Notes from Markly: Anyone who’s been paying attention to the re-emergence of the local music scene knows that Waves Crashing is one of the hardest-working bands in the game these days. Their on-the-nose band name lands the oceanic quality of their music, re-imagining the blurry shoegaze sound of the early 1990s into a contemporary context. With an array of self-produced singles over the past two years and headlining LoveOly Music Fest this past summer, the band premiered their debut EP 'Sea of Wires' last November on DKFM Shoegaze Radio. The band's newest material, a 3-track maxi single titled "high/low" released on April 15th and features the mixing of engineers James Aparacio (London) and Kurt Roy (Seattle).

Notes from Markly:Null State’s sonic adventure fascinates me. I know little to nothing about the artist behind this beautiful music, other than I can really chill out to it and it’s been happening right under my nose for years. It’s sultry bedroom pop in its rawest form. Postmodern folk ballads played over earnest guitar and synth arrangements, recorded on equipment that sounds just shitty enough to hit that sweet spot. I feel almost voyeuristic when I hit play on their latest record, 2019’s Misguided Ventures, and I can’t wait to see them perform.

Notes from Markly:The Cold Sweats might have been the first local rock outfit to reintroduce Olympia to live music when they played on the Cryptatropa rooftop last summer (now that’s what I call social distancing!). This power pop trio is LOUD, their songs are super catchy, and their tapes are great, too. Kudos to the Cold Sweats for this very last-minute appearance filling in for the Mona Reels!

Winehouse started in 2018 and have been commanding audiences with their upbeat bangers ever since. Sarah, their singer, was born and raised in Tenino, Washington- the state’s fastest-growing city. The rest of the group are Olympia-grown, but Winehouse is rarely seen on local stages. They deliver a glossy, funky indie-pop groove that feels simultaneously fresh and familiar. But for Winehouse, it’s not just about the music- their priority lies in connecting with the audience. Expect them to bring the party to you!

Notes from Markly:I had the privilege to witness Fastener’s first public performance, when they volunteered to be the “Guinea pigs” for our Scherler Sundays equipment test run. This brand-new Olympia quartet features group vocals and face-melting guitar solos, delivering a nostalgic indie/pop punk vibe. Be the first kid on your block to get into it! They haven’t made any recordings as of yet, but check out this live video to see what’s up with Fastener.

Notes from Markly: Doug Martsch is best known as the man behind Built To Spill, Boise’s undisputed kings of indie rock since the early 1990s, Treepeople before that, and a solo album called “Now You Know” released 20 years ago. Built to Spill also toured as the late Daniel Johnson's backup band, and shortly thereafter released the album "Built to Spill Plays the Songs of Daniel Johnson" in 2020. But my first exposure to his music was through his band with Olympia’s Calvin Johnson on K Records, The Halo Benders. His wry lyrics and virtuosity on the guitar have made a life-long fan out of me from day one, and I can’t wait to meet this guy and pick his brain when he comes to town. I predict a sing-along.

Three Magnets has also release several beers inspired by Built to Spill albums/songs, and were absolutely thrilled when Doug agreed to perform at Scherler Sundays! Doug also just finished recording a new Built to Spill album, which will be released this year on Sub Pop Records, so maybe we'll be lucky enough to get a live sneak preview of a new song or two!

Notes from Markly(hijacked by Nate from Three Magnets, because John is one of my favorite artists, and I'm making this website, and so I can do what I want) (insert maniacal laughter):John. Fucking. Atkins. That should be all that I need to say, but I realize that many of you kids may not have heard of him.

I spent 1996 living in the U District before moving to Olympia to finish my education at The Evergreen State College in the fall of 1997. This was at a time when we had to find new music the old fashioned way, and so I spent a lot of time flipping through indie record label catalogs, and in various record stores along The Ave talking to employees and listening to preview albums. But that's not how I found out about John's music.

I first heard John playing in the original two piece iteration of 764-HERO when they played with Modest Mouse at the legendary RKCNDY (R.I.P.), and it immediately struck a chord. The crunchy guitar, the pure emotion in John's voice, the lyrics that mirrored so much of my brain activity at the time, the simplicity of a two piece that somehow sounded so robust, and to top it off, Polly playing the drums barefoot. It was all...just...perfect.

While Built to Spill was my indie crush in high school, they were quickly joined by Seattle artists who dropped their debut albums that year, such as 764-HERO, Modest Mouse (both of which recorded their albums here in Oly, just a few blocks away, and released them on UP Records), Damien Jurado and Jeremy Enigk. But out of all those artists, the 764-HERO album Salt Sinks and Sugar Floats may have found the most play time on my Sony Walkman as I wandered the streets of the U District and Capitol Hill. I look at it as the soundtrack to my first year of "adulting", and I still get a funny feeling every time I wander the streets of Oly listening to that album, spending time in my own head (which I don't do nearly enough these days).

Built to Spill was also playing a lot in Seattle that year in preparation for their major label debut, Perfect From Now On, that dropped in January of 1997, and the subsequent tour to support that album. And so I was lucky enough to see all these bands numerous times, often playing at the same shows. So, in addition to this being twenty-something Nate's dream come true, this show will also be a fun little reunion for Doug and John who had played a lot shows together during that time.

It was shortly after I found 764-HERO that I discovered the self titled EP from John's previous band, Hush Harbor, which to this day is one of my favorite and most cherished records. John was also nice enough give us his blessing to release beers in tribute to 764-HERO and Hush Harbor albums over the past few years, and we're so excited that we've finally been able to create an avenue for him to play a show down in Oly after talking about it with him for so long!

John's current band, The Sun Breaks, is in the process of recording their new album, which hopefully we'll learn more about during Markly's interview portion of the evening.

Oh, and John is also widely known as being the nicest fucking guy in West Seattle.

Also, I totally asked Markly to keep his band notes short. Lol.

Michael Hurley was the second performer to play a show behind the Carnegie Library in the fall of 2021 (the first being The Pine Hearts), and it was such an awesome experience, that it really pushed us to make Scherler Sundays happen in 2022. And by golly, we did!

Notes from Markly:Musical storyteller Michael Hurley made his debut on Folkways records way back in 1964 and shows no signs of slowing down because there’s always another story to tell. His songs have been covered by The Violent Femmes, Cat Power, Yo La Tengo and previous Low Profile guests Eugene Chadbourne and the Holy Modal Rounders. Michael’s performances are few and far between these days, and interviews with him are even more rare. Without him American music would not be the same, and I’m honored to welcome this living legend to the stage.

Notes from Markly:Most music fans in Olympia probably know James Madea from our vinyl mecca Rainy Day Records where he obsessively curates a treasure trove of 45RPM singles, or his occasional DJ sets as Wildman James, spinning underground garage rock gems most people have never heard. He’s also a founding member of the group Spider and the Webs, along with his wife Sara Pete and Bikini Kill’s Tobi Vail. But Wildman James is also a gifted songwriter, with leanings toward early rock and country music, echoing the lonesome twang of artists like Townes Van Zandt and Hasil Atkins. He’s gonna let his freak flag fly (and maybe even make you cry) in a rare must-see solo performance.

Notes from Markly:Lavender Country, formed in Seattle over 50 years ago, created the first out-and-proud country album with their eponymous recording debut, now archived in the Country Music Hall of Fame. It took several decades for people outside the gay community on the west coast to catch on, but they’re back and better than ever with their first album since 1970 and a killer live line-up featuring a mixture of original members and new blood. Patrick Haggerty, the band’s founder, has spent his entire life advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and inspiring generation after generation to be proud of who they are. You’ll be inspired too, when you hear the heartfelt stories Lavender Country delivers through their purple-colored honky-tonk lenses.

Notes from Markly: Jack Habbeger’s Celebrity Telethon touts themselves as “America’s First Country Band.” It’s also the name of Jack’s radio program on KAOS every Friday after Low Profile, which Jack has also guest hosted on interviewing artists like Lavender Country and Jeffrey Lewis. He grew up in San Diego and moved to the PNW as a young adult, where he remains to this day, adding an indie-surf vibe to the west coast classic country sound his band produces. They offer a delicate balance of real-world issues and a damn good time, carrying the torch of twang further into the 21st century with a kick.

Notes from Markly: Zachary Cale is based in NYC but carries the sound of the south, creating mini-movies in his moody, twangy songs. I close my eyes and see the Mojave Desert I grew up in when I hear his music, even though it’s far removed from that geographic region. Though new to me, Zachary’s music is comfortingly familiar in all the right ways, oozing with the lazy vibe of a cold one in the summertime.

Notes from Markly: Generifus is the brainchild of Seattle transplant Spencer Sult, a dedicated craftsman of intricately arranged pop compositions. His casual, somewhat shy delivery seems to disguise the complex nature of the stories he tells in song, always deeper than what is on the surface. The current Generifus lineup is a well-oiled ensemble carrying the weight of Sult’s music with a seemingly effortless swagger, and they are endlessly easy to listen to. Their latest record, Songs About Nothing, demonstrate the evolution this project has lived over the last decade, and I’m looking forward to some new surprises at this performance.

Notes from Markly: Olympia darlings the Pine Hearts are the unofficial “house band” at Three Magnets Brewing, having played at nearly all of their important milestones. Frequently seen in the region at granges, farmer’s markets, house shows, festivals and more conventional venues, they also christened the grassy knoll behind the Carnegie Library as a performance space last year, paving the way for Michael Hurley a few months later, then Karl Blau, and now this - Scherler Sundays!The Pine Hearts carry the torch of regional twang, with strong original songs and tasteful covers that blend the tendencies of indie rock, bluegrass and, to use a phrase coined by the Flying Burrito Brothers, “Cosmic American Music.”

From the group’s bio: "Just beneath the eaves of Washington's Cascade Mountains, The Pine Hearts are combining wood, ore and soul to channel the colossal, organic spirit of the untamed Pacific Northwest. Their sound, like the environment around them, is ever-changing, harnessing classic country songwriting, the powerful emotive themes of experimental folk, and the blazing-fast pickin' rhythms of traditional Appalachian bluegrass -- all the while staying rooted to their rock-n-roll backgrounds."

Notes from Markly: LAKE has been making beautiful, quirky and lush pop records since 2006. I may be a bit biased, because I was in the group for ten of those years, but even since my departure I’ve remained a fan and continue to be surprised with all the adventurous twists and turns the group manages to make on a sonic and contextual level. Their latest album Roundelay showcases the progressive rock influences principal songwriters Ashley Eriksson and Eli Moore have drawn from over the years, recalling Todd Rundgren, Stereolab, Brian Wilson, and Prefab Sprout to name a few flavors I picked up on. For this show, I’ll also be jumping in the mix to sing a couple of my own tunes we recorded on earlier albums for the first time in over six years, and we’ll be having an audience Q&A for those who are curious.

Notes from Markly: Hot Pursuit of Happiness is the new post-punk side project of the globally acclaimed keyboard improviser Thollem McDonas. Eschewing his usual free-form piano and synthesizer musings for a collection of politically charged songs, Thollem the singer is making his debut in the Pacific Northwest following a lengthy tour of Europe. His new record We Call This One Tuesday recalls the spirit of innovators like The Red Krayola, Pere Ubu and Suicide, albeit in a very postmodern delivery. We are in for a very special treat and I’m looking forward to learning more about Thollem’s journey that led to this unexpected new project.

Notes from Markly: Olivia Rose is the founder and namesake of the wildly popular group Oh, Rose, whose members are split between Olympia and Portland. I remember being present for the very first Oh, Rose performance back in 2012 - an unamplified living room set with Olivia accompanying herself on piano, with her friend Sara singing harmonies. Since then, the band has blossomed (pun intended) into a rock and roll force to be reckoned with, as their devoted following will attest.

Her Scherler Sundays performance will hearken back to that first gig I saw: a stripped-down set with a few friends providing vocal accompaniment, interwoven with a conversation between Olivia and I as we discuss the stories behind Oh, Rose’s first decade, prefacing her band’s upcoming performance at South Sound Block Party this August.

Notes from Markly: The Mona Reels have earned the status of Olympia music veterans, enduring and evolving since the start of this century. Their founder and frontman Peter David Connelly continues writing timeless pop music for the past twenty years, culminating in a brilliant new record, Without Love. The gifted multi-instrumentalist played nearly all of the instruments on that album, but he has a desire to collaborate; in an upcoming interview on Low Profile, he told me he’d like to have an album where he doesn’t play anything and sticks to writing and singing.

For the first time in several years, he’s currently performing with a full rock band line-up giving his meticulously clever songs the full sonic treatment they deserve, spanning the Mona Reels’ back catalog and introducing some brand new material. Every time I hear one of Peter’s songs, it brings about a certain nostalgia…have I heard this before in another life?

Notes from Markly: “Olympia based/midwest hearted” Kelsey Magnuson moved to the Pacific Northwest from Omaha, Nebraska and wasted no time starting a kick ass band that is destined for legendary status in the region, cementing a future with her poignant flair for dreamlike grooves.

Murky and contemplative, her songs transport you into an ocean of sonic bliss that draws from femme shoegaze and folk influences with lyrics that “convey her feelings on making out, growing out of your twenties and sports as a metaphor for polyamory.” Her musical taste and depth of knowledge make me jealous, and I love every moment I spend with her songs.

Notes from Markly: I first came into contact with Austin Leonard Jones when I bought a copy of the iconoclast Bobby Frank Brown’s extremely rare third album Prayers of a One-Man Band, re-issued by Jones’ label Del Rio Records and Tapes. Later I would discover that Austin was a very gifted singer and songwriter, and he would become one of my very favorite contemporary artists.

I recently taped an interview with him for Low Profile that will be coming out around the end of 2022, during which I learned of our mutual love of artists like the Beach Boys, Gram Parsons and Jerry Jeff Walker, and Austin carries on this legacy of musical sunshine with the best of them. Currently based in Ojai, CA, Austin will be joined by an ensemble of Olympia friends and sharing his amazing gift with the likes of you and me. Keep an eye on this guy, I reckon it won’t be long before he is a household name.

Notes from Markly: I was talking to Austin Leonard Jones about options for a supporting act, and I could hear his jaw drop over the phone when I mentioned the possibility of his Perpetual Doom Records labelmate Lee Baggett. Lee returned the same emphatic reaction when I asked him if he would jump on - each artist is a big fan of the other, but have never met. So this is going to be one for the books. Lee is best known for his involvement with Kyle Fields’ band Little Wings, as well as the Little Wings offshoot Be Gulls. But Lee, like Austin, is a solo artist in his own right. Lee lives with his family here in Olympia, but doesn’t perform locally too often, which is a damn shame and I’m glad to be doing something about it.

Notes from Markly: Dev Ray is currently making dreamy, glassy pop music in Echo Park, CA. His gentle, understated vocals and soulful grooves are refreshingly easy to listen to, warm and inviting. Dev was also the drummer in my first rock band, Airplanes, about 20 years ago in the Mojave Desert. Back then we had the problem of being too far from LA to be local and too close to LA to be featured out-of-towners, so we mostly stuck to the desert dive bars, where I reckon we honed our skills. We’ll be talking about that and his other various projects over the years that have led him to this solo incarnation and his fab upcoming album Dance Melancholy.

Notes from Markly: Ali Baker recently moved back to the Pacific Northwest from Chicago. While her life has brought on new changes such as a family to raise, she’s picking up where she left off, musically speaking. She was a core member of the band Full Moon Radio, collaborated with Seattle rapper Onry Ozzborn, played guitar in my band Skrill Meadow, and sang harmony in The Mona Reels, which is already back in effect. Ali has always been a terrific solo artist in her own right, too, with a handful of great records to show for it. Whether you are new to her music or just haven’t experienced it in a while, it’ll be a great way to help wrap up this concert series and offer a look into the future of our local music zeitgeist.

Notes from Markly: Dylan Shearer is an underground wizard of minimalist psych-folk. Originally from the Mojave desert, he crafted his pop and experimental compositions on cassette 4-track machines from an early age, later finding a home in the Bay Area and working with esoteric labels such as YikYak, Empty Cellar Records, and John Dwyer of Thee Oh Sees’ Castleface Records.

Dylan’s music has a sort of built-in nostalgia, reminding me of other music I love like Emmit Rhodes, Nick Drake, Epic Soundtracks and Mayo Thompson’s solo work. He and his wife moved to Olympia just in time for the global pandemic and this will be his first performance in town after living here for over two years. Y’all have no idea what you’ve been missing out on with this guy’s music. Describing the vibe is tricky, but you know Charlie Brown? Yeah, from Peanuts. He would really dig Dylan Shearer.