Louisiana indie pop outfit Royal Teeth are enjoying a renewed wave of buzz thanks to their latest EP, Amateurs, and will bring their eclectic talents and honed live show back to Nashville for a headlining performance tonight, Aug. 4 at The High Watt. Making this bill even sweeter, local post-rockers Mountains Like Wax, a group you should definitely be keeping an eye on, and indie pop talent Volunteer, another site fave, are set to support, and tickets are still available right here. Read on for more about the show!
ROYAL TEETH
Channeling an affinity for folk, but unafraid to lay down heavy synth lines and thick indie pop orchestration, Louisiana’s Royal Teeth balance guy-girl vocals, huge hooks, and soaring harmonies effortlessly, crafting a hypnotic sound that holds an immediate familiarity, while retraining a refreshing uniqueness. Formed in 2010, the group quickly attracted a following after their self-released 2011 EP Act Naturally, soon inking a deal with Dangerbird ahead of their 2013 debut album, Glow, all the while performing on American Idol, appearing on Last Call with Carson Daly, and landing spots at SXSW, CMJ, and Bonnaroo, and more, plus tours with Fitz and the Tantrums, The Kooks, Walk the Moon, and Rooney, among other big names. The group released a long-awaited new EP, Amateurs, last fall, showcasing their most honed, unabashedly poppy, and anthemic work to date, and are a formidable live force after years of touring- don’t miss them!
MOUNTAINS LIKE WAX
Formed originally in Murfreesboro, Mountains Like Wax are a band we’ve had our eye on for several years, from their early days of DIY shows leading up the release of their debut EP, Tetrology in 2015, to their well-deserved win in last year’s Music City Mayhem competition, earning them a spot last fall at Live on the Green. Though they exist in the same DIY space as, and often perform with many of the city’s rising punk, alternative, and emo bands we’ve been buzzing about lately, Mountains Like Wax adopt a sound that is a kindred spirit to, but sonically distinct from, that punk-informed base. Crafting lush, ambient textures, MLW’s indie/Southern post-rock sound is sweeping, ambient, hypnotic, and earnest, more calming than aggressive, though still packed with raw emotion.
VOLUNTEER
Shortly after beginning to make sweeping indie/pop rock music under the moniker Volunteer in 2014, Orlando, FL native Cory Quintard relocated to Nashville, where he’s since been busy cultivating Volunteer’s sound and building a passionate fanbase. The project’s first EP, The World Will Begin Again, arrived in early 2015, spawning several singles that managed to drum up buzz throughout the blogosphere. A few years, mounting hype, and countless shows later, Volunteer debuted his followup, The World Is Ours, back in the spring, which expands on his rock-rooted, pop accessible indie sound and further refines his songwriting, telling a personal, narrative story that begs to be heard in one sitting.
Royal Teeth, Mountains Like Wax, and Volunteer will perform tonight, Aug. 4 at The High Watt. The show is 18+, begins at 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.), and tickets are available to purchase for $14.