Island Wren

Local folk act Island Wren celebrated the release of their new EP, “Fountain,” with a free show at Bonhoeffer's Thursday night.

The night began with opening sets from Nashville acts Brooke Curry and Silver Trees. With only an acoustic guitar, singer-songwriter Curry set the tone for the night with an inviting set that fit perfectly with the coffee shop vibe of the venue. Silver Trees followed with a stripped-down set filled with tracks off their “Paper Hearts” EP. Vocalist Paul Johnson further contributed to the café atmosphere with informal, often humorous banter with the crowd between songs.

By the time Island Wren hit the stage the venue was packed. The band chose to opt away from their usual set and play the “Fountain” EP in its entirety. Members rotated through a barrage of instruments including banjo, mandolin, acoustic and electric guitars without major interruption.

With five members, one would imagine that some sonic elements would be lost in the shuffle. However, a light fiddle and a tight rhythm section complemented the group’s harmonies, with no component becoming lost in the live performance.

“Fountain” itself is a seven-track EP that was funded through a Kickstarter campaign at the end of last year. It includes highlights such as “Drown,” a melody-rich single accented by harmonies, “Hand It to You,” an upbeat cut with the catchiest chorus on the release and “Fountain,” a two part folk-opus that is well worth its nine-minute combined run time.

The songs on “Fountain” translated superbly to a live setting. Some cuts, such as “Winter” and “Hand It to You,” made their studio counterparts pale in comparison. Other set highlights include the track “Bones,” a previously released track that was requested by an audience member as the encore. While vocalist Chris Godley joked that the song was his “nemesis,” it’s an up-tempo, catchy bluegrass track that had the capacity crowd on their feet.

“I was so happy to see all the people that came out,” Godley said. “That really encourages us to keep to playing, to see everybody come out and just pack Bonhoeffer's and show their support. I couldn’t be happier.”

Physical copies of “Fountain” are available to purchase at the band’s shows. It will also be available digitally through iTunes on Tuesday.

To see our profiles on Island Wren and other local acts, visit http://www.dnj.com/viewart/20140226/SIDELINES02/140226004/Listen-Local-Murfreesboro-acts-please-your-ears - MTSU Sidelines

Hand It To You by Island Wren. Folk music with a big Nashville twist, full of fiddles and clean harmonies and acoustic guitars and mandolins. This is a cheery summery song that you could quite easily picture coming through your radio, it’s simply wonderful. Lyrically it’s well written, especially the sweet chorus: “I guess it takes a little time/to wash this heart of mine;/and when it’s cleaned through and through/I’ll hand it to you.” This is music that has a big smile on its face, and won’t fail to make you smile along. The rest of the EP (which at 7 tracks is almost a full LP) has similarly bright and well-crafted songs full of gorgeous harmonies and clever songs, well worth a look. - Will Flint

Move over blues, finally something to look forward to on Mondays, the Murfreesboro Monday Review!! And while the Blues are moving over lets also have Mumford and Avett Brothers because there is a new American Folk/Rock band in town…ISLAND WREN!!

Island Wren is made up of three primary members, Brothers Chris and Ben, and drummer Cole, along with more recent members Camille and Dylan. This group has a blue grass influence with a folk singer song writer feel to it, which I don’t care who you are, this music is gonna make you feel great! I went to my first show of theirs back in Fall and I have not been able to stop thinking about it since! What a treat for any music loving person no matter what type of music you are into! They are amazing at interacting with the crowd and keeping the audience going with their musical talent and amazing song lyrics.
Brothers Ben and Chris grew up in North Carolina where they grew up with a love of music. However, people up there were not as committed about the music until they moved to Nashville/Murfreesboro. This is also when they joined up with Cole and the rest of the band members. And surprisingly the music brings the brothers together instead of pulling them apart. What seems to work for them is the fact that Chris does most of the song writing and Ben does most of the managing of the band. Another very interesting art of this band is their name itself, long and interesting story short, a Wren is a flightless bird that legend says became extent on an Island near New Zealand. There seems to be a lot of meaning behind this name which is fitting for a band that has such powerful music.
Island Wren released there EP right around Christmas and are in the process of working on their first full length album that they hope to release this coming Fall! Their next official show is May 18th at Woodberry Good Ole Days but also hope to have other smaller shows pop up in the mean time! They are also trying to book some summer shows in Murfreesboro, Nashville, and maybe even in their hometown in North Carolina.
Check them out on their Facebook page and if you get the chance go to one of their shows…I promise it will be one of the best musical experiences you can imagine! Until next week!

PS This weeks quote is from the band themselves!!!

Quote of the week: “Songs are about questions, not answers” – Island Wren

Review by Amanda O’Toole - Makin Music LLC