Seven Handle Circus, a six-piece folk rock band from Atlanta, announces the release of their debut album Shadows On The Wall out October 20, 2014.
The lead single “And We Danced” features an upbeat rhythm and nostalgic melody that reflects the danceable nature of the music. The single is currently available on iTunes.
Singer / songwriter Shawn Spencer says, “’And We Danced’ is about a loss of innocence and a wave of disillusionment that is forgotten in a serene dance with a lover.”
As seen in the lead single, Shadows On The Wall as a whole embraces the idea of uncertainty about what it means to enter adulthood without a place to land or a real sense of where you belong. Nothing is the way you expected it to be, which is a theme that resonates throughout the songs.
From “Shadows,” a rollicking Americana number inspired by the writing of Plato, to the layered folk of “Never Gonna Last,” the album grapples with how to survive in today’s tumultuous world. The songwriting dapples in literary references: buoyant folk rock anthem “And We Danced” calls up Catcher In the Rye while the gliding ballad “Prelude” invokes Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem “Ode To the West Wind.”
The album’s closer, which Shawn calls a “morning love song,” was inspired by (and named for) Philip Larkin’s “Aubade.”
Listen to "And We Danced" here:
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The upcoming album finds its center in the thoughtful production of Better Than Ezra’s Tom Drummond, who the band selected after he professed his fandom for the group after the release of their EP. The album was recorded over three sessions in early 2014, two at Tom’s own studio in New Orleans and one at Zac Brown's Southern Ground Studio in Atlanta. The idea was to distance themselves from traditional bluegrass and make their song arrangements more epic, contrasting big, grandiose sounds with introspective, intimate moments.
“Seven Handle Circus showcases mature songwriting beyond their years,” says Tom Drummond. “They combine impressive bluegrass chops with old school pop sensibilities.”
The acoustic sounds on the album resonate with sincerity and evocative emotion, each note played with passion and intent, something Drummond helped the musicians to capture on the album.
Seven Handle Circus formed in 2010 when its members were still in college at Georgia Tech majoring in Engineering and Computer Science. It wasn’t until they started playing together on the porch of the Sigma Nu house that they realized their true passion lay in making music.
The band released their debut EP, Whiskey Stills & Sleeping Pills, in 2012 followed by a live album, Live At Terminal West, in 2013. As the band began regularly playing live around the Southeast, they found that the music shifted away from the typical bluegrass sound. The influences and pieces of their collective past seeped into the songs, changing them to become wholly original to themselves.
The band will be hitting the road in support of the upcoming album. For the latest dates and to purchase tickets, visit www.sevenhandlecircus.com.
Acoustic Nation is written by Laura B. Whitmore, a music industry marketing veteran, music journalist and editor, who has contributed to Parade.com, Guitar World, and others. She has interviewed hundreds of musicians and hosts the She Rocks Podcast. As the founder of the Women’s International Music Network, she advocates for women in the music industry and produces the annual She Rocks Awards. She is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Positive Grid, making the world safe for guitar exploration everywhere! A guitarist and singer/songwriter, Laura is currently co-writing an album of pop songs that empower and energize girls.
