‘Lightning in a bottle’: Native brings her latest musical venture ‘Guyville’ home for Bullfrog performance
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An area native and musician who has contributed to Williamsport's thriving music scene will be returning with her duo from Los Angeles. Guyville will be playing at the Bullfrog Brewery at 8 p.m. Friday as part of their East Coast tour.
Emily Hulslander and Kat Hamilton comprise Guyville, an eclectic blend of genres the two musicians are inspired by.
"We consider ourselves to be a blend of alt-country, pop, and 90s rock," the duo said. "Imagine Sheryl Crow with a hint of grunge. A blend of melodic hooks and confessional lyrics."
Hamilton has a prolific career as a solo musician, having released two EPs and one full-length album. Hulslander also is a solo artist, having released one EP in 2015 and recently formed a rock-inspired original project called Social Drag. Social Drag will be releasing music within the next few months, Hulslander said.
Despite the women's separate projects, each finds a unique artistic satisfaction in Guyville.
"Guyville is special because we bring out the best in each other and push one another to be the best versions of ourselves as both writers and musicians," Hulslander said.
Hulslander and Hamilton met at a show in Los Angeles and found commonality with their passion for writing original music. Hamilton mentioned she was having trouble finding writers that she connected with in the city and Hulslander said she was interested in doing more original music.
"We briefly discussed writing together, which everyone does in LA," Hulslander said. "But we met up and within two hours, we had written our first song together. It was a real lightning in a bottle moment."
Shortly after this meeting, the first COVID-19 closures practically halted the live music industry and the duo began writing all the songs for an album over weekly Zoom sessions.
At live performances, Hamilton and Hulslander will switch off between electric and acoustic guitar, but they played every instrument, except for drums, while recording their art. Their third single "Boys + Girls w/ Guitars" was released on July 6, but the full-length album isn't slated to release until October of this year.
With a tour and an upcoming album, the duo has short-term goals to work toward.
"We ultimately want to reach and connect with more people and create more fans," Hulslander said. "We believe in this project and these songs and we want to share it with as many people as we can. We also hope to be picked up by a smaller label or distribution company so that we can have a larger team behind the music that can help us find a larger audience and grow what we are building."
Although this is Guyville's first time playing in Williamsport, Hulslander is familiar with the local music scene and is proud to become a part of it again.
"I always love coming home to where I grew up," Hulslander said. "The music community here is unmatched."
Hulslander was a member of the Uptown Music Collective when it was just beginning and said that the community here has always supported and nurtured musical talent. It's that nurturing that has helped the music community here grow to what it is today, she said.
"Every time I return here, I am blown away by the support and talent on the live scene," Hulslander said. "I've lived in NYC and LA, and some of the best musicians I have had the privilege of playing with are in Williamsport. Sean Farley and Evan Norstrom are two of my favorite musicians of all time and they are here playing out live."
Returning to the Bullfrog and sharing this scene with her collaborator in Guyville will be a special milestone for the duo, she said.
"I have been lucky enough to play at the Bullfrog for years of my life and I am proud to bring Kat back with me to share the experience," she said.
Guyville will start at 8 p.m. Friday and also will play a smaller set at the Back Alley Bar and Grill on July 11 as part of its grand opening alongside other Williamsport acts. Find the duo's social media accounts and music links at https://linktr.ee/Guyville.