When I first broached the idea to guitarist Noelle Shuck that Shehehe, over a decade removed from its debut, are now elder statesmen of Athens rock and roll, she replied, “Lord, when did that happen!?” It’s true, though, and at its inception the band was one of a tiny handful of locals at the time making anything close to its brand of classic, Ramones-inspired, four-on-the-floor punk rock.
Now, as the members prepare to release the band’s fifth full-length album Namedroppers, they’ve arrived at a comfortable place. No longer in possession of a younger band’s burden to prove something, neither, however, do they find themselves looking down. If anything, they volunteer a hand up. Their recent single “Get On My Lawn” is pretty much a welcome wagon anthem to younger groups coming up.
I caught up with Shuck right after she and the band had left David Barbe’s Chase Park Transduction studio. You’d think the band would take a break with being on the cusp of a new album release and all, right? She then said the new album has been in the can for about two years. It was recorded by engineer Steve Johnson at his studio Kingdom Hell, then mixed by Barbe and mastered by Jason NeSmith. The delay in release seems to be one of getting the project slated onto the release schedule of its label, Say-10 Records.
At 18 songs, the album appears extra long at first, but it’s only 34 minutes total. Surprisingly, no material was left over even after assembling a collection this size. “We kind of write albums as albums if that makes sense,” Shuck said. “So when it was time to record an album again, we took the new songs we had and got them record-ready and then made the album. So there were none left over.” And while each record may not exactly have its own concept, Shuck allows that, “I think they all fit within a period of time that’s different from the previous. So maybe not a concept per se, but an approach as things change for the band, like lineup. So, like, Nicole becoming the bassist meant she sings less.”
In the studio the band members are masters of efficiency and ensure they’re always well-rehearsed before doing any tracking. “We go in with pretty much everything written and practiced; we’ll practice playing the songs without the vocals, then only vocals to kinda get ready for the experience,” Shuck said. Also, they’re pretty democratic. “It’s honestly pretty collaborative, and we kinda look to each other for reasoning to do things one way or another,” she said. In regard to the album they’re currently recording, “Barbe gives us his preference if he has one, and we generally go with that. He’s got some genius tactics to get the best stuff out of bands.”
When it’s said that Shehehe has nothing to prove, that isn’t to say they’re not still going for it. It’s just they’ve spent enough time getting to where they are that they’re just fine having a good look around. They lean into it with some humor (e.g. “All my heroes are dying/ When I hear their music/ It makes me feel young again” from “Elton John”) as well as the aforementioned welcoming spirit (“Went by so fast/ Don’t want it back/ That time is done/ Just wanna watch others be young/ Get on my lawn” from “Get On My Lawn”).
The trio—Shuck, Jason Fusco on drums and Nicole Bechill on bass—are no strangers to the road and have some dates planned in support of Namedroppers. Shuck said, “We’re doing some regional weekenders! Right now we’ve got a Greenville, SC-Atlanta weekend, New Orleans-Pensacola, and then we’ll do a run down to Florida.” So, while the work is ongoing there is a sense of satisfaction among the band who has well earned its achievements. “I feel very satisfied with Shehehe and what we’ve done and are doing. We are active and making music consistently and to what I feel like is a level of quality. We are still part of the Athens music scene and continue to help build it and support it as new folks and bands form,” Shuck said. “The whole ‘making it’ dream wasn’t ever really something I thought about… For me, outside of performing and writing, it’s just about making connections and friends with people who love doing the same thing we do. Some of my very best friends I’ve met through the band.”
When I mentioned straight away to Shuck that the new album leans into adulthood and being comfortable at the place the band is at right now, she responded by saying, “I love that interpretation. I think we feel like we’ve found our groove and know who we are.”
WHO: Shehehe, Totally Slow, Chimes, Mercyland
WHEN: Aug. 24, 8 p.m. (doors)
WHERE: Nowhere Bar
HOW MUCH: $12 (adv.), $15
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