If you are looking for a way to ring in the fast approaching summer season with perfect warm weather tunes, then the line up at The Stone Fox this Thursday is one you will not want to miss. Headlining the evening is the vastly talented New York indie folk band Swear and Shake. Formed in 2010 in the college residence of band members Adam McHeffey and Kari Spieler, the two co-eds cut a rough demo of their first song “Johnnie”. The Americana hooks and spirited presence of “Johnny” quickly yielded the enlistment of McHeffey’s childhood pals Shaun Savage (bass) and Thomas Elefante (former drummer) and still remains a driving force in the band’s current sound.
In the months that followed, the newly formed band took on the name Swear and Shake and recorded their first EP, Extended Play. In the years since, Swear and Shake has gone from playing multiple hot spots in New York and Brooklyn to extended tours up and down the east coast. With the addition of new drummer Ben Goldstein, the band released their first full-length record Maple Ridge (also produced by Goldstein) in the summer of 2012. They also released two new songs, “Brother” and “Fire” last year.
Joining Swear and Shake at The Stone Fox is Brave Baby, an indie rock band from Charleston, South Carolina who has played multiple CAS shows. Their debut album Forty Bells that was released last year draws similarities to My Morning Jacket, Arcade Fire, Cold War Kids and Coldplay, but wastes no time in establishing Brave Baby’s signature sound. This band has quickly become on of my absolute favorites as Forty Bells has not left the CD changer of my Honda Civic since I picked it up at their first CAS show last May. After having around 500 artists play Cause A Scene shows in the past couple years, it’s no stretch to say Brave Baby is easily one of the Top 5 we’ve had play.
Opening up the evening is Nashville singer songwriter Ben Cameron. Cameron has written and recorded two full-length albums since 2010, the most recent of which, Pas Tout La, released in 2013. Cameron released his new single “I Believe” this past February and is due to play Governor’s Ball Music Festival in NYC next month.
Doors for the show open at 8:00 PM at The Stone Fox in West Nashville (712 51st Ave. N.). Music will begin at 9:00 PM. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here in advance.
– Christian Lerchenfeld
Swear and Shake- ‘Brother’
Brave Baby- ‘Magic and Fire’
Ben Cameron- ‘I Believe’
