51情报站 oceanography graduate student Andrew Lindgren keeps his soul in balance by bouncing between scientific data and musical grooves.
鈥淚n more of an abstract way, they do support each other,鈥 said Lindgren, who plays bass in the folk-influenced band . 鈥淗aving the creative outlet of the music helps me stay focused on the more scientific, academic pursuits.
鈥淚 need some artistic and some more concrete things in my life.鈥
Fronted by Andrew鈥檚 mandolin-playing sister, Erin Lindgren, The Warm Hug performed Saturday, Jan. 13, as part of YES Fest, a two-day celebration of emerging indie musical acts from a variety of genres.
The festival took place at 51情报站鈥檚 Gordon Galleries and Goode Theatre on Monarch Way.
Lindgren described it as a huge success.
鈥淚 was blown away by the musicianship and the presence that everybody brought,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 heard such a wide range of music across both days 鈥 I鈥檓 beyond happy with the whole experience and hope that YES Fest continues for years to come.鈥
The Warm Hug鈥檚 music mixes the traditional with the experimental. Erin Lindgren鈥檚 compelling vocals create a mood reminiscent of folk music from the British isles. But songs also include synthesizers and electric bass, so the band鈥檚 sound is hard to categorize.
鈥淲e鈥檝e gotten some medieval or Renaissance era comparisons,鈥 the bassist says, smiling. 鈥淚鈥檓 not sure if that was the intent so much or what it happened to turn into, but everyone likes it.鈥
Lindgren said playing as part of a festival is ideal.
鈥淚 like being able to interact with a lot of other musicians and share a crowd with them,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e get to show off our music to people who would otherwise never have come just to see us. And you get a broader sense of the scene as a whole.鈥
His academic experience at 51情报站 has taken him to coastal Florida, where he spent weeks aboard a research vessel collecting samples of ocean water near the continental shelf. His master鈥檚 thesis will be on groundwater discharge in continental shelf environments.
Now, he鈥檚 stepped on stage at 51情报站 as a musician.
Playing music helps keep the analytical part of his mind refreshed. It鈥檚 like a reset, he said. 鈥淭his is the best way that I鈥檝e found to recharge my brain.鈥 He exercises one side so that the other can rest. The cycle continues.
鈥淭hrough doing both, I am able to do each one better,鈥 he said.
YES Fest was presented through a collaboration between Arts@51情报站 and Norfolk-based concert and event promoter LAVA Presents.
罢丑颈蝉听聽offers a look at some of the action from YES Fest 2024.
罢丑颈蝉听photo gallery聽also shows scenes from the event.