Swansun performing at the Spring Showcase. - Features Editor / Paige Britt
On April 15, student-run record label Red Oak Records held their spring showcase featuring local band Swansun on the back patio of the newly opened Student Center expansion.
Swansun’s indie, pop, folk vibe paired with the sunny yet chill April day, setting the stage for a coming-of-age movie, while students walked to class or to grab a quick bite.
Members of Red Oak Records sold pizza slices and baked goods to raise money for the organization. This event was presented and produced by U Matter, a company started by junior music industry major Andrew Bechara.
“So we actually signed them last semester…We’re continuing the rollout of their new single, it’s called Loving Vincent…This is just kind of an effort to spread the name around campus as well as bring awareness to Red Oak Records,” said RJ McKee, junior music business major and head of Artists and Repertoire (A&R) at Red Oak Records.
Formerly known as Rowan Music Group, the record label underwent a rebrand last October. Through the Artist Services class at Rowan, students sign artists and bands to the label and help them book events locally.
Steven Feinberg, the head of Red Oak Records and lecturer at Rowan, credits the event to Bechara. He is passionate about bringing live music to campus.
“I think it’s important that we do this more often. And actually that’s sort of Drew’s thing. He wants to bring as much live music as possible…It’s all youth culture here,” said Feinberg.
Bechara recently launched U Matter and hopes the company soars so he can produce music full-time.
“I love music. I’m a creative myself, and so producing music is really exciting to me. Swansun is a great band,” said Bechara.
The five band members, David Mercoli, Evan “Bugcatcher” Ayrer, Alan DeCecco, Ryan Floor, and Sidney Riley, all connected through Rowan and other bands they were a part of. In a serendipitous moment, the five came together to form Swansun.
“I’m the Thanos of local music collecting,” said DeCecco, who plays guitar and sings.
The members said their sound comes from jazz, folk, and 70’s pop-rock influences. Their newest single, Loving Vincent, was inspired by the 2017 animated drama about artist Vincent van Gogh, with the cover art mimicking van Gogh’s Starry Night painting.
Swansun currently has an album in the works, which has a lot of different musical “flavors,” said Ayer, who plays the bass.
“Everyone is contributing music, so it’s a lot more diverse…It feels more hodgepodge,” said Ayer.
Swansun performed two sets of original music from various parts of their discography as the sun set on the patio. Members of Red Oak Records cheered in the audience, while two operatically sang “pizza for sale” in between songs.
Although the members of Swansun did not expect to still be performing together when they formed in 2021, their goal is to fill venues beyond the Student Center patio.
“We would like to do this as our job…For right now, we’re just trying to play more in the area,” said Floor, who plays the keyboard and sings.
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