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Dark Histories Loom In Loamlands’ ‘Sweet High Rise’

WUNC | By Laura Pellicer,
Frank Stasio
Published September 29, 2017 at 12:40 PM EDT
In 'Sweet High Rise' the band Loamlands shares stories from a changing city.
Loamlands
In 'Sweet High Rise' the band Loamlands shares stories from a changing city.

Kym Register and Will Hackney are Loamlands, a folk-rock band whose often dark lyrics focus on local stories like urban development in Durham and overlooked queer history. The title track off their newest album, “Sweet High Rise,” is a direct reflection on watching the One City Center on Main Street in Durham climbs upward, forever changing the city skyline. Register’s thoughtful lyrics are supported and sometimes played off against contrasting layers of Hackney’s arrangements.Host Frank Stasio speaks with Kym Register and Will Hackney of Loamlands about their upcoming performance at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens on Wednesday June 28 at 7 p.m., their vinyl release, and a poignant new music video that explores a historic and brutal attack on gay men in Durham.

Host Frank Stasio speaks with Register and Hackney about their performance at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, their vinyl release, and a poignant new music video that explores a historic and brutal attack on gay men in Durham.

This segment aired originally in June 23, 2017.

Copyright 2017 North Carolina Public Radio
Laura Pellicer
Laura Pellicer is a producer with The State of Things (hyperlink), a show that explores North Carolina through conversation. Laura was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, a city she considers arrestingly beautiful, if not a little dysfunctional. She worked as a researcher for CBC Montreal and also contributed to their programming as an investigative journalist, social media reporter, and special projects planner. Her work has been nominated for two Canadian RTDNA Awards. Laura loves looking into how cities work, pursuing stories about indigenous rights, and finding fresh voices to share with listeners. Laura is enamored with her new home in North Carolina—notably the lush forests, and the waves where she plans on moonlighting as a mediocre surfer.
See stories by Laura Pellicer
Frank Stasio
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.
See stories by Frank Stasio