The Enemy Lovers at the LAB

Last night indie-rockers The Enemy Lovers played a private party in the back room of the LAB, hosted by Music Allies.

The Enemy Lovers are fronted by brothers Tim (guitar, lead vocals) and Steven (guitar, background vocals) Scroggs. Xpress discovered the band at its first Grey Eagle appearance a year-and-a-half ago (read the review here) and then interviewed the brothers (read it here) only to learn that the pop-savvy rockers were home schooled during high school and missed those formative “what bands are you into” years. Not to worry; they’ve more than made up for it.

The Enemy Lovers’ self-titled debut EP, recorded at Vintage Song Studios in Atlanta, introduced listeners to hooky songs and surprised the brothers with their ability to craft harder-hitting material that their previous mid-tempo songs. “I usually write at 80 to 100 beats per minute,” Tim told Xpress last year. The duo’s track “Coming Down,” recorded at the suggestion of producer Dan Hannon (Manchester Orchestra, Elevation), is a galloping 160.

New songs, debuted in full-band format last night, proved that the Scroggs brothers have embraced their rocker sensibilities. No more mid-tempo soft-rock for this band: The performance was energetic and exciting, with Tim showing off not just a powerful vocal but a formidable falsetto. If, a year ago, the brothers were flirting with rock band inclinations, last night’s set found them fully committed and wholly engaging. (Get a preview listen of their new songs here.) This is certainly one band on which to keep a close watch.

Watch a video of the Enemy Lovers performing “Circles” at the LAB (by ThatBeat Productions):

Watch the Enemy Lover’s video for “Coming Down” here:

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About Alli Marshall
Alli Marshall has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. She is the winner of the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize and the author of the novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," published by Logosophia Books. Follow me @alli_marshall

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