West Springfield folk band, Love Crumbs, releases new singleDate: 1/20/2021 WEST SPRINGFIELD – Rising folk-rock band Love Crumbs are ready to make an impact with the release of their new single, “Cavalcades.”
The West Springfield Americana group, which consists of vocalist Ali Matavish, guitarist/vocalist Michael Dubuque, and bass player Scott Wolfram, started making music in their early 20s, when they were formerly known as Infinite August. Matavish and Dubuque met through a mutual friend, and they found Wolfram on Craig’s List.
“It’s been a great ride so far – a very different dynamic than what I’m used to,” said Wolfram, with regards to his relationship with the band. “I played in a cover band that actually won the Local Valley Advocate Best Band in 2011. I played in that band for 10 years.”
The band took a break after a awhile as Matavish began traveling the country but reconvened once she moved back to the area about a year and a half ago.
“I think we all straightened out our lives a lot, had some children, and we were in a better place now than we were back then,” said Matavish. “But we did keep in touch over the years.”
Their new single, which functions as a reintroduction to the band’s style, is a poignant new protest record that tackles social injustice. Matavish’s powerful, country-leaning rasp draws comparison to two of her favorite all-time musicians, Stevie Nicks and Janis Joplin.
Written by Dubuque, the song was recorded and produced at Ghost Hit Records in West Springfield, and was inspired by the national response to the death of George Floyd.
“I wrote the song in the middle of the pandemic shortly after George Floyd’s death,” said Dubuque. “It felt like to write about anything else would’ve been inauthentic.”
Dubuque said that, as a “white dude,” he doesn’t assume himself to be the voice of any particular authority, but he did feel that the movement against police brutality had an “indelible force” of good behind it.
"That’s kind of what this song is about,” said Dubuque. ‘That there’s this force of good and reckoning.”
For writing inspiration, Dubuque searches within the vein of Bob Dylan civil rights records, as well as tracks from Tow Waits and Neil Young. Melodically, Dubuque is more inspired by The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and anyone else who could write a memorable song.
“I just wanted to write a song that was like, ‘hey we’re allies to this movement,’” said Dubuque, with regards to the Black Lives Matter movement. “We see that this is a movement that is long overdue.”
One of the more notable lyrics on “Cavalcades” is “bleach these blood stains from our dollar signs,” which, according to Dubuque, refers to the “original sin” of slavery in America. In a nutshell, the lyric represents the allegorical nature of the song, while other lyrics such as “we are bathed in unstoppable light” offer a brief moment of catharsis for a year filled with turmoil, according to the band.
“I think we’re just hoping to make meaningful music that means something to us, and hopefully people dig it,” said Dubuque.
Like with most musical acts, Love Crumbs have had to shift their focus away from live shows due to COVID-19, which was something that was difficult to do.
According to Dubuque, they had a large slate of shows set from March until October 2020 that had to be cancelled.
“The NHL and NBA shut down while we were playing,” said Matavish, when referring to that fateful night back in March 2020.
As a result, the band decided to regroup and instead place their focus on making meaningful art with the resources they had within their studio.
“It’s been quite the journey with figuring out technology, and how to play,” said Dubuque. “But we’ve been doing our best with the pandemic. As bad as 2020 was, I think we came out with a piece of art that I at least feel proud of.”
As of right now, the band is a part of Animal Farm, a UK label that found Love Crumbs through Submit Hub. This platform is utilized by musicians as a blog to get their music out to as many ears as possible. Love Crumbs currently had a 50/50 deal with the label.
“They’re going to help us promote tracks,” said Dubuque. “They’re kind of a small independent label, and we’re pleased to have their backing.”
In a modern world where streaming continues to dominant the music industry, Love Crumbs said that they will continue to release singles on places like Soundcloud and YouTube.
“We’re trying to head back into the studio now , and record something new, and release something else within the next couple of months,” said Dubuque.
The trio hopes to tour their new music when the world gets back to normal. Performance has been a big part of their brand, as all of them have had the opportunity of either opening for, or playing with, notable artists of the past. Wolfram, for example, played with Weezer, and the band has also opened for The Grateful Dead, and The Talking Heads.
“As soon as we’re able to tour in some capacity, I think we would love to tour,” said Matavish. “Even if it’s a small tour.”
Those interested in Love Crumb’s new single, can find it on Soundcloud at https://soundcloud.com/love-crumbs-103007453/cavalcades-unmastered/s-SIBZmiNpvUA.
People can also follow them on Facebook for updates of new music and other information, as well.
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