When I was asked to talk about a favorite local band my brain instantly went into overdrive. Just one?! Really? It was torment. The amount of talent that saturates our little city is superlative to any place I’ve lived, and beats most places I’ve been. So instead I want to talk about my first real Memphis music experience.
A little over 3 years ago, I moved back to Memphis to get my life into some kind of order. I reconnected with some high school friends, Holly Cole being one, and was just dipping my toes into the local scene when SXSW came around. Holly invited me along and of course, I was all about it. Brad Postlethwaite had given her a demo of a few songs off Snowglobe’s upcoming album, A Little More Lived In. After the first listen, we couldn’t get enough. I know, I know. I’m a little late boarding the Snowglobe train, but I made up for lost time. After hearing “Nothing I Can Do” five times in a row, I was in love. It was spring! The weather was glorious, the windows were down, the music was blasting, and we were on our way to be a part of something truly amazing. Memphis had an undeniable presense in Austin that year, and it made me wonder what I had stumbled upon.
Looking back, I realize that the timing of my discovery had made a permanent impression. It was my first introduction to the Memphis music family. I mean, Snowglobe is all about it. What other band not only has an annual Christmas show, but actual snowglobe trinkets you can take home and put on the mantel above your fireplace. Well, most of them anyway. Especially if you don’t mind a minature, imprisoned Santa getting wasted with Mrs. Claus. I’m rambling. The whole point is, Memphis music will always be, if you choose to be a part of it, family. Everyone has a part to play and none of us would get anywhere without each other’s support (which is freely given). How can I choose one band to talk about? It’s like asking me to talk about a favorite sibling.
Krista Wroten started playing violin at the age of eight. She studied music at Boston University until she realized she needed to create original music with others. Over the years she’s picked up accordion, keyboard, and singing. The Memphis Dawls, the Yazoo Shakes, Amy LaVere, and (sometimes) Snowglobe are some of the local artists she collaborates with. Her other (and better) half is Jana Misener, a cellist with whom she can write bad ass string and vocal arrangements to anything. She hopes to someday write soundtracks for films on a ranch in Montana.
