The Twelve Bands of Christmas: Day Two - AVEC

Today's band is arguably the loudest band that is participating in this feature. AVEC has been known to turn it up and put on a stellar live show. They can also turn it down a notch and be just as effective. No matter what they do, you will always go home satisfied. Ask around Baltimore and anybody who has seen them live, will tell you this. In fact, many of their biggest fans are other musicians.

The band is gearing up for a big 2007 that is sure to get them attention far beyond the confines of Charm City. So we decided to let you in on Baltimore's little secret, before they no longer are.

Band:
AVEC, sometimes AVECduet
Location:
Baltimore
Formed:
January 1, 2003
Members:
Shawna Potter – guitar, vocals
Brooks Harlan – guitar, keyboard, vocals
Adam Yeargin – bass
Scott Tiemann – drums
Label:
a few
Recordings:
AVECduet (Shawna and Brooks duet project) - Ambiguous City! Records / Big Crunch - 2006
if i breathe i fall asleep - Ambiguous City! Records - 2004
EP - ReStart Records / BIG crunch - 2003
Upcoming Live Dates:
January 13, 2007 @ Northsix, NYC
January 20, 2007 @ TBA, Baltimore, MD

How did the band form?
A very consolidated version told by Brooks – Scott, Adam and I played in a band called Sand Which Is that formed in 1996 at Texas Tech University. We moved to Baltimore in the summer of 2000 and had already been doing regional tours as much as we could. On the road, we became fans of a band from Nashville called Fair Verona. In 2001, I was booking a tour date in Nashville and I was trying to get Fair Verona on the bill. The promoter told me that they had broken up, but Shawna, one of the members, was going to play the show by herself. At the show, we all hung out a bit and saw an exciting potential for working together. Shawna ended up moving to Baltimore in the summer of 2002. We had a six month trial period as a four piece Sand Which Is. On New Years day of 2003 we officially became AVEC.

How was '06 for you?
It was a busy year for us all personally. So we didn’t do any big touring. We did have a really fun short summer tour with Karmella’s Game and some great one off shows around the area.

In the spring, we started talking to a record label called Civil Defense League about putting out our next full-length record. The label is run by Jim Ward who is the singer / guitarist for Sparta. His label is technically an imprint label for Doghouse Records. If all goes as planned, we should have a new record out in 2007! We head into the studio on December 15 with Producer / Engineer J Robbins. He is a real hero and music icon in our world of music, so we are honored to be working with him.

Also, this past year Shawna and I released a duet record, which basically captures material created for shows where the whole band couldn’t play.

Highlight of the year?
We had a great week in June where we told everybody we were going on tour, but we really just camped out at Scott’s house and wrote new songs all day for 6 days. The idea was to be isolated from jobs, etc. We called it band camp and we each had different duties everyday, like fixing dinner or teaching a master class. Without that week, I don’t think that we would be ready to go into the studio.

What do you have in store for '07 ?
The new record should be out and we hope to promote it with touring.

Goal for '07 and beyond?
Right now it is hard to see past the recording. We are focusing all of our energy on that. I think our goal in general is to write and play music that we are proud of and we hope that other people find it worth while to listen.

if i breathe i fall asleep(2004)
While You're Down There
Dejectile

AVECduet(2006)
Chase Adam


AVEC- While You're Down There


Favorites

Brooks
3 favorite songs of '06?
Salt and Syncope by Forget Cassettes
Half a Holiday by Fight Amputation
Unstitch Your Mouth by Sparta

Favorite album of the year?
Bad Dudes by Bad Dudes

Best live show you saw this year?
Make Believe at the Talking Head Club

Favorite holiday song and artist?
Zat You, Santa Claus by Louis Armstrong

Best present you ever received?
My daughter Eva

Worst present you ever received?
Nothing specific, in general I don’t like getting clothes as a present.


Shawna
3 favorite songs of '06?
Crazy by Gnarls Barkley
Salt and Syncope by Forget Cassettes
That's all I can think of. Most of the new music I listen to are radio hits I play at school dances and bat mitzvahs, so I"m tempted to say "Sexyback"...but I just can't!
How about "One Phone Call" by the local Karmella's Game.

Favorite album of the year?
Tides - From Silence

Best live show you saw this year?
Isis headlining at Ottobar, in October I believe.

Favorite holiday song and artist?
Anything Brenda Lee. Although in general, I really hate christmas music. I worked in retail way too long.

Best present you ever received?
For christmas 2003 most of my family and friends gave me money to help me pay for a two-week solo trip to Europe the following spring. I could not have afforded to go if it wasn't for their help... and I would not have been able to document all the memories I made had my father not given me a digital camera as well.

Worst present you ever received?
I can't say, because the giver is in my band!


Scott
3 favorite songs of '06?
Brace Your Face by Aloha
Between Wars by Butch Hancock
Dear Mr. Supercomputer by Sufjan Stevens

Favorite album of the year?
Some Echoes by Aloha

Best live show you saw this year?
McCoy Tyner at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

Favorite holiday song and artist?
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee

Best present you ever received?
A yo-yo. I laughed for about 1 hour because of it.

Worst present you ever received?
A yo-yo. I had asked for an original Nintedo System, but my parents thought a yo-yo would be more constructive. I was 11 or so.


Adam
3 favorite songs of '06?
Dr. C by Alias and Tarsier
Gettysburg by Ratatat
We Share Our Mother's Health by The Knife

Favorite album of the year?
Silent Shout by The Knife

Best live show you saw this year?
Why? and Cadence Weapon @ Ottobar

Favorite holiday song and artist?
Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

Least favorite holiday song?
Paul McCartney - (Simply Having) A Wonderful Christmas Time

Best present you ever received?
Millennium Falcon

Worst present you ever received?
Hootie and the Blowfish CD



The Twelve Bands of Christmas
Introduction
Day 1: Telograph
Day 2: AVEC
Day 3: The Hard Tomorrows
Day 4: Middle Distance Runner
Day 5: Thrushes
Day 6: Georgie James
Day 7: Exit Clov
Day 8: Jette-Ives
Day 9: These United States
Day 10: Cedars
Day 11: Two if by Sea
Day 12: Soft Complex