Somehow, for a few improbable years, the talents of Sue Harshe and Todd May were buried under the mountain of music that dominated the indie rock scene in Columbus, Ohio. And make no mistake. It is mighty difficult to bury talent like theirs. Harshe was co-founder of the then- and now-legendary post-punk band Scrawl, and May played in the Lilybandits, one of the most beloved Americana outfits to come out of Columbus during the 1990s (or ever). But both laid low in the mid-naughties; May played solo shows around town, Harshe devoted her time to scoring silent films, and neither one committed themselves to another band for a good portion of that decade. 

And then in 2006 Harshe co-founded the band Lootsville. May was asked to join in 2007, and the band lasted one more year before imploding in spring of 2008. The dust settled. May and Harshe looked at each other, blinked, dusted off their backsides, and decided to give it another go. This time they got it right. They have enlisted Jamey Ball, a long-time friend and musical collaborator of May’s, to play bass; and George Hondroulis, drummer extraordinaire.

Their first show was in spring of 2009. They have not looked back. The “godmother of Riotgrrl” and the wildly-respected, alt-country boy fit together very well. They’ve jokingly been called the Donny and Marie of the Columbus rock scene, and one can hear why: each stamps (without stomping) their own style on the other’s songs, and it works. It works well. Fort Shame combines May's heartfelt, southern gothic songs (Columbus-style) with Harshe's sparse, piano-driven landscapes, creating characters that are odd, compelling, and a little bit beautiful.