What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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"As It Lays" The Love-In Redefining the "Nashville sound," East Nashville rock band The Love-In is excited to share their antic- ipated new EP, "As It Lays," released Sept. 18. The group teamed up with acclaimed producer Collin Pastore (Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers) to create the five-song EP that focuses on not only recognizing but breaking down the ways that social norms and gender roles discourage individuality and the mirage that conformity is what we ought to strive to achieve. Recently re-branding as The Love-In, "As it Lays" is the band's first EP under the new moniker. Looking to literature, music and movies, the majority of the album was influenced by strong female authors and artists and the way women have been portrayed over time. "The title track 'As It Lays' was inspired by Joan Didi- on's 1970 novel, 'Play it As it Lays.' I read it at a time when it felt like my whole life was falling apart," main songwriter and lead singer Laurel Sorenson explains about the debut single. On "As It Lays," The Love-In strives to dismantle social narratives and expose them for what they truly are — destructive and dangerous. "The Longest Year: Part One" Caro Multi-talented singer/songwriter and producer Caro (Caroline Baker) released "The Longest Year: Part One" on Sept. 24. The EP is an ode not only to the buzzy artist's own personal growth — documenting the missteps, mayhem and magic of one's early 20s — but also to the irrevocable cultural shift happening in the midst of a global pandemic. It's an instantly relatable time capsule from the rising bedroom pop artist who transcends scales over catchy guitar riffs while foster- ing a unique kind of intimacy through her lyrics. "The Longest Year: Part One" will be followed by a second installment (coming soon). The Nashville-based, self-taught musician uses her musicality and production skills to create her own unique brand of pop. While her artist project is taking off, she continues to masterfully juggle her career as both a producer and a songwriter for other acts across a wide range of major labels including Midnight Kids (RCA), Loren Gray (Capitol), Gavin Haley (Red Bull) and more collaborations to be announced soon. "Chasing Light" Tommy Marz Detroit-based singer/songwriter and multi-instru- mentalist Tommy Marz has debuted his new solo independent EP, "Chasing Light," Sept 24. The 6-song collection features five original tracks including Marz's recent single "Summer Bummer" along with his quar- antine version of the Stealers Wheel classic "Stuck In The Middle With You." Though rooted in alt-rock, "Chasing Light" reveals a more singer/songwriter side to Marz, who found inspi- ration for the material from artists such as John Mayer and Harry Styles. Marz first began his solo career in 2011 with a cover of George Michael's "Faith" that took off after Michael tweeted the video to his followers. His debut original single "I Want You" was released in 2012 with his first solo album, "Play. Listen. Rewind. Repeat." issued in 2013. "Better Than That" Matt Stell It doesn't get much better than new music from Arkansas native Matt Stell. With his current Top 10 and rising single "Everywhere But On" soaring up the radio and streaming charts, the Platinum certified singer is gearing up to release a new EP, "Better Than That," Oct. 16. "I think the silver lining to quarantine and being off of the road is that I've been able to focus on writing and becoming more creative," says Stell. "I'm really proud of these new songs, so it's exciting to finally get them out to the fans." "The coronavirus lockdown hasn't slowed Matt Stell down — if anything, it has only made him more creative," says People. Stell is firing on all cylinders — the Arkansas native has already amassed over 340 million cumulative streams across his catalog worldwide. He was also recently featured on "Over Yonder," a collaboration with viral sensation and Christian rapper Lathan Warlick, which, in a time of uncertainty and civil unrest, offers positivity and hope towards coming together. With no live music to list, this spot will be filled by news and reviews of new albums, both local and national. Send information about your new releases to Jocelyn Murphy at jmurphy@nwadg.com. 12 WHAT'S UP! OCTOBER 4-10, 2020 LISTEN HERE! Arkansas Native Gets Even 'Better' In Quarantine