IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC
The songwriting of local folk trio Vulcans is rooted in the American folk tradition and their Susquehanna Valley roots. The members of Vulcans—Aaron Spangler, 23, John Thomas and Nick Lindsay, both 25—all graduated from Mechanicsburg Area High School, where they developed their love of music by singing in choirs and musicals. The band’s current lineup formed in 2010, and they released their debut album, Shadows, in 2011. (A second album is forthcoming in early 2014.) Influenced by bands such as Mumford & Sons and the Avett Brothers, Vulcans play a diverse blend of “Americana folkrock” that veers from, as John describes, “slow and more melancholy” to “upbeat bluegrass foot-stompers.” The band’s trademark is its stirring threepart harmony, which extends beyond the songs. Aaron refers to the band’s “egalitarian” nature in both the writing and the performing of their songs. The three rotate lead-singer duties—and instruments, as they all play the guitar, banjo, mandolin, and bass drum. The band has several shows scheduled in Lancaster this fall, at Tellus360, DipCo, and elsewhere. “Lancaster is going to get hit hard,” Aaron jokes. This summer, Vulcans performed at the Firefly Festival after winning the grand prize from the Philadelphia Songwriters Project contest, and won the Susquehanna Folk Society’s Songwriting Contest two years in a row. As they gain attention and fans, they remain proud to be a Central PA band. “It’s where we come from,” Aaron says, “and it influences our music and our lives.” Listen at thevulcansmusic.com
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