McKnight's
review of
Stetson
football
Sports, page 5
Vol. CXXI Issue 11
'SSS
THE
EPORTER
Stetson University | DeLand, Fla.
Photo courtesy: gohatters.com
Sounds Of Roadkill What's in this issue
Ghost Choir
Sam Votaw
Staff Writer
If the city of DeLand were to
ever have a definitive soundtrack,
its very own Roadkill Ghost Choir
would be the leading candidate.
With a diverse sound that can
best be described as southern-tinged,
haunting Americana folk-rock, these
young men showcases musical dexterity and lyrical maturity far beyond
their years.
The band saw its humble beginnings in 2010 when singer/guitarist
Andrew Shepard envisioned a fuller
sound for his solo performances.
Joining forces with his brothers
Zach and Max (who play bass and
drums, respectively) along with
multi-instrumentalists Kiffy Meyers,
Joey Davoli and lead guitarist Stephen Garza, one of the most unique
six pieces to ever call the state of
Florida home was formed.
Starting off playing downtown
venues such as Cafe Da Vinci and
The Artisan, they earned quite a
reputation from local music fans.
"They're the best band here,
(in Deland]" says Groovy Records
owner and musician Jeny Schafer.
"[Andrew's] got such a great voice
and the band just rips. You can tell
when a band truly has something and
they are one of them."
RKGC isn't just a hometown
secret, however. Their self-released
2012 debut EP. "Quiet Light" has
received exposure and reviews from
numerous blogs and publications,
with Blurt Magazine assigning the
six song collection "four out of five
stars" and admiring the group's ability to "shimmer as much with sorrow
as it does with hope and happiness."
This has the band feeling optimistic about their future.
"I feel like we were lucky with
the record honestly," Shepard said.
"It's rare that a debut release can
garner any attention at all, especially
now with the current state of music.
There is so much music coming out
now that it's hard to find an audience
for your own."
Riding such warm reception, the
band has been gradually making a
name for themselves on the touring
circuit over the last several months;
highlights include opening up for
folk superstars Band of Horses, as
well as performing at high profile
festivals such as Austin City Limits,
Bonnaroo and South By Southwest.
For a band that says they'd
love to tour with Radiohead, Bruce
Springsteen or Wilco, it doesn't
seem like too far-fetched of an idea
Despite gracing such large
stomping grounds, the group takes
pride in intimate, small-room perfor-
"My favorite show in recent
memory was at The Earl in Atlanta,
Ga... The energy in the room was
incredible. It doesn't matter how
good you play, if the audience isn't
there with you, the performance will
reflect that," Shepard said.
Playing to new audiences
almost every night the interest to
a debut full length album from the
group is plentiful. Having spent
all of November demoing songs
for their debut full-length album at
North Avenue studios in Deland, the
band is eagerly awaiting the first day
of recording and tracking.
What will the record sound like?
Shepard simply hints the band will
sound bigger than ever before.
"The new stuff has a lot more
space to them," he said. "Lots [sic]
of room for texture and ambience.
We're excited about it."
With a new album scheduled
for release in April of next year, will
the new stars of the indie rock world
put DeLand on the map as breeding
grounds for more great music?
"I believe Deland could have a
great and thriving music scene if it
was set up for such a thing," Shepard
explained. "Unfortunately, there
seems to be a lack of venues that
really care about the music to inspire
something positive. With that being
said, we don't play in DeLand very
often, which is a bummer for us, but
who knows what the future holds."
The Roadkill Ghost Choir is
truly the biggest hidden gem of
DeLand's quiet music scene. With
gripping live performances and a
stunning first record, the band has
quickly achieved a level of success
that many bands take years to reach.
While it seems unlikely one will
see them again at Da Vinci in the
near future, the swirling aura around
Roadkill Ghost Choir has music fans
everywhere paying attention.
Local band releases debut
album
A S E, page 4
MLK Commemoration
Week starts next Monday
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