SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: IS/OUGHT GAP – “ARTSY PEACE AND LOVE”

IS/OUGHT GAP – “ARTSY PEACE AND LOVE”

A SPILL EXCLUSIVE MUSIC PREMIERE

Is/Ought Gap are one of those lost post punk bands from the 80’s which were house favorites at numerous venues and the kind of band that other bands all loved to play with when touring through town, but somehow they never had it work out to where they were able to get a record out. The band existed in the early 80’s Athens, Georgia scene and members of the band would later form other bands like Time Toy, Club Gaga, Kilkenny Cats, and Hindu Love Gods, and even appear in some of their later projects in the Athens, GA: Inside Out documentary which is essential viewing. On April 5th, 2024 Happy Happy Birthday to Me Records who have a very rich history of Athens titles in their catalog will be releasing a compilation LP titled SUA which collects the long lost debut album Lucky 7, demos, and live tracks. The band were known for their loose shows, danceable beat, and off kilter jangle pop which have led to comparisons to R.E.M., Pylon, Let’s Active, and the Replacements. SUA is a 15 song time capsule taking you back to early 80’s Athens, Georgia, a time before luxury student condos, cell phones, the internet, and when honestly the only thing to do was start a band to have fun. Is/Ought Gap will play their first show in almost a decade on April 12th, 2024 in Athens, Georgia at Nowhere Bar.

ARTIST QUOTE

This was a Tom Cheek riff that came from him practicing the chord progression to a Stones song. It was one of the first songs we wrote once Haynes came to town. We would switch who played what instrument a lot in the early days of being a band, taking turns on who played bass. I could never come up with a bass line for it so Vic Varney (of the Method Actors) ended up adding one when we went to record it at Songbird /studios in Atlanta. Some songs like this one and Mad never had a bass on it. Bryan Lilge joined us on a couple of live shows and added his own bass line. Later, David Barbe found a line that fit, and then most recently, Kay Stanton graced us with her cool version.

I think we wrote this at our first practice space, which was at the Mack & Payne Funeral Home, adjacent to the Morton Theater in downtown Athens. We had the bottom floor, back behind some accordion sliding doors. I think we paid $75.00 a month. At some point we discovered the casket elevator (and it worked!). The casket showroom had been upstairs, I believe.

The words reference a party that I went to over at the Limbo District/Jeremy Ayers’ house on Meigs St. My friend and I went there and were kinda green on the scene. There were some hash/tobacco cigarettes going around as well as some other things. A whole lot of giggling, full on laughing until you cry and paranoia. I just remember after a while feeling like I needed to leave, it was all too much. Going outside didn’t really help much, but it felt better. I remember thinking it was Saturday and then realizing that it was Friday and that made me laugh and freak out even more.

Is/Ought Gap
SUA
(HHBTM Records)
Release Date: April 5, 2024

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