Fort Shame . . . brings together songwriters Sue Harshe of indie rock pioneers Scrawl, and Todd May, frontman for notable alt-country projects . . . and the guitarist who took Lydia Loveless’ band to another level . . . Harshe’s jangly, R.E.M.-inspired college rock with May’s post-Uncle Tupelo roots rock finds a common denominator in Paul Westerberg’s uncouth big-hearted pop.
- Chris Deville Sensory Overload
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. Sue Harshe was co-founder of the then- and now-legendary post-punk band Scrawl (Scrawl recently performed at ATL's I'll Be Your Mirror event in NYC, and will perform at ATL's Nightmare Before Christmas in the UK at the end of November) , and Todd May played in the Lilybandits, one of the most beloved Americana outfits to come out of Columbus during the 1990s. But both laid low in the mid-naughties; May played solo shows (and eventually picked up steam, playing and recording with Bloodshot Records recording Artist Lydia Loveless as well as touring nationally as a solo artist), Harshe devoted her time to scoring silent films. Once the two came together in 2007 (in a now defunct project, Lootsville) there was little one could do to stop this collaboration. Fort Shame realized itself in 2009, quickly releasing a self titled EP. The last few years have been spent solidifying their line up and weaving their styles with the rhythm section of George Hondroulis (Drums) and Jamey Ball (Bass).
