Asheville Band Graces Listener’s Ears with New Album Release

Lund, a band outside of Asheville recently released their debut album “Right This Time” alongside two singles. The band celebrated their release on Sept. 2, playing a fun folk set at One World Brewing West. 

Nicole Lund, a Charlotte native and Appalachian State graduate, knew from a young age music would be the consumer of their life. 

“I knew from a very young age I wanted to sing, and that music was my passion,” the musician said. “It wasn’t until later in life that I really gained the confidence to take the stage on my own.” 

The Appalachian State graduate said they take great pride in being able to now get up on a stage and deliver music to an audience.

In their youth, Nicole greeted ‘60s/’70s rock music. Lund said their influences are deeply rooted in the psyche, and models may slip out unknowingly when creating melodies.

“If I hear something that sounds similar to someone I may see if I can find another way around it,” Lund said. “Sometimes there’s a lick that you might have been inspired by that you can change around and make your own.” 

After graduating with a vocal and music business degree, Lund started making connections in the music industry. 

The Appalachian State graduate said they always look for ways to grow and flourish both musically and personally. 

Lund said they worked an event with a wedding planner when they first moved to Asheville. They approached a DJ and asked who he worked for. 

“He asked me to sing on the spot and then connected me with his booking agent,” Lund said, laughing. “The booking agent then connected me with Brandon and said they were getting a new cover band together and were looking for a singer.” 

The Charlotte native said their now guitarist Brandon Townsend connected with them on the phone, and they realized they had many musical influences in common. 

“He’s a killer player, so playing with him was a no brainer,” Lund said. 

The duo realized they wanted to create, develop and perform their own music, not stick to cover tunes. 

“We got together, played and the rest is history,” Lund said. “We understood each other and knew what kind of music we wanted to make.” 

Brandon Townsend, an Asheville native and the band’s guitar player, said when Lund discussed the aforementioned project to them he immediately knew they had more in common than anticipated. 

“Music is important to both of us,” Townsend said. “Specifically, music that has feeling.” 

Townsend said they have played in bands since the early stages of their teen years. The guitarist said they knew they wanted to pursue music as a career when there was a shift of “wanting” to be a musician to “having” to be. 

“Listening to something beautiful moves you beyond just listening,” Townsend said. “I had to go behind the curtain and understand how it was made.” 

The Asheville native said music feels like freedom for them. 

“Music can take me places,” the guitarist said. “Like reading a book or watching a movie.” 

The artist said their goal, common to Lund’s, is to always keep growing as a person and as a musician. 

Townsend said when incorporating styles and meshing with Lund’s they steal from each other what they love. 

“Be honest with who you are, as uncomfortable as that may be at times,” Townsend said. 

The band’s frontman Nicole Lund said Townsend and her are excited about booking more shows, getting the new album streaming and to delve into writing new material. 

The album “Right this Time”, recorded by Tyler “the Falcon” Greenwell (Tedeschi Trucks band) at Echo Mountain Studios and Sedgwick Studios is newly released and available for download on all streaming platforms.