Raleigh, NC’s Fancy Gap–the duo of singer/songwriter Stuart McLamb (The Love Language) and songwriter/producer Charles Crossingham–today shared their rollicking new single “Little Heart Racer” from their self-titled debut album, due out July 26, 2024, via their own Ghost Choir Records. The soaring, undeniably catchy song–out now alongside a spirited Patrick Lincoln-directed video including live footage of one of the band’s recent first shows–features keys by Rami Jaffee (The Foo Fighters, The Wallflowers), pedal steel by Jon Graboff (Willie Nelson, Noel Gallagher, M. Ward, Norah Jones), lead guitar by Will McFarlane (Bonnie Raitt, The Mountain Goats, Etta James), and saxophone/bass clarinet by Bob Pence (Megafaun, Southern Culture on the Skids).
“This one sort of fell out of the sky honestly. It was one of the many ideas we came up with Charles on guitar and me on drums–I seem to come up with my best melodies while playing drums. It was tracked fairly soon after that and I love that there’s such an immediacy to it. At first I thought some lines could be placeholders, but in the moment they really meant something to me and we agreed the delivery was so sincere that we should leave them alone and not overthink it,” explains McLamb. “It’s mostly about leaving the city and all the stress that comes with it for a simpler life out in the cut. Lines like ‘we could make up a new scene’ was me fantasizing about my future in the music scene, not that there really is one anymore (at least like there used to be). It just felt stale and I was looking for a new voice and a new thing. You can hear me discovering this sorta country drawl in real time since this was all sung pretty much the second I had some words to say. ‘Flowers and planters’ was me thinking about my new girl at the time, who would go on to be my wife. I was envisioning this commune on the mountain with people I love by my side making music and living the life we wanted. I always loved Paul Simon’s writing, and this has a bit of that every-emotion-all-at-once kind of thing. But most importantly, it’s fun.”
“Little Heart Racer” follows wistfully breezy lead single “Strawberry Moon,” featuring vocals by Sharon Van Etten, and the classic pop/alt-country amalgam “How To Dance.” Mixed by Grammy-award-winning engineer Craig Alvin (Kacey Musgraves’ ‘Album of the Year’ Golden Hour), Fancy Gap is now available for pre-order. The band also has a number of live shows this month, see below for a current itinerary.
On their self-titled debut, Fancy Gap takes listeners on a journey that steers through life’s melodies with windows down. It’s a country-tinged, radio-ready sound, yet delves deep into universal themes. From stirring reflections on death and aging to the joyous celebrations of life, love, and triumph, every track on Fancy Gap captures different facets of the human experience. With a twang evoking the heartland and a widescreen perspective hinting at something greater, McLamb and Crossingham explore poignant moments of laughter and loss, enduring bonds of friendship, and the ups and downs of relationships.
As he began working on a fifth album for The Love Language in early 2020, McLamb took some early demos to Crossingham, whom he had known for nearly a decade but became closer with after moving back to Raleigh, North Carolina, that March. The pandemic struck in the midst of feeling out those early ideas; the two sheltered in Crossingham’s mountain cabin in Fancy Gap, Virginia, and questions of what life would look like when the world started over seeped into their late-night songwriting sessions. What began as a producer/artist collaboration blossomed into a close-knit co-writing project, rooted in Crossingham’s inspired belief and admiration in McLamb’s talents, and the musical kinship that the two had forged. Fancy Gap was born.
With McLamb’s timeless voice leading the way–all classic pop timbre and heart swells, casting notes toward the sky–Fancy Gap finds the duo conjuring the pop leanings of early Counting Crows and The Lemonheads, the chordal phrasing and harmonies of Joni Mitchell and Crosby, Stills & Nash, the stadium-sized sing-along choruses of The Wallflowers, and the expansive western terrains akin to a more psychedelic Marty Robbins. For all the genuine emotional resonance it hits lyrically, the album feels like a hands-in-the-breeze springtime ride at dusk, with a treasure trove of your favorite music under your seat and nothing in front of you but gravel roads and wistful speed. Fancy Gap is a musical expedition that transcends the sum of its parts, painting sonic landscapes that linger in the heart and soul.
Read Fancy Gap’s full bio/download photos and cover artwork HERE.
Fancy Gap (credit: Jillian Clark)
Fancy Gap live:
06/14 – Charlotte, NC @ Visualite Theatre
06/15 – Wilmington, NC @ Bourgie Nights %
06/22 – Raleigh, NC @ Pour House Music Hall *
% with Brave Baby
* with Jack the Radio
Fancy Gap:
Official site | Instagram | Bandcamp | X | Facebook | TikTok
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For more information about Fancy Gap please contact Amanda Pitts (ap@chromaticpr.com)
at Chromatic PR.