In case you haven’t heard, Marcella & Her Lovers are in the midst of an IndieGoGo campaign.  Thanks to overwhelming support from fans in the Memphis community they have raised 75% of the $5000 needed to release their debut EP The Bronze Age.  Response from fans has been overwhelming and with 15 days left in the crowd-funding push I feel confident they will reach the goal. Marcella emailed me a sneak peek of the music last week and I can assure you this release is well worth your support.

The first time I met Marcella René Simien was via text message.  I attended Unchained II at The Rozelle Warehouse earlier this  year and Marcella left her studio open for visitors that night.  Long story short, I bought a piece from her but we never quite met face-to-face.  Taken in by the visual art, it was only later I found out about her musical talents.  After that, it still took me a shameful amount of time see her perform.  Despite the delay, when I met Marcella at Mollie Fontaine Lounge where she plays piano on Thursdays I was greeted with a warm smile of recognition.

Since then, Marcella’s music has kept me coming back for more.  Especially when she gets together with her Lovers, Dave Cousar (guitar), Rory Mills Sullivan (drums) and Dirk Kitterlin (bass guitar).  Their music lures you in with irresistible melodies and syncopated rhythms.  Regular Friday night shows at DKDC and occasional appearances at The Buccaneer Lounge offer ample opportunity to experience the magic.  If that’s not really your scene, the upcoming 18-minute EP gives you a perfect taste of what it’s like.  The first four tracks are enthusiastic get-up-and-dance samples of what Marcella & Her Lovers bring to the party.  The fifth track is a special duet between Marcella and her father, Terrance Simien, recorded in honor of Marcella’s late grandmother, Ethel René Simien.

It’s fair to say Marcella’s Louisiana roots add a special ingredient to her music that’s not commonly found this far upriver.  But it’s undeniable that Marcella & Her Lovers make Memphis music.  Local celebrity Dave Cousar, talent-bomb that he is, brings grit and authenticity to the performance.  The skillful musicianship of Sullivan and Kitterlin creates rare depth in a sound that hearkens back to sixties pop music.  Overall the music has a refreshingly honest appeal – I can easily picture the group performing for me while I listen to The Bronze Age and I’m grinning from ear to ear.

The first track, Put That Bronze, is a stellar example of the band’s synergy.  Starting with a playful bass line, Marcella’s sultry voice carries a smile throughout the slinky lyrics and I’m pretty sure I can hear a wink when she says, “You don’t mind me saying that, huh?”  It’s swampy sultry, like the sweat trickling down your back as you dance dangerously close with a stranger.  The palpable energy Marcella brings to a room makes her nickname, Swamp Princess, fit like a debutante’s glove.

And that’s only the first track.  The group exhibits a fantastic range on this debut.  Each track features something different and the whole thing goes together like a fall collection.  My Heart’s On Fire rolls in on a distinctly 60’s west coast vibe while We Rewind makes me picture impromptu road trips to Florida, all ambition and future plans.  This CD also includes one of my personal favorites, Branch Strewn Sky.   When I captured it live last month, I had it stuck in my head for weeks after.  The recording is a paltry example of what you’ll get on the EP, but it’s quaintly authentic.

Of course, the hidden treasure on this disc is the elegy Terrance Simien wrote for his mother, Ethel.  Marcella on piano and her father on accordion sets the perfect tone for this heartfelt ballad.  Marcella’s voice paints the picture of a kind, strong woman whose “fangs turn to sugar cane, at the mere mention of her name”.  The tenderness of this track is touching and hearing the father and child duet clearly shows that this Red Delicious doesn’t fall far from the family tree.  After hearing the whole thing, I expect this is only the first in a long line of releases for the unique swamp soul group.

And let’s not forget the most important part of this entire campaign – the release party.  Scheduled November 7th at DKDC, I feel confident they will have that pulled together on time.  And you’ve seen the party our Swamp Princess can throw in Cooper-Young.  There’s sure to be a plethora of elbows and you’ll find all of them on the dance floor.  One thing’s certain, the sticky swamp soul in the center of it all is Marcella’s voice as she purrs languidly into the microphone, caressed by her lovers’ music.  On the EP, I can feel her dancing while she sings and it makes me want to join in.