Two and a half years ago, Kym Hawkins, the lead singer for the now-defunct local pop-rock band Plainclothes Tracy, moved from Knoxville to New York to study creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College. She thought she was leaving music behind, at least until she finished her master’s degree.
“But after about six months, I felt like I’d lost a huge part of my identity,” Hawkins writes in a recent email interview. “I started looking on Craigslist for a new band, but that wasn’t going far, so I started working as a luthier’s apprentice twice a week. I figured it would be a good skill to have, and it would be a place to meet musicians who are serious enough to get their instruments maintenanced.”
While working at the music shop, Hawkins met Geoff Bennington and Paul Demyanovich, who had just started writing songs together. The trio recruited a rhythm section and have been performing around New York since early 2013 as Gillian.
“I knew eventually I’d get back into music, but I thought I would wait until after I got the master’s degree,” Hawkins says. “I guess I got impatient.”
Gillian is performing on Friday, April 17, at Scruffy City Hall with local madcap rockers the Crumbsnatchers and the Athens, Ga., dream-pop duo Powerkompany. They’re promoting their second EP, Colorize, which will be available at the show. (The EP’s title track was recently promoted by Spin.com.) The band is currently working on new songs based on Cormac McCarthy’s novel Suttree, which could turn into the band’s first full-length album.
Friday’s performance will be the band’s second Knoxville show, following a set at Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria last year with Johnny Astro and the Big Bang and Hudson K.
“It was nostalgic, for sure,” Hawkins says of that performance. “We had a blast, though—everyone hit it off well, and now we try to play with Hudson K every time they come through Brooklyn. Love those guys. We expect an even better turnout at this show, and I’m really looking forward to seeing some old friends.”
Senior Editor Matthew Everett manages the Knoxville Mercury's arts & entertainment section, including the comprehensive calendar section—Knoxville’s go-to guide for everything worth doing in the area. You can reach Matthew at matthew@knoxmercury.com.
Share this Post