When Nicholas Gunty and Brian Powers unite their songs and voices, profound magic fills the room, commanding the audience’s attention. The duo, known as Frances Luke Accord, is what NPR’s Mountain Stage describes as “the definition of lean-in music.” Their soft, contemplative vintage of indie-folk reaches deep into the soul, evoking a sense of timelessness that pays homage to their Simon & Garfunkel comparisons but ventures further into the realm of Bon Iver, Jose Gonzalez, and progressive folk music. Their music is not just a performance, but a heartfelt connection that resonates with each listener, a connection you can experience at Wild Rose Moon Performing Arts Center on Saturday, June 8th.
Originating from South Bend, Gunty and Powers crossed paths and began their musical journey while studying at the University of Notre Dame. Their first release, Kandote, was a courageous intercultural collaboration with the Barefoot Truth Children’s Choir in Uganda, a not-for-profit effort that continues to support the choir to this day. Relocating to Chicago in 2013, the duo dedicated themselves to honing their songwriting craft, releasing two more self-produced EPs. Their hard work and dedication laid the groundwork for their breakthrough debut full-length, Fluke, in 2016. This immersive, philosophically rich album set them off on their first national tour, which included support dates with Darlingside, Anaïs Mitchell, and The Ballroom Thieves. Their journey is a testament to their passion and commitment to their music, a journey that you can be a part of this Saturday at Wild Rose Moon Performing Arts Center.
A remote band since 2017, the duo’s do-it-yourself ethos has remained strong since Fluke. Still self-managed and self-produced, the duo has released two more EPs: Silver & Gold (2019) and Sunnyside (2021)—the latter under their new label, Two-Dale Records—in addition to their long-awaited sophomore LP, Safe In Sound (Tone Tree Music / Two-Dale Records), out now. Co-produced with Don Mitchell of Darlingside, Safe In Sound is a spacious, deeply textured indie folk record forged during COVID-19. A pulsing collection of sing-along earworms, it delivers a front-and-center view of the band’s signature tenor duo harmonies. With lyrics that often reflect the exasperation of artists struggling to hang on in a pandemic-worn industry, the album features several guest appearances (Darlingside, Liz Chidester, Yeshua, Chris Dupont, and Katie Van Dusen) as well as the fan favorites, “Maria”; “This Morning”, “In My Life”, and “Dust to Dust”.
Frances Luke Accord will perform at Wild Rose Moon Performing Arts Center in Historic Downtown Plymouth, on Saturday, June 8th, from 7 to 9 p.m. As usual, the evening’s performance will be divided into two parts: a 50-minute concert and the live taping of The Wild Rose Moon Radio Hour. Tickets for Saturday’s show are available at www.wildrosemoon.com or in Plymouth at A.S.K. for Flowers.
