those events, the group moved on to venues like 40 Watt and Caledonia Lounge. In April, they will perform at the Georgia Theatre.
Over the years, Athens has served as the place where bands like Wieuca and numerous other musical artists and groups have gotten their start. The spirit of the town is unique in the ways the arts and the Athens community are so closely intertwined.
David Barbe says the relationship between musical artists and the rest of the Athens community has always been this way.
“‘Hey, rise and tide. Let’s all shift,’” says Barbe, thinking of the tone he says R.E.M. set in the days when he was a budding musician.
“When I first started playing in bands and they were rising indie stars they were always open to helping other people,” Barbe says of R.E.M. “They would always give local bands a chance.”
The music culture thrives hugely because of the music venues it provides and the individuals that make up the community.
Individuals Gregory Frederick and Liam Parke give musicians the chance to promote themselves through the Best of Unknown Athens. This project supports and promotes the singer-songwriters of Athens.
“We’re trying to promote Athens and promote the music community,” says Frederick about the mission of the Best of Unknown Athens. “Both Liam and I want to leave something, want to leave a mark, and leave something that has a lasting importance and I think we’re doing it. I think we are going to do it.”
Nuci’s Space leaves a mark on the music community, as well. The non-profit was created in 1999 by Debbie Phillips. Phillips wanted to provide a safe space for all musicians and anyone struggling with depression. Now 18 years after its formation, Nuci’s Space serves as a vital place for local musicians with little means to practice and perform their music using the space and equipment provided.
Liam Parke says Athens offers musicians opportunities that other places simply cannot. Whether it be the venues of the Georgia Theatre or 40 Watt, the monthly “Best of Unkown Athens” events or the Nuci Space, the support system of Athens’ music community simply cannot be beat.
“The bottom line is that you just have to persevere,” says Parke. “You’ve just gotta start anywhere. Athens has an abundance of places to find the music.”
