“(young) American Landscape,” a four-member instrumental band based in Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina, has received a $500 grant from The Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg to record a five-song album, yet to be named.
(young) American Landscape formed in 2011, when Spartanburg-based musicians Corey McDaniels (bass guitar) and Jacob Fowler (guitar) began discussing an instrumental project with two Asheville, NC musicians: Jonathan Atkinson (guitar) and Anthony Kirby (drums and percussion), who had a similar vision. The band released a full-length record titled “The Burden of Song” in October of 2011 and began performing around the Carolinas. In the following years they started branching out to different parts of the Southeast, while also spending a lot of time honing the material that will make up their second record. From their bandcamp.com page, they were able to develop a following in several countries abroad with “The Burden of Song.”
(young) American Landscape’s music is ambient instrumental rock meets modern minimalism. They strive to write cinematic and dynamic pieces that cover a wide range of emotions and lots of sonic territory.
While McDaniels and Fowler have lived in the upstate their whole lives, it was through networking and regional shows that they learned of their mutual interests with Atkinson and Kirby, who were both in Asheville based bands that had done plenty of shows in the Upstate. McDaniels and Fowler were both in a progressive rock trio by the name of “We Were Kids” for several years before the formation of (young) American Landscape, and each member of the band has contributed to various groups in their respective areas.
“We are grateful to The Art Partnership for granting this much needed money,” bands spokesman McDaniels said. “We consider receiving these funds not only to be a means to producing our next album, but as recognition for our work by the cultural leaders in our community. Our work reflects a certain segment of creativity found in the Upstate, and we want to share it with the world.”
The Arts Partnership’s Quarterly Grant Program is supported, in part, by its donors, the County and City of Spartanburg, and the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of the Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina.
For more information about Young American Landscape, please visit its Facebook page.