[widecontent background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”http://www.SceneSC.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/scenesctextureLogo.png” background_position=”50% 50%” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”50px” padding_bottom=”50px” font_color=”#222222″ font_size=”16px” centered=”no”]
Where:Â The Spinning Jenny in Greer, SC
When:Â Saturday, August 12
What About It:Â Future Chord Fest is the annual culmination of Future Chord Presents, a booking and creative entity focused on promoting both local music and the best of what’s next.
[/widecontent]
[divider style=”double” margin_top=”30px” margin_bottom=”30px”]
Now in its second year, Future Chord Fest returns to The Spinning Jenny in Greer again boasting an eclectic lineup featuring some of the Upstate’s finest bands, headlined by regional favorite Junior Astronomers. There’s been a notable upswing in the Upstate music scene lately and there are plenty of people to credit for that, including Future Chord who has not only continuously booked great up and coming acts over the last couple of years, but also does plenty of behind the scenes work when it comes to bringing new acts along. Thus is the goal of Future Chord, as the entities Creative Director Jeremy Theall shares his love of discovering music with others by not only sharing new music, but bringing it to town.
We caught up with Theall and talked about Future Chord, where it’s headed, and some of the new music coming out of the Upstate.
When you started Future Chord did you imagine it being what it is now? Did it evolve or change?
Future Chord has evolved into something much more than originally planned. While I was a student at Clemson University and a radio DJ at WSBF, I found a passion for discovering and sharing new music to the world. I went to The Radio Room for the very first time around then and realized how much I’d been missing out on. From there, I decided to start Future Chord in 2013 as a Southeast music blog to celebrate the hundreds of talented and hardworking acts that often flew under the radar.
Today, Future Chord has taken a step back from the music blog game though. We still do monthly playlists featuring our favorite new songs by Southeast bands — but our main focus is now with tour booking, artist management, and our monthly “Future Chord Presents” shows.
What’s booking like for Future Chord Fest? How do you choose the bands to fill out the lineup.
There’s not an exact science to booking the lineup — but there are certain things I look for in potential bands. Do they have new music out this year or on the horizon? How is their presence on stage and online? Do they fit the Future Chord aesthetic?
The music scene in the Upstate seems to be growing at a faster pace now, and I’m sure you saw that coming sooner than others. What bands, venues, outlets do you see have helped things start growing faster in the western parts of the state?
The Upstate music scene is healthier right now than it’s been in quite a while. Shout out to Pablo Generation for helping to bring things along quickly. The young collective has added an entire new pool of musicians and bands into the mix, which has been very refreshing. Other acts like Brother Oliver, The Francis Vertigo, Beket, Anthem, Polymath, Curfue, Pure Ghost, Tides In Transit, and Carpoolparty are really pushing the envelope too.
As for venues, it starts with The Radio Room. There’s no better place in town for a new band to get their feet wet and find a supporting scene. The Spinning Jenny has been a welcoming new addition and is helping bring in a lot of bigger shows that the area may have previously missed out on. Gotta show some love to Vince Harris too, who is really the only journalist in the area that gives notice to our music scene.
You often find really good bands before they’ve really broken out. What are some of the ways that you discover new music?
Yeah, I’m a nerd for this type of thing. The hashtag search system on Bandcamp is a good friend of mine for discovering new music in particular cities. Besides that, going to shows and checking out local / regional venue calendars can often turn up hidden gems.
Where do you see Future Chord Fest in 5 years or farther down the road? Is it something you want to keep going for a while?
The goal is for Future Chord Fest to be an annual Upstate mainstay and grow bigger and better each year.
[divider style=”shadow” margin_top=”30px” margin_bottom=”30px”]
[widecontent background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”http://www.SceneSC.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/scenesctextureLogo.png” background_position=”50% 50%” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”50px” padding_bottom=”50px” font_color=”#222222″ font_size=”16px” centered=”no”] 
[/widecontent]
