ABOVE: The Co Founder, photo courtesy of Jake Barrow.
By Josh Hughes
On Wednesday, November 9, Momo Grace and the Co Founder will be performing a live set at the Underground Coffeehouse starting at 7 p.m.
Switching gears from the recent surge of electronic shows at the coffeehouse, both bands fall under the vague-sounding umbrella of folk rock, and both sets will be primarily acoustic.
Hailing from Bellingham, the Co Founder are coming off of the release of their excellent self-released record “Wye,” and they will be going on tour in support of it this coming December. Drawing influences from borderline alt-country acts like Pinegrove, the Co Founder rely on immediate hooks and melodies with an urgent delivery and charismatic vocal performances.
Composed of Hayden Eller, Jake Barrow, and Luke Hogfoss, The Co Founder started as Eller’s acoustic solo project but expanded to its current lineup as the band picked up steam and was given the title of Top 50 Unsigned PNW Artists by NW Music Scene in 2015. After coming back from a West Coast tour that marked the first time all three members performed on the road together, the band plans to perform an acoustic set at the Underground.
“This will be our first ‘acoustic’ show in almost six months, so it should be fun!” Eller said. “We’ll be playing the versions that are included in ‘The Western Sessions’ (a four part ‘acoustic sessions’ video series we put out via our YouTube channel this past summer, as part of the promotion for ‘Wye’), so it will be fun to mix things up.”
Barrow will be playing ukulele instead of drums, and when asked about what to expect from the performance, Hogfoss had a playful answer.
“Does the Underground Coffeehouse still have carpet that looks like it’s from Saved by The Bell?” Hogfoss asked. “If so, you can expect a vibrant, 80s themed carpet pattern.”
Songs with propulsive force like “A90” and “Either Way” should translate nicely in an acoustic setting, even without the driving rhythm section and electric guitar.
Momo Grace, also from right here in Bellingham, is a five piece band self described as silly and soulful, blending a variety of genres and moods to create a feel-good folk vibe. Their active Bandcamp page has produced a handful of summery singles recently, and their EP “Scalabar” has a consistently homey sound that paints a picture quite similar to its welcoming album art. Composed of multi instrumentalists and led by vocalist Monica Parshotam, Momo Grace recalls the warmth of The Cinematic Orchestra or Over The Rhine with their sparing arrangements.
As much of their recorded music is acoustic, their coffeehouse set promises to be an intimate performance complete with multiple part harmonies as well as trumpet from Zack Kutkey. While their album “SPEAK” is not yet out, the show will include new songs by the band as well as tracks that go back to their 2009 inception.
Be sure to check out both artists through their Facebook or Bandcamp pages, and don’t miss out on an acoustic evening of jams on November 12 at the Underground Coffeehouse.