as an easy transition, thanks to the group’s welcoming nature. “I’ve known all these guys and had a wonderful, great respect for these guys for years. And they have always respected me in a wonderful way, and a very beautiful way. So it wasn’t hard. Nobody made it hard. Everyone was so inviting.” Together, they’ve turned what was already the most thrilling show in town – a virtuosic explosion of funk, soul, jazz and hip-hop – into something even more electric. Reed conveys an exceptional depth of feeling onstage, reflecting her early experiences singing in church while growing up in Chester, Virginia. “That’s where we learn to emote… You can hear people sing or play and sometimes hear the church in what they’re doing. But it’s not just in a sound. It’s a feeling that you learn when you’re very young.” The next step for No BS! involves recording new material, to which Reed’s been contributing her writing talents. “Being able to perform songs that I have written with them and watched develop from the bottom up -- it’s just even more fun.” Reed’s also looking forward to more shows fronting Black Janis, her Janis Joplin cover project, as well as a new enterprise in which she’ll liaise for event planners in search of just the right live music.
ERIN LUNSFORD | VOCALIST ERIN & THE WILDFIRE | ERINANDTHEWILDFIRE.COM Erin Lunsford fronts the endlessly engaging group, Erin & the Wildfire, providing vocals as proficient and impassioned as you’ll find and a lyrical directness that deftly merges the personal and universal. While she’s a relative newcomer to Richmond, having moved here in August of 2018, she had a sense for the city’s music community well before then. “There were so many musicians we admired here. We felt like we had a good sense of the scene because we’d met so many wonderful people.” Lunsford grew up in Fincastle, Virginia, playing bluegrass with family members, competing at old-time music conventions and per-
Photo: Joey Wharton
forming with her mother as a duo starting at 13. “It was interesting working with your mom as a musician when you’re a brat teenager [laughs]. She was really kind to me back then. Still is. It was kind of like throwing me in the ring right off the bat.” She went on to attend UVA, where she assembled her group’s “core four” members. Being in Richmond means the soulful outfit can maintain momentum. “Moving from Charlottesville was really about keeping the project growing.“ The move also was an opportunity to live out the values Lunsford holds dear. „There’s a lot of women on the scene, and it’s really important to me to try to make our spaces as inclusive as possible, particularly in regards to body positivity and having a safe space. But also as inclusive as possible gender- and race-wise.” The group is conducting a monthly residency at the Camel this year, with plans to release a new album early in 2020. Lunsford also has a solo album on the way, where she revisits the sounds she grew up hearing. “Some of my writing recently for my solo project has circled back to that, trying to embrace the roots that I came from.” Her process has evolved to naturally compartmentalize songs based on the setting that provides the ideal stylistic fit – solo or band. But, the great news for listeners is that both are poised for a busy 2020.
Photo courtesy: Erin Lunsford
14 JAMES Magazine
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March / April 2020
