Swamp Records will hold its annual showcase featuring local and out-of-state artists on Thursday.
The night will be headlined by Hardcastle and Jet Black Alley Cat. They will be preceded by popular local artists, including flipturn, The Forum, Glass House Point, Runner’s High and Laney. The show will run from 6 p.m. until 12 a.m. at Heartwood Soundstage.
“We are really proud of this lineup that it is curated for a more specific genre,” said Matt Fowler, president of Swamp Records and 22-year-old UF economics and English senior.
Before Joe Wilkinson knew he would be in a band, he often sang in the shower.
The 27-year old singer of the five-member pop rock band Jet Black Alley Cat admired *NSYNC as a kid - so much so that Wilkinson would perm his hair like Justin Timberlake. In his senior year of high school, he discovered punk rock — which he said was his gateway to truly loving and appreciating music. While attending Middle Tennessee State University, he met the friends who would become his bandmates. They quit school in 2012, moved to Nashville and produced their first song, “Poison.”
One of Jet Black’s songs includes “Miami Baby,” which is inspired by the party culture and flat neon walls that Wilkinson and his band experienced while on tour a couple of times in the city.
Tanner Ropp, a 20-year-old UF computer science sophomore, is a bassist for the band Driveaway.
He started the four-person band in 2016 with his brother Trenton Ropp, the lead singer and guitarist. They have shifted genres over time, from rock and blues to dance rock and indie pop. Driveaway recently released a new single, “Sitcom,” on Spotify.
“We’re looking forward to new experiences and to be more ingrained in the indie community,” said Tanner Ropp.
Driveaway’s songs are about love, transitions and experiences that are often hidden. “Northside” is an example of this, as it deals with mental health and being in a positive headspace.
A lot of the songs they write about champion self-love and taking care of yourself and others, Tanner Ropp said.
Food trucks and vendors will be at the event, including Soul Spice, Dank Cakes, Chick-fil-A and Larry’s Giant Subs.
“I hope people look forward to seeing the bands they already know, but more than that, to discover new artists,” said Fowler.
Tickets are $10.50 in advance at the Heartwood Soundstage website and at the door.
Trenton Ropp, the lead singer and guitarist, sings the chorus of “Sitcom,” Driveaway’s new single.
Madeline Jarman plays bass for popular local band, flipturn, which will embark on a tour of the Northeast this summer.
