matty c and Jeff from the stick arounds are headed out on the road

Matthew Carlson (Stick Arounds/Harborcoat) and Jeffery Gower (Stick Arounds/Deer & Elk) are headed out for a three week acoustic tour this Fall. With an itinerary that runs all the way to the end of the Florida Keys and back, Matty and Jeff have anchored the tour around a full week of shows in Florida. This spate of dates also features a host of other shows throughout the southeast, the midwest, and the eastern seaboard. 

In the two years since The Stick Arounds slowed their previously frenetic pace, Matty and Jeff have kept themselves incredibly busy. For his part, Jeff and fellow Stick Around, Jason Lantrip have been playing dozens of gigs across Michigan as the duo Deer & Elk. Their single and video, ‘Big Penny’ was something of a local happening upon its release in the Autumn of 2024. Meanwhile, Matty spent ten weeks on the road last year touring across America. He took his solo show from sea to shining sea playing at nearly 50 private homes, breweries, bars, listening rooms, and theaters.

On this run of dates, Matty and Jeff will each play a brief solo set of their original songs before spending the bulk of the show playing and singing together on stage. The set will feature the duo’s shared work in The Stick Arounds as well touching on their work in Deer & Elk, Harborcoat, The Gentleman Callers, and The Pantones.

Currently, there are a trio of dates fully inked as part of the Florida run. A homecoming show has also been planned for Nov. 23 at The Avenue Cafe in Lansing to end the tour. This leaves 13 dates open for Matty and Jeff to fill. The pair are currently looking for house concert hosts, listening rooms, breweries, and other suitable venues in these areas.

If you’re new to the concept, house concerts are an amazing intimate live music experience. Jeff and Matt will play songs for 60-75 minutes, also allowing ample time for guests, performers, and hosts to hang out before and after the performance.

Hosting a house concert is easy. There are no out of pocket costs to host, and you’ll receive a sweet bag of swag for hosting a show. You just need a space to hold twenty or more people, and be willing to help a bit to drum up a crowd. 

You can learn more about house concerts and the details of hosting here.

You can find an up to date itinerary with spots where hosts are needed in the list below.

Nov. 4 - Louisville, KY - Needs Host
Nov. 5 - Knoxville, TN - Needs Host
Nov. 6 - Atlanta - Needs Host
Nov. 7 - Gainesville, FL - House Concert
Nov. 8 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - House Concert
Nov. 10 - Florida Keys - Needs Host
Nov. 11 - Florida Keys - Needs Host
Nov. 12 - Florida Keys - Needs Host
Nov. 14 - Orlando, FL - House Concert
Nov. 15 - Jacksonville, FL - Needs Host
Nov. 16 - Asheville, NC - Needs Host
Nov. 18 - Washington, DC - Needs Host
Nov. 19 - Philadelphia, PA - House Concert
Nov. 20 - Pittsburgh PA - Balance Brewing
Nov. 21 - Indianapolis, IN - Needs Host
Nov. 22 - Detroit, MI - Needs Host
Nov. 23 - Lansing, MI - The Avenue Cafe

If you’re interested in hosting a show with Matty and Jeff, please reach out via email at whatmakingblog@gmail.com. Please reach out to sign up as a host today. 

 

“The music is classic indie rock and there’s something in guitar work and in Carlson’s vocals that brings to mind some of the great Australian bands of the 1980s and 90s, like The Triffids, Died Pretty or The Church.”

— AMERICANA UK

 

" The Lansing, Mich. band came together as a project that was like casting a movie that breaks down the belief of idyllic small-town life and the underlying clouds of disappointment. Not unlike Sherwood Anderson’s stories Winesburg, Ohio, Primary songwriter Matthew Carlson’s intelligent jangle-pop recalls such cult favorites as The Windbreakers and The Vulgar Boatmen."

— SHEPHERD EXPRESS

 

“As in all the best jangle-pop, the almost joyous sounding instrumentals starkly juxtapose the heavy lyrics. If you're a fan of R.E.M or any jangle pop for that matter, you will love this record.”

— WLUR

 

“Joy is Elusive is a top notch listen. Sit in an Armchair and you'll soon find yourself tapping your foot and singing along. But this is also an album to listen to and admire. It is a balance between Country, even Americana and Guitar Pop, but that just makes the album welcomingly less predictable.”

— I DON’T HEAR A SINGLE

“Like Teenage Fanclub had left Glasgow and resettled in the American midwest.”

— ROCKIN’ THE SUBURBS

 

“Joy Is Elusive brims with retro tangs and luminous jangly guitars resulting in music simultaneously dazzlingly good and infectiously alluring.”

— THE YOUNG FOLKS

 

“A rousing dose of English pop-rock that recalls the Smiths, 1980s new wave, and the 1990s Brit-pop invasion. Lyrically, the song draws from the feeling of being stuck in a deep depression and trying to get out, a feeling that resonates with many of us in these fucked up times we’re living in.”

— GLIDE MAGAZINE

 

“Spirited, Indie rock melodies with poignant lyrics.”

— IMPERFECT FIFTH

 

“Springsteen-style working-class hymns, heartbreaking ballads focused on mental health, and REM-inspired dance numbers paint the colors and nuances of humanity on Harborcoat’s wonderfully crafted canvas.”

— LOCAL SPINS GRAND RAPIDS

 

“Plays like a glorious expression of joy mixed in with a jangled melody that washes over the soul like the perfect wave.”

— THE WHOLE KAMESE

royal scene joins the phonophore family

 We are thrilled to welcome Royal Scene to the Phonophore family. 

The members of Royal Scene grew up in Michigan. They're mature enough to remember their parents spinning the Beatles, Stones, the Who, and Zeppelin and later, during formative early teen years, feeling the pull of Cheap Trick, AC/DC, the Cars, and Kiss. Further on, they dove headlong into the Replacements, Husker Du, and Dinosaur Jr. The common thread: guitars, songs, and hooks. Autumn leaves, rust, and Faygo Rock & Rye. Midwestern crunch pop* injected with doses of Americana and the Second British Invasion.

In the early '90s, Scott Owens (vocals/guitar), Blair Darling (bass), Randy Farlin (drums), Tim Marzorati (vocals/guitar) , and Marc Nischan (vocals/guitar) - childhood friends, high school classmates, and college buddies - started writing and playing gigs. They cut their teeth in a vibrant and supportive scene with East Lansing at the center of the bull's eye. Two of these intertwined projects, 19 Wheels and The dt's, signed deals with Aware/Columbia and Warner Chappel, recorded albums, and toured the country playing many hundreds of shows between them.

Fast forward to 2016 or so. "Hey. Let's play." The initial (re)connection was forged via Bastards of Young, a Replacements cover band. After playing a fistful of energetic, well-received shows the focus shifted. "Hey. Let's write..."

Royal Scene has released two EPs, "Meet You at the End" (2019) and "Dose" (2020), and are currently writing songs for a release in early 2022 on Phonophore Records.

*not soda

HARBORCOAT

Joy Is Elusive