"A play on the word “shoulders”, Shouldies as a name reminiscences kid-powered rewording, the “strawbabies” and “roast beasts” of childhood. As an electronic outfit, Shouldies relies less on the whimsical and more on the surreal. “Statue”, their first recorded material engineered by Esar Tehrani, emits a palpitating smokiness. Yancey Ballard’s talk-singing is a strong instrument on its own, building intensity with John Pierce’s use of MicroKORG and Daniel Eberlein’s programmed drums and bass synth. With a sound surprisingly full for a three piece, Yancey’s sprechgesang, like a haunting early Modern Lovers’ Jonathan Richman, provides a post-punk edge to John and Daniel’s synthwave foundation. “When I wrote this song I wanted the act of everything to be stripped away. I was tired of the whole performance of touch,” he explains. “I wanted someone to touch my skin with no intention. With something pure and perfect. I think of the repetitive verses in a mocking sense.” Craving a different creative current, when Yancey and John dissolved their long time project, Man Up Yancey, they were exhausted of relying on traditional band structures. John had cultivated a solo project, Post Hunk, that combined drum machine with traditional guitar and bass. While Yancey is always creating, currently making a zine about trans body positivity, the two knew they need another counterpart. When Daniel moved from Macon with a previous background in noise and an interest in electronic music, they found their magic number, three.  Without requiring a traditional drummer, or even dependence on a typical practice space, Shouldies, as a newer Atlanta act, also crosses over into queer art and identity. Having played many captivating performances, quickly gaining a devoted following, audiences look forward to more recordings and shows from this innovative group." -Wussy