Indiecore Memphis: Microwave guitarist invaded the Hi-Tone with Blis.

Atlanta-based rock act Microwave released a new single Thursday Sept.17 called “Thinking of You,” on Stereogum.com. The track is cut from their upcoming split EP with Head North, a band from Buffalo New York.

Microwave vocalist and guitarist Nathan Hardy was in Memphis Tuesday night with -what actually turned out to be a GIANT surprise to me- another band he plays guitar in. I am so glad that I happened to go to this show.

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The black, painted floor of the Hi-Tone pleasantly vibrated when Blis. performed on the same bill as locals Forsake Your Nets, Sleeping Seasons, and The Passport. Nathan Hardy shared how he and Blis. spent the day in Memphis.

“We were all driving around like ‘I would love to live here’ it just seems like a very well maintained city of nice people,” Hardy said. “It’s a lot like Atlanta, but Atlanta’s a little bit dirtier I feel like. The fact that there’s a Bass Pro Shop in the pyramid was a really big bonus for me. I’m a big fan of Bass Pro Shops.”

Hardy and the rest of Blis. performed in Chicago’s Riot Fest on Sept. 15 during the same time slot as one of their major influences, Manchester Orchestra, and enjoyed their time off-stage as much as on.

“We got to have a free open bar for three days which was a bad idea but also a really fun idea,” Hardy said. “Tenacious D was there and Drive Like Jehu and Taking Back Sunday. There was tons of really cool people hanging out in the artist area. We mostly just enjoyed having a free open bar and being able to gawk at really awesome people.”

"We're playing a lot of songs we haven't recorded..."

"...Which maybe wasn't a good idea!"

Nah, they killed it.

Though none of the other acts on the Hi-Tone bill Tuesday night have played to a festival crowd quite like Riot Fest, local band Sleeping Seasons do share Blis.’s major musical influence. Vocalist and guitarplayer of Sleeping Seasons, C.J. Starnes explained his bewilderment meeting Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra when Manchester played a Halloween show in Memphis last year.

“We were on the street team for that so we helped to promote it,” Starnes said. “We got to meet Andy after the show and that was a delightful experience. I think that was the first time I’ve ever stuttered talking to somebody. I just got really nervous cause it’s like I met my hero.”

During Sleeping Seasons’ set Tuesday night Starnes happened to mention that the stringed instrument players to his left and right were, in fact, a married couple. Guitarist Julian Stanz held up his ring finger and smiled as bassist Kayla Stanz nodded in approval.

“He and I are both in a band called with Bravado in town,” Kayla Stanz said. “We’ve played together for years and years so we’re just filling in with Sleeping Seasons. He’s filling in with them regularly i’m just filling in for tonight.”

Singer Starnes admitted that their full-time bassplayer had an important reason for not attending the performance.

“Tonight he had school at the U of M so he couldn’t be here,” Starnes said.

Nathan Hardy, who, like the Stanz,’ plays in two seperate bands, shared how being in both touring Atlanta groups Blis. and Microwave can be challenging.

There's Hardy on the right

“Blis. signed first with a label in LA and Microwave signed with Side One,” Hardy said. “We’re both supposed to be recording whole LP full length albums December or January at the end of this year at the same time.”

Microwave’s last full-length Stovall which was released in August 23 of last year, features an incredibly earnest tune called “Something Right” in which Hardy sings about the ins and outs of a failing relationship. To add to the heartfelt complications of the song, it is revealed on the final verse that the writer’s girlfriend is pregnant with his child. He opened up about the motivation behind the track.

“I don’t have a pregnant girlfriend,” Hardy said. “I’m happy to hear that as much as you are. My girlfriend at the time had told me that she was pregnant, she thought she was, but I was freaking out and I was going through the whole thought process as though I was having a kid. In my head it was super real.”

Now, the only “super real” problem that Nathan Hardy faces is that one of his bands is named after a household kitchen appliance.

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“Tyler Finlay from Blis. named Microwave when we were drunk at a party,” Hardy said. “We were thinking it sounded along the lines of American Football or something but afterwards it sounded more and more like an appliance at Sears or HH Gregg. It’s whatever. It’s a terrible name. Let’s be honest. It’s one of the worst names.”

Blis. and Microwave certainly aren’t two of the worst bands however. Blis.’ performance at the Hi Tone Tuesday was a blast, and Microwave’s split with Buffalo Band Head North will be released Oct. 9 by Bad Timing Records/SideOneDummy Records.

Check out the locals: Forsake Your Nets, Sleeping Seasons...Star Killers, er... Forrister dropped the show but they're still amazing.

...Oh yeah and The Passport kicked ass like always but whatever: