Scarlet Virginia Folk Rocks the Berkeley

Local folk rockers, Scarlet Virginia, will be hosting a CD release party this Thursday, August 12th, at the Berkeley Café. At the event, they will be launching their recently issued EP, By Lamplight, a noteworthy compilation of hauntingly melodic songs that mix folk-based storytelling with indie rock sensibility. The band has been performing at various area venues over the past year.

Lindsey Collins, lead vocalist for the group, originally hails from Wendell, and shares the stage with her younger sister and keyboardist, Mary Alice, her fiancé Ben Halliday on bass, and fellow musicians Mike Shelby and Blair Cook on guitar and percussion, respectively. The group was originally formed in 2008, and has been playing together with the current line up since 2009.

Collins cites The Decemberists, Radiohead, and Tori Amos as some of Scarlet Virginia’s musical influences. “We all come from pretty different backgrounds musically but I think that’s one of the things that makes our band.”  Their diverse styling plays well to a variety of audiences, Collins feels. “A lot of our songs are more rock based and some of them are full out folk songs with banjo and mandolin. We like being able to play completely different shows and having diverse sets.”

By Lamplight is the culmination of many years of songwriting and performances, with Scarlet Virginia members previously contributing to bands such as Fey, Lady Jade, Allied Threat, and Blair Cook and Mike Shelby’s newest project, Couches on Curbs. “I have been waiting to put out a CD like By Lamplight for over 10 years,” says Collins. “It was really cool to finally hear these songs how we had imagined hearing them. It’s been a long wait for this EP, but we are so proud of it and excited to finally get it out into the world.”

Scarlet Virginia plans to work on recording a full album early next year. In the meantime, you can check out their tunes and pick up their CD at the release party this week. Kennebec will be opening the free show at 9pm at the Berkeley this Thursday night.

Photo Credit: Stacey Weger

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