Wombo’s Guide to Louisville, Kentucky – One Of America’s DIY Hubs

The chatter around Wombo has been non-stop since the release of last year’s excellent full length ‘Fairy Rust’. A fantastic, inventive, forever-enlightening song cycle, word of mouth hype seemed to propel the band to the next level.

The three-piece – Sydney Chadwick, Cameron Lowe and Joel Taylor – carried on doing their thing, writing and recording new material. Recorded by Nick Roeder, new EP ‘Slab’ lands on June 9th via the always-vital Stateside independent Fire Talk, and it adds another chapter to their story.

Music that speaks for itself, Wombo’s work does require a little context. Based in Louisville, Kentucky, they’re enthusiastic proponents of their home city – it’s a DIY hub, a centre of art and innovation that contains a palpable sense of energy.

Here, Wombo’s Sydney Chadwick gives a guide to Louisville, and it’s many wonders.

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Here is a guide to Louisville based on things I like to do here.

First thing in the morning, I usually go grab a coffee. I switch between a few places. Usually Bean or Full Stop in Germantown if I am alone and want to read or draw out on the patio. If I feel like getting a donut, I’ll usually go to Sunergos coffee and Nord’s bakery right beside it.

After that I will sometimes stop by Fat Rabbit and look through their clothes and records and books. They have a lot of fun knick knacks too. My house and wardrobe is made up of things I’ll find either there or any Goodwill or Peddlers Mall around town.

Another great place for book and records is Surface Noise. Recently picked up another Tom Robbins novel there. Surface Noise is also a good place to catch a show at. They usually have interesting acoustic or experimental acts in an intimate but very cozy setting. Guestroom Records also has some of the best collection of records in town and a lot of tapes, too.

If I feel like getting some lunch out, I usually go to vietnam kitchen and get some pho and an avocado milkshake and maybe some turnip cakes. Or I like to go to Roots/Heart and Soy a lot lately. They have healthy vegan options and a huge tea list.

I go to parks a lot and one of my favourites from when I was a kid that I still go out of my way for is E.P Tom Sawyer state park. It’s on the grounds of what was the original Lakeland Asylum which has a very dark history. You can walk along the paths over the old bricks and leftover parts of the buildings that used to be there. I like to look for artifacts in the creekbeds. I found a pair of dentures and a medicine bottle and lots of bits of broken chinaware.

Falls of the Ohio over on the Indiana side of the river is a beautiful place to walk around. When the river isn’t too high, you can walk out onto the rocks and look at fossils and stones and driftwood.

If I feel like going to a show, St. Philip Neri is a church that is now used as a venue for musicians and has a beautiful setting with tapestries and large blue painted ceilings. The shows can go from punk to folk and everything in between.

Camp Social Club is a new ish DIY space that always has interesting shows going on too. For movies, either Speed Cinema which usually has more eclectic art films or new documentaries going on, or Baxter Avenue Theatre. During Halloween, they have midnight showings of old horror films that I like to go to.

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‘Slab’ will be released on June 9th.

Photo Credit: Fallon Frierson