Album Review: Gardnerville-native Bryan Jones releases new album 'Loud As Folk Vol. 5: Buffalo Moses'
By Alex Alcantar click here for original article
“Now it’s your old friend, Buffalo Moses, playing songs that I know...”
Early on in…
Read moreLoud As Folk was founded by Spike McGuire as a monthly songwriters showcase in Reno, NV, debuting on April 20th, 2011. Before long, the series was pulling punk-gone-folk crossovers like Kevin Seconds, Kepi Ghoulie, and Franz Nicolay (The Holdsteady), who all appeared at the 1 year anniversary.
With the help of Six Mile Station bandmate John Underwood, McGuire expanded the showcase and set sail as a touring revue in October of 2014. Taking the show on the road created an avenue towards building an incredibly talented network and performing with notable acts like Ian Cook (Larry And His Flask), Yotam Ben Horin (Useless ID), and Forest Pooky who traveled all the way from France to hit the American road with Loud As Folk.
During a run of shows in April 2016, Spike McGuire and longtime friend Greg Gilmore began dreaming of a recording studio. After returning home, the pair pooled their resources and set up shop in the basement of Reno based arts collective, The Potentialist Workshop. By December, their recordings nabbed 2 spots in the Reno Gazette Journal year-end top 20 songs list.
Growth continued in all directions. The local showcase began to include a 4 day anniversary celebration, the studio began hosting it’s own radio hour on 97.7FM KWNK, and the touring revue moved into seated theaters and performing arts centers.
When the world came to a halt in 2020, McGuire and Gilmore (now LAF VP) refused to lose momentum. With venues closed worldwide it was the perfect time for the studio to shine. That September the Record Club was born.
Each month an artist is invited to record an exclusive session which is then made available on CD, cassette, vinyl, and digital. The first release was a 10 track compilation of songwriters from 4 states and 3 countries, who had visited the studio over the years.
In less than six months, Spike and Greg had recorded sessions by songwriters coast to coast, including San Francisco’s The Sam Chase and Vic Ruggiero (The Slackers) from NYC. Each release is accompanied with an in-studio music video.
As shows began to return in 2021, Loud As Folk worked diligently to make safe returns (for audiences and artists alike) to favorite venues such as Crystal Bay Casino in Lake Tahoe and Brewery Arts Center in Carson City, NV. The organization remains dedicated to presenting true songwriters, whether it be in a live setting or on a Record Club release.