“Friday night bath music. Relaxed but not boring.” That’s how the musicians of Lounge FM describe their music.
Guitarist and vocalist Corey Wohlgemuth says he struggles to put the band’s sound into words.
“We’ve said jazz pop, we’ve heard indie R&B,” he says. “This is always a tough question for us.”
Indeed, their music doesn’t fit into a single, obvious genre. It is perhaps easier to listen to some of their tunes online than it is to imagine what “Friday night bath music” might mean.
Bandmates Wohlgemuth, Matt Klippenstein, Joel Braun, Will Neufeld, and Adam Pauls were all born and raised in Niverville. In the spring of 2016, Wohlgemuth had been doing some song-writing and got together with fellow musician Jarred Lawrence to put some tracks together. The two felt they were on to something and decided to seek a bass player, and then a couple more musicians, to really round out their sound. When Lawrence left the group in October of that year, Adam Pauls replaced him, and Lounge FM was formed.
A year and a half after cementing their line-up, the band is preparing to release its first album, Love Will Let You Down, at the end of March.
“It was pretty relaxed,” Wohlgemuth says of the recording process. “Adam went to school for [sound] engineering in Vancouver, so he pretty much took on this whole thing.”
Being able to create the album on their own meant that the group could go at their own pace and ensure that they did everything how they wanted.
“It took a lot longer than expected, but we’re really happy with it,” adds Wohlgemuth.
Aside from working on the forthcoming album, the members of Lounge FM have spent time performing at venues around Winnipeg. Although they enjoy playing anywhere with a good audience, a few places have really stood out. Last July, for example, they played an outdoor show on the Cube Stage in Old Market Square as part of the twenty-ninth annual Winnipeg Fringe Festival.
“Being outside, playing music in the heart of downtown, was something pretty cool to experience,” recalls Wohlgemuth.
As far as indoor locations, he says, they have several favourites.
“I think collectively we like The Handsome Daughter the most. We seem to have great turnouts there,” Wohlgemuth says of the bar, restaurant, and music venue in Winnipeg’s West Broadway neighbourhood.
Other favourites include The Cavern in Osborne Village, The Good Will Social Club on Portage Avenue just west of downtown, and The Park Theatre on south Osborne.
Finding venues to play hasn’t always been easy. Since all of the band members grew up in Niverville, they didn’t have the same connections to the Winnipeg music scene as bands from the city. Like so many industries, the music industry relies heavily on networking.
“If you want to play live shows, you have to go out there and connect with new people and new bands,” says Wohlgemuth. “If people don’t know you, they’re not gonna call you.”
So Lounge FM has had to work hard to make themselves known and to forge relationships with people who book music venues. But the hard work is paying off, and they’re finding their place in the local music scene.
While growing up outside the city created challenges, it’s also had its advantages. Niverville is home to a lot of musicians, and Wohlgemuth says this helped the band members get to where they are.
“It was pretty cool growing up there, because I think everyone is a musician,” he explains. “So we got to grow up watching cool bands and learning from that.”
On Friday, March 30, the public will be able to see the results of all the inspiration and hard work at Lounge FM’s album release show at The Handsome Daughter at 61 Sherbrook Street in Winnipeg. The doors open at 9:00 p.m., with the show starting at 10:00 p.m.
The show kicks off with local artist JayWood. Wohlgemuth describes the opening act as “really good, dancey pop songs.” Then another local band, Odd Outfit, hits the stage. “Experimental jazz stuff,” Wohlgemuth says. “It will blow your mind.”
Lounge FM will head onto stage next to play a set. The event will finish off with the members of Lounge FM spinning some of their favourite records on stage until the end of the night.
Tickets for the release event are available from any of the three bands performing, or at the door at The Handsome Daughter.
