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Richmond’s Heart Beats to the Sound of Telltale

Alicen Hackney | September 23, 2019

Topics: bryce marshall, Edgar Allan Poe, john carter, local music, music, pop punk, punk, rock, tell tale heeart, Telltale, tim fogg, Timeless Youth, travis slack

With their latest album, Telltale embraces early 20-something life with a timeless pop punk sound. 

Pop punk is alive and well in Richmond. Its heart beats to the sound of Telltale’s timeless message, for those who face the challenges their many pop punk brethren have faced before them. With the release of their new album, Timeless Youth, the guys of Telltale deep-dive into the issues of early 20-something life that they hope others can relate to. 

“It kind of has been overdone, but we don’t really care,” said Telltale guitarist Bryce Marshall. “A previous tourmate of ours actually suggested we call it Timeless Youth just because he felt we were naive. It’s the theme we’ve embraced as a band.” 

“At the end of the day, it’s primarily a creative outlet for ourselves, what we’re dealing with and going through,” said John Carter, the band’s vocalist. 

Photo courtesy Telltale

This message they carry forward rings true to each generation as they pass from their teenage years into adulthood. While the message may seem to be unnecessary with the trailing off of many pop-punk bands in the larger scene, there is no shortage of audience members who continue to face these growing pains today. 

“If we can connect to people be them younger or older, that’s great. But if it’s not something somebody identifies with, then it’s not for them,” said Carter. “It’s not the message they need to be hearing at this time, and maybe they need a message from somewhere else.”

As they’ve blossomed into a prominent Richmond band over the years, the members of Telltale made friends they’ve kept close who uplift their message across genres, and who they support as well. The guys have ensured that within their re-emerging genre, they continue to extend their reach into other places to reach anyone who might need their message. 

“We see support out of the pop punk scene, but also out of the hardcore and folk scenes,” said Carter. “You pull influence and fans from, and send fans to, other genres inside the community between us all.” 

“We’ve felt a lot of support from bands we’ve looked up to for a while,” said bassist Tim Fogg. “The bands we’ve looked up to are actually starting to see us as a contender within the music scene, and it’s established this really unique friendship that also gives us a lot to learn. It’s been nice to have everyone backing us as we’ve been ‘on the come up,’ as they say.” 

In the midst of support from different bands and different genres, the guys have found their niche in the scene and know what they want in sticking to it. While they recognize that their name (which is a reference to Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Tell-Tale Heart”) could lead them to include more horror themes in their music and performances, they want to leave that to those who already do horror well, and instead appreciate the art in the writing itself. 

“There’s tons of bands named after assorted books and elements from writing, us included,” said Fogg. “Someone might see we’re into Edgar Allan Poe, that they’re familiar with, and understand we’re out here making art just like everybody else.” 

Photo courtesy Telltale

“Life is scary enough, and there’s enough horrific things out there to write about, so you don’t really need to write about horror novels in the songs,” said Carter. “As cool as that would be, there’s already bands out there that are doing a great job of that. It’s just not really us.” 

“We’re nerds,” added drummer Travis Slack. 

In finding their place as up-and-comers, Telltale has hit a couple bumps along the way, but they have stayed focused and worked through each of them. During the creation of the first two music videos filmed for Timeless Youth, the guys had to pull together ideas last minute. While that may not be how they prefer to have things done, they have made it work time and time again. 

“We actually were supposed to go shoot them out of state with hired actors and this whole set-up and everything, and then at the very last minute we got notified we were going to be filming it in Richmond. It was like 36 hours before we had to shoot it,” said Carter. “By the seat of our pants and without much preparation is how those have gone in the past.” 

“We’re definitely a band that prefers to have everything planned out months in advance with everything laid out,” said Slack. “We like having everything prepared, and knowing everything we possibly can know.”

Photo courtesy Telltale

However, even in planned scenarios, things don’t always go as expected. When the guys showed up to shoot a music video back in January, they thought they’d get to keep warm in their coats — but the director had other ideas. 

“The ‘Rose’ video was shot in a cold warehouse near Shockoe Bottom, and my skin ripped off my arm when we were supposed to be ‘going hard,’” said Slack. 

Telltale has big plans moving forward, and absolutely no plans on slowing down. Fans can expect new music soon, including two new singles out this fall, and a whole lineup of shows. 

“We never want to have all the music we have recorded out and nothing that we’re holding in our hands,” said Marshall. “So as we go into the fall and have these songs out, we want to have more stuff recorded. We’re getting things together for whatever the next release might be.” 

Timeless Youth can be found on multiple platforms, including Spotify, the Sharptone Records website, Amazon, and the official Telltale website, where you can also find tour information and links to recently released music videos. 

Top Photo courtesy Telltale

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Welcome to the Dark and Beautiful World of Abigail Larson

Ash Griffith | April 15, 2019

Topics: Abigail Larson, Edgar Allan Poe, gothic art, HP Lovecraft, illustration, Neil Gaiman, RVA 36, Sandman, tarot, The Cats Of Ulthar

*This article originally appeared in RVA Mag #36, on the streets now at all your favorite spots.

The work of illustrator and artist Abigail Larson is what you’d get if you mixed Neil Gaiman and Mary Shelley together with a mystical, wonderful paint brush. From paintings to comic book covers — and even a tarot deck, currently in the works — Larson has covered a variety of media with her beautiful, darkly-romantic style.

She describes herself, and her work, in five very succinct words: “Strange, macabre, romantic, whimsical, imaginative.”

The arts have been in Larson’s blood since she was a small child. Originally, she dreamt big plans of becoming a world-renowned opera singer or a member of a circus, but crippling stage fright thwarted those ideas before they could come to fruition. We may never know what Larson’s version of The Greatest Showman would have been, but today, she could draw or paint a version of it for us. She’s had a great deal of success since turning to a less anxiety-inducing medium — fine art.

“I was always an artsy kid, but it wasn’t until high school that I realized illustration could be a career path for me,” said Larson. “I fell in love with the works of classical illustrators like Arthur Rackham and Harry Clarke, and I tailored my portfolio to book-illustration specifically. While getting my BFA at VCU, I built a website and started using social media to promote my work.”

It took quite a long time before Larson started getting work, but she remained busy with competitions and joining gallery shows whenever able. Two of her first showings appropriately took place at a few of Richmond’s artistic landmarks: The Poe Museum and Gallery 5.

It’s difficult to support yourself in the arts, and many artists fall victim to burnout and depression. Larson was no exception: looking back, she points to the strong storytelling aspect of illustration as one of the things that kept her motivated.

“That’s really the heart of illustration — telling a story through art,” said Larson. “I really love that creative process, but I especially love sharing my work online for others to see and enjoy.”

Larson’s style and aesthetic is very much reminiscent of romantic-Victorian (ultimately, gothic) styles. She has always been drawn to this approach, and its influence throughout her life has seeped deeply into her work. Even in her childhood, reading stories by authors like Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, and Charlotte Bronte, a macabre worldview has always attracted her, even if she isn’t sure why.

“I’ve never really been able to pinpoint what it is about the macabre and the gothic that I love so much,” said Larson. “I think the quiet, creeping, dark romanticism has always appealed to me. I felt very comfortable with that world, and eventually brought it into my artwork.”

Just one glance at Larson’s resume is sufficient to see that she stays busy. Her work is as extensive as it is diverse, and she keeps a full schedule of projects at all times.

Because of this, Larson admits she’s turned down projects due to time constraints. It’s pure professionalism that motivates her at times like this; for her, turning down a project is a way to avoid biting off more than she can chew, so to speak. That way, she can maintain focus on the project at hand.

However, there is one dream collaboration she’d probably make time for.

“I’d love to work with a major studio on a feature film,” said Larson. “I think it’d be fun to design characters for a huge project in film or animation.”

Ask any artist what their favorite project of all time is, and they will probably tell you “the one I just did.” Larson is no different.

“I love everything I’m working on while I’m working on it, and when the next project comes, I get wrapped up in that,” said Larson. “My favorite project to date is the Dark Wood tarot deck I’m working on with Sasha Graham, for Llewellyn Worldwide. It’s my biggest project to-date, but it’s definitely the most fun.”

Naturally, a unique tarot deck falls right into Larson’s wheelhouse. Another very apropos recent project of hers was to illustrate a story by pioneering-horror author H.P. Lovecraft. In 2016, Larson’s literary agent helped her pitch the project of a lifetime: creating an illustrated edition of Lovecraft’s The Cats of Ulthar. The resulting hardcover book was widely-acclaimed by fans of Larson and Lovecraft alike.

“It was a pretty fast-paced project, but the publisher was incredible to work with, and it was a lot of fun,” she said.

As mentioned, Larson tends to keep her hands in many different forms of media, one being a consistent array of comic book covers. She’s illustrated covers for series like Edward Scissorhands, Assassin’s Creed, and Penny Dreadful, and is currently working with DC and Vertigo on a project for the Sandman Universe. But she can’t tell us too much about it just yet: only that a few issues will be out “relatively soon.”

This, of course, begs a question: can fans expect to see an original comic series of her own in the future? Just maybe?

“I’m working on my own gothic retellings of classic fairytales, and I’m planning to release them in graphic novel form,” said Larson. “That’s a long way off, but it’s in the works.”

Larson originally came to Richmond for the acclaimed VCU art school; specifically, for their illustration program, which was recommended by several alumni she knew. Despite her confidence in her drawing abilities, she felt the university experience would help her evolve — not only in her skills, but in her sensibilities as an artist — in ways that working on her own couldn’t.

“I got the full university experience,” said Larson. “I took classes in science, history, math, and literature. In art school, I was able to learn not just how to draw, but to really understand art in all mediums. I studied photography, sculpture, painting, graphic design, etc. which have all helped give me a more solid foundation while developing my own style.”

She added that one of her first official gigs when she lived in Richmond was for the city’s  Zombie Walk, designing their posters. Since graduating with her Bachelor of Fine Arts at VCU, Larson has relocated to Italy, where she now lives with her husband; and even though she’s far from the city, she still designs work for Richmond’s beloved annual event.

Larson is open about the fact that she looks to many people for inspiration in her work. From various artists she follows on social media to the prince of horror himself, Mr. Vincent Price, she keeps her list of inspirations endless.

But just like anyone else, Larson occasionally hits a creative roadblock. Her biggest tip for other artists, though, is just to take a step back.

“I like to switch gears when I get stuck,” said Larson. “I listen to music, find a new show or movie to watch, take a break and go out, visit a museum, read a book — things like that. I hit an art block a couple times a year, and usually all I need to do to get back on track is step away from my work for a little while.”

When you’re a creative person of any kind — whether in visual art, writing, theater, photography, or any other artistic discipline — the hardest part of the game is always the same: finding a way to sustain yourself solely through your work. It’s an arduous process that takes a long time and a lot of work… and that’s if it ever happens for you at all.

For Larson, it was no different. Among the jobs she held while perfecting her art, she lists working retail in a lingerie store, and teaching children’s art classes (all while freelancing in her spare time, making sure the bills were paid). No matter how difficult the path she walked, though, Larson never gave up. She advises today’s struggling artists not to get discouraged if they don’t land the job they want right away.

“Learn, experiment, and your style will develop naturally,” said Larson. “Create artwork you enjoy, post your work regularly on social media, and jobs will start coming in.”

Even in her position today, as a successful artist self-supported with her work, Larson admits that there are still challenges.

“Keeping the momentum can be a battle sometimes,” she said. “For so many artists, jobs all pour in at once, or there’s nothing coming in at all. But having a personal project to keep you occupied during the slow periods will help keep you motivated.”

Despite moving on to live an ocean away, Larson’s time in the River City stays with her — and she maintains that it still influences her. Even if it’s just a small detail hidden in the background, the city is still present in her work.

“My time in Richmond and at VCU was a turning point in my life,” said Larson. “I was on my own, living in a new city, making new friends, building my portfolio, and taking my first steps into my career as an artist. Sometimes a certain headstone from Hollywood Cemetery or the landscape of Belle Isle might show up in one of my illustrations… and of course, I still carry all the skills I learned at VCU with me to this day.”

abigaillarson.com

Exploring Our Hometown With The Time Travelers’ Weekend

Aviance Hawkes | March 29, 2019

Topics: Courtney Road Service Station, Deep Run Schoolhouse, Edgar Allan Poe, exploring Richmond, historical sites, Maymont Mansion, museums, The Poe Museum, Time Travelers' Weekend

Time Travelers’ Weekend, a twice-yearly event in which 20 local museums offered free admission for the weekend, gave us the perfect opportunity to be tourists in our hometown.

Last week saw the return of Time Travelers’ Weekend, a biannual program in which 20 local museums and historic locations offered free admission, inviting locals and tourists to explore the area’s one-of-a-kind attractions. We had to get in on this ourselves.

Our first stop was the Maymont mansion, located at the heart of Maymont Park. The estate’s grounds are always free to explore, and house Japanese and Italian gardens, a small Virginia wildlife zoo, and the Robins Nature Center, which is a working farm. But on this visit, we grabbed the opportunity for a free tour of the mansion, which was the home of the New South business leader James Dooley and his wife Sallie in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Visiting the Belowstairs area of the home, traditionally the place where the mansion’s servants lived and worked, was a total informational experience. Downstairs service rooms tell the stories of household tasks and bring to life the many challenges faced by those working in domestic service during the era of Jim Crow.

The opportunity to visit the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, located at 1914 East Main Street in Shockoe Bottom, was one we simply couldn’t pass up. It was absolutely sensational, from the blueprint of the home (my dream house would be laid out exactly like this) to the factual aspects of Poe’s life, many of which were new to me. The museum interprets the life and work of Edgar Allan Poe as a groundbreaking literary figure for a modern audience that may be unaware of the extent of his influence, presenting a diverse collection of items related to the poet’s life and writing.

These were only two of the many locations available for free visits over the course of the weekend — and not just the sort of places you’ve been hearing about for years, either. Little-known historical sites like the Courtney Road Service Station, a 1920s gas station preserved for a century, and the Deep Run Schoolhouse, which hosted elementary education and community square dances in the first decade of the 20th century, were also available to tour.

When you live in a place all your life, it can be easy to miss the many intriguing attractions that host thousands of tourists every year. Time Travelers’ Weekend offers Richmond locals the excuse we all need to get out and see the amazing things right here in our hometown. If you didn’t get a chance to experience this one, we highly recommend you keep an eye out for the next one. It’s more than worth it.

‘The Haunting of Poe: A Burlesque Masquerade’ to resurrect the life and works of the melancholic poet 10/24 (ticket giveaway!) #Halloweekrva

Amy David | October 22, 2015

Topics: #HalloweekRVA, burlesque, Deanna Danger Productions, Edgar Allan Poe, Gallery5, masquerade, The Haunting of Poe

Quoth the raven, and be prepared for the mystery, because Edgar Allan Poe is coming back to life this weekend.

[Read more…] about ‘The Haunting of Poe: A Burlesque Masquerade’ to resurrect the life and works of the melancholic poet 10/24 (ticket giveaway!) #Halloweekrva

Raven Illustrations Of James Carling adds new layer of visual terror to classic Poe poem

Marilyn Drew Necci | April 13, 2015

Topics: Edgar Allan Poe, James Carling, RVA, The History Press, The Poe Museum, The Raven Illustrations of James Carling

It’s safe to say that Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” makes up the foundation of Poe’s reputation as the inventor of the horror genre as we know it today. Having inspired everything from a Simpsons Treehouse Of Horror episode to the name of Baltimore’s NFL franchise, “The Raven” is a cultural touchstone known to schoolchildren the world over. But visitors to Richmond’s Poe Museum over the past 70 years have seen another side to “The Raven,” which was brought to life by the terrifying illustrations of 19th century artist James Carling.
[Read more…] about Raven Illustrations Of James Carling adds new layer of visual terror to classic Poe poem

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