Wailing City Spotlight: Interview With Danny Fleet

Published February 22, 2024
Interview by Meghan Killimade

How did you get started in music? How about the band – how did you all come together and who are the members and instrumentation? 
The band started back in 2016, but everyone in the group has been playing most of their lives. Personally, my first experience was with my high school trio Sonnie and learning how to set up sound for shows in our gymnasium. Like many people, these were formative years that taught me how to pursue music in different forms. Fleet has gone through multiple iterations, but currently I'm honored to be joined by Christian Brunelle on drums/vox, Noah Greenleaf on bass/vox , Max Kelly on lead guitar, and Noah Feldman as our co-lead vocalist/ keyboardist/ multi- instrumentalist. As mentioned, we've all been playing most of our lives and have a rich history within this corner of Southeastern CT. Some of us had played in previous groups together or supported each other's projects, so this band has just felt like a natural extension of that.

Wailing City Spotlight Interview: Matt Gouette

Published February 8, 2024
Interview by Meghan Killimade

You’ve been writing and performing music in our area for a long time – how did you get started in music and how did growing up in this area shape you as a musician/songwriter?
It's just something that came naturally. I love music and always wanted to be a rock star. I used to play the guitar on tennis rackets when I was five or six years old. I convinced my parents to get me a guitar in 1992, took some lessons, learned the basics and went from there. I wrote songs before I could play an instrument. They weren't GOOD, but I was writing them. I'm glad those tapes were erased years ago. As for growing up in the area, I can't say it shaped me in terms of what I do musically. I just do my thing, and however it comes out, there it is. I've always marched to my own drum. But I will say that years ago, a friend mentioned that maybe I should do more original songs and not so many covers. That may have helped me to gain the confidence to just be myself and not try so hard to be another Elliott Smith or Nick Drake. Which WAS my trajectory in the mid-2000s, I cringe to admit.

Wailing City Spotlight: Interview With Bards Of Gungywamp

Published February 1, 2024

Interview by Meghan Killimade

Tell us about the band – who are the members & instrumentation and how did you all come together? 
Craig: It was the end of the winter of 2020. I was coming off of a 100 day sobriety bender. My day 1 of drinking was going to be on St Patrick’s day at the Strange Brew watching friends old and new playing Irish traditionals! It was kind of unbelievable… but then all the bars shut down because of some new outbreak called Covid.

Fast forward two years to the winter of 2022. Covid quarantines were relaxing and I found out the friends were going to try it again. Only this time they wanted me to play the banjo with them... I don’t play the banjo. Hell, I barely play guitar. I attempted to play 5 string banjo in January/ February, but learning new songs and trying to learn fingerpicking at the same time was too much. It was at this point I discovered the existence of the Irish tenor banjo. A four string instrument that is traditionally played with a pick. This seemed like it could be a much easier transition, only one hand would have to learn new tricks. So in the end of February / beginning of March I started to learn the Irish tenor banjo for the shows on St. Patrick's day. That first St. Patrick's was intense. I’m pretty sure we played sitting down, and it was a very stripped down version of one of our normal sets. Although, the main meat of our set was already established by then. It’s wild to look back at where I came from and where I am now after these few years of playing with these guys. They really have inspired me and have completely changed my life.

LOVE & PRESS

"I just wanted to thank you for all you do for the local music community. I have tonight off so I went to the wailing city site to see who was playing. It’s amazing all the work you put in for all the local musicians and venues and I just wanted to thank you."
- Phil Smith (musician)

"...my new best friend Meghan Killimade, who's site Wailing City, lets me find all the latest local bands -- where they are playing and the times -- has suddenly been a big help in letting me find some events outside of my usual box!"
- Stephanie Shawn "Bar Fly Journals"
(Sound Waves Magazine)
Published December 2024

"Wailing City is this absolutely fantastic local music blog here in CT. They've been the place to go to find out what's happening, what's new and why you should care for well over a decade. Graciously, they interviewed us about the new album, the book, the film and all that. While touring throughout the years, we've sometimes felt like 'one foot in, one foot out' with the local scene, but they've always made us feel right at home. Thanks Wailing City."
- Pocket Vinyl (band)

"There are a staggering 64 documented live music performances in my home of New London county, CT today alone! The population of this county is only 268,805 and it is only 772 square miles. That is an incredible saturation of venues hosting live music and is a stark contrast to places I've lived in the past! You would be hard pressed to find anywhere else in the country that has so much live music. Amazing really! Thank you for the hard work documenting and promoting Wailing City!"
-Travis Hyll (musician)

"Wailing City appreciation post: true champions of the New London county music scene. Follow them!"
-Dirt Pile (band)

"We wanna take a minute to shout out our friends over at Wailing City for always helping to spread the word about our shows. They've been curating the most comprehensive live music calendar for SECT since 2006. If you don't already, give them a follow."
- 33 Golden Street (venue)

"Wailing City should be your first check in for all local music schedules. Thank you so much for all your efforts in promoting the scene!!
- David Schena (musician)

"Wailing City has been keeping the calendar up to date since I first started going to shows 20 years ago. We’re lucky to have Meghan volunteer her time to help keep the scene going!"
-James Burke (musician)

"With a little footwork and a short drive I managed to visit three live music shows on Bank Street last night... New London ROCKS...and all made possible searching out local music on Wailing City... thanks Meghan."
- Don Diederich (musician / local music fan)

"If you don't have ears, then it's possible you're not aware that southeastern Connecticut - specifically New London County - has an incredibly vibrant music scene. Over the years, it's gone from a hotbed of indie rock to an area of musicians, fans and venues that support a complex and varied number of artistic styles. The wailingcity.com web site - newly and lovingly redesigned - is a tremendous resource. A labor of affection and devotion conceptualized in 2006, wailingcity.com boasts artist bios, reviews and interviews, a club and band data base and calendars, videos, audio streaming, and cross-referenced links on all of the above - as well as lists of music services such as instrument instruction, record and retail stores, related media and periodicals, festival information, and so on. It's the brainchild of musician/artist Meghan Killimade, (and contributors), and they do a terrific job."
- RICK KOSTER (The Day) Published April 03. 2014

“Wailing City, is, as of now, probably the most successfully comprehensive listing on local and area shows in Southeastern Connecticut on the Internet; the folks at Wailing City are doing an excellent job of making sounds from the underground.”
-Ben Johnson (The Day) Published July 27, 2006