New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Remember your first real house party? That moment when all you wanted to do was get down and boogie?
Embrace that feeling, because it's exactly the kind of energy Austin's rising indie-rock/folk group brings with every performance.
The Cover Letter began forging their name in the Austin music scene in 2013, quickly becoming known for their multi-instrumentation and constantly moving performances. Blending an old-fashioned Americana sound with modern indie melodies, The Cover Letter takes folk and twists it into something new, yet somehow, nostalgic.
The band was founded when former college roommates Jacob Shipman and Jarrod Nall separated from their previous projects and decided to start fresh. Both rhythmic players, their goal was to push their individual limits as musicians and a style was forged which neither expected. Quickly realizing they needed more to maximize their potential, Johnni Roaché, an old friend of Jarrod's, was brought on to fill in the gaps of the former two-piece. As fate would have it, they simultaneously met singer/songwriter Chelsea Barbo at a house party and, after hearing her music, they decided she was the right fit. The group recorded a demo at a small, in-home studio in 2013, and, shortly after, the final element fell into place in the form of drummer/lead guitarist Trevor Van Stanfield. With each addition, the band's style shifted and performances improved.
The release of their self-titled EP in 2015 quickly earned them a local following. A couple hundred shows later, and the group is making huge strides around the state of Texas, appearing in local music festivals, news programs and national radio. They've been named one of the Best New Bands in the Live
Music Capital of the World by the Austin Chronicle and one of the country's Hot 100 Unsigned Bands in 2015 by
Music Connection Magazine. They plan to keep the momentum going as they tour with their newest effort through the southeast United States this upcoming spring.
The Cover Letter's second EP, Cities Made of Sand, promises to showcase a growing diversity of styles. Stemming from each member's individual influences, CMOS is a testament to their fully-collaborative, "run-with-it" mentality. They believe musicians are able to push personal boundaries even further, and create some really interesting sounds, when the one-instrument-restriction is removed. So that's just what they did.
Shipman, Barbo, Nall, Roaché, and Van Stanfield feed off individual styles as the group frequently trades instrumental and vocal responsibilities. Cities Made of Sand will be made available for purchase and streaming online in February, 2017.
