Sharla June -- guitar & vocals Carrie Hamby -- upright bass & vocals Dave Leporati -- mandolin & vocals Scott McArthur--drums
MAYHAWS ON THESE RECORDINGS: Jon Copps -- lap steel on "Bumble", guitar on "Hungry" Julie Couch -- drums & backing vocals Doug Morgan -- upright bass & recording prowess Scott McArthur -- drums, torso, snaps on "Hungry" Carrie Hamby -- backing vocals & accordion on "Everybody's Got One", backing vocals on "Fish Story"
Patsy Cline, Hank Sr., Johnny Cash, Carter Family, Louvin Brothers, Gram Parsons, X, Ramones, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Beach Boys, Michelle Shocked, Psychdelic Furs, Townes Van Zant, Buck Owens, Flaming Groovies, Faces, Who, Kinks, Pretenders, REM, Big Star, Etta James, Memphis Minnie, Leadbelly, Fetchin' Bones, Replacements, Charlie Pickett and the Eggs, Sean Condron, Bill Hangley, Jr., Tim Easton, Ole Bogwarriors from Hell, The Lazy Pigs, Two Dollar Bash, Django Reinhardt, Jimmie Rodgers, Bob Dylan, The Slut Boys, Detroit Cobras, Donovan, Bap Kennedy, Steve Earle, Dwight Yoakam, Peggy Lee, Green on Red, Ella Fitzgerald, Bessie Smith, Lucinda Williams, Flying Burrito Brothers, Byrds, Neil Young, Paul Simon, Rickie Lee Jones, jug music, Monk, Coltrane, Armstrong, Cannonball Adderley, Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings, Gun Club, The Police, Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, The Clash, Dean Martin, Woody Guthrie, Loudon Wainwright, Dr. Suess, Francesca Lia Block, Emily Dickenson, Mary Jo Bang, Les Murray, James Dickie, Mary Oliver, Barbara Hamby, The Ditty Bops, The Velvet Underground, Bonnie & Clyde, circuses, Buffy, Los Bros Hernandes, Spiderman, Nietzsche, Shakespeare, Elizabeth Cotton, Freedy Johnston, Wem Wenders, Jim Jarmusch, Thai food, the Gourds, David Kirby, Al Green, Otis Redding, Stiv Bators...
Sounds Like
Acoustic stomp and revelry, honky-tonk shenanigans, a little blues, a little balladry.
Singer, writer, teacher, and poet Sharla June is a north Florida native who first appeared on the Tallahassee music scene with soul/punk band The Shakes, a scrappy garage ensemble that sounded like The Stooges drilling through the entire Stax/Volt catalog. Sharla went on to form Begs and Achin', a southern-fried cowpunk band who built a massive and loyal following with their stellar song-craft and rollicking live shows.
When Sharla and her guitar moved on to Athens, Georgia, she began to explore the possibilities of acoustic music. Earnestly digging into her southern roots, she learned slave songs, Bessie Smith blues, and Hank Williams, incorporating these influences into her writing while following her own, way-out, loopy muse.
Having built an extensive catalog of songs and an itch to see more of the world, she moved to Prague, where she fell in with a group of like-minded miscreants and busked her way across Europe with just her guitar and her big, black dog, Sushi. It was during this time that she and fellow traveler Traci Buckle released the album Self-Help Songbook, and Sharla recorded an 8-track collection called One Hand One Crooked Finger.
Missing home, Sharla returned to the land of swamps and sink-holes, and has followed her voracious creative intelligence from one music and artistic success to the next. The Mayhaws bring together a wealth of influences, styles, and disciplines, and yet, like everything Sharla June touches, is uniquely itself--joyous and strange, wonderful and weird. We can eagerly look forward to what this particular synergy of talent, creativity, and originality will bring.
by David Ferguson
What the press have said:
Athens has a lot of musical treasures tucked away but few may be as undiscovered as Sharla Benedict. Sharla sounds something like Exene Cervenka in the early/mid-days of X, then can get less jagged and more delicate in a second....She could and should be the next big thing around here.
~ Dan Matthews, Classic City Live
If you havent heard yet, Sharla...is a tiny powerhouse of a singer/songwriter with a gigantic voice and the energy of a tornado. Put her in front of a rock band and she storms through a set like some weird cross between Toni Basil and Exene Cervenka. But she knows how to rein it in too, and her acoustic shows are pensive, moody, and provide a much better opportunity to assess the quality of her voice and writing.
~Liz Ireland, Classic City Live
Sharla is no tortured, confessional prima donna. After years of gigging in bands she knows how to have faith in a group of top-notch musicians and when its time to kick out the stops and rave it up."
~David Ferguson, Flagpole Magazine
Sharla...has wandered this sweet, old world far - Prague - and near - Gainesville, and is now ensconced back in the bosom of her nearest and dearest. She's a superlative song stylist and mesmerizing performer. You'll hear a mix of choice covers - from Big Star to Lucinda Williams to Memphis Minnie - and freshly minted originals. ~Kati Schardl, Tallahassee Democrat
The Craic Festival 2009 has invited FairplayCollective to play at this years Festival. All members will be playing in the round. The show is at The Mercury Lounge, March 14th at 8pm. This is the last night of the festival and Foy Vance is also on the bill.
What more can I say, a great night for music and film, with the odd star thrown in. Come show your support.
Thanks Sharla June for joining our ministry of Blues. It's all about peace, love, and understanding. Wishing you the very best in Blues and life! -Big Daddy
Hey! I absolutely love your music! You asked if I was playing any festivals... none at the moment but I'm working on it. I get up to Tally every now and again, so hopefully I'll get to hear ya'll someday ! peace, bri
Great seeing the Mayhaws Saturday night at Bird's! Now that Shenanigan's is gone, I have to drive a little further to see you--but it's worth it! Donna M.
What: Charles Arthur Goddard III and Sam Rustan will be performing thier unique and very different brands of original songs and music. on Saturday night 10-18-08. FREE to get in, and Mark gives all first time customers a free drink.
When: Saturday 10-18-08, 7:00PM (YES 7PM!!!) until 10:00PM.
Where: Mark's Bar located in King Buffet @ 2814 Apalachee Parkway.
Early show, so you'll still have plenty of time to do the late night Saturday thing of your choice. Hey, the apocalypse is nigh, so come drink your cares away with some good friends and original music....
Click this link for Jenna Nicholls album "Curled Up Toes in Red Mary Janes"
"Just as unhurried as it is precious and reflective. The atmosphere is serene; you’ll pick
every word that is uttered and find a world that normally goes at a million miles an hour
slow to a relaxing canter. "
Hey Sharla I'd like to invite you to listen to the songs on my profile, if you haven't already. There are four songs from our new album, 'Fingers In The Pie', and two from the first album, 'The Long Run'. Feel free to write a short comment; and if you really, really like what you hear, my special offer for direct orders of the new CD is still going. Please contact me for more information. And thank you for looking into my music!
Hey Sharla! I hope things are going well down in Florida. We're looking forward to the next time our paths cross. We'd love to come down and play a show around the spring time.
Rock'n'roll, sistah-friend!! :) I am so happy we finally got to meet and hear eachother at Gamble Rogers. We are loving your CD! Your whole band is freakin kickass, and your vehicle is a masterwork. Fell in love with the harmonies of you and Carrie, too. Much love, Rebecca
