New Release: Shoobie by False Corners

To say Jack Shaw has been a fixture of the Atlanta music scene for well over a decade is an understatement. Along with his twin brother Mike and guitarist Jacob Morrell, The Head was formed back in 2007 when the brothers were just 15 years old and Morrell was 14. Since then, the trio has toured the U.S. and U.K. accumulating a repertoire of several releases. False Corners is the newest iteration for drummer Jack, who has written the words and music for the Shoobie EP, enlisting alternate vocalists to lead each one. Friend and producer Damon Moon was at the controls for production. He also performed all over the record with Shaw.

The four-song EP is a wonderful mix of indie pop and sentimental emotions. “Somewhere” is a luscious ballad that promises to pluck at the heartstrings of its listeners. Vocalist Chloe Kay provides the angelic voice that ties this song together. The simple and stark “Bare” features Anna Griffith on seemingly effortless vocals. This wispy, mid-tempo tune adds a new feel to the release. The lone male voice on the EP is provided by Tyler Key on “She Said,” a perfect radio-friendly pop song for the new year. The opening harmonica notes evoke an Asbury Park, NJ vibe. Emily Backus offers up a more folksy pop sound on “Where is My Blood.” The brightest light here is Shaw’s excellent songwriting chops, each track masterfully tailored to suit the respective vocalists. Imagine a writer pairing with four vocalists who bring their unique styles and personalities, creating a sort of Myers-Briggs personality set of songs. This would be that.

From the Shoobie press release, Shaw reflects on the creation of False Corners, “I’ve always loved that Brill Building format of writing songs for other artists to sing. Collaborating with Damon has allowed me to explore that format more than ever. He’s been my George Martin and Wrecking Crew rolled into one.”

Shaw kindly answered some questions for No Earplugs:

Where did the name False Corners come from? False Corners are what contractors build to add corners to a structure, I think. I really don’t know the phrase’s true definition. I just heard an architect use the term once to describe building corners for this room he was designing. Regardless, “False Corners” wouldn’t leave my head so I decided to put it to use.    

What specific instruments do you and Damon each play? On Shoobie specifically, I play the acoustic guitar, drums, and glockenspiel. Damon plays everything else (electric guitar, bass, keys, synth). On “She Said,” Tyler Key actually contributes an electric guitar solo. On “Somewhere,” my brother Mike plays piano. Me Me Me also performs strings on “Somewhere.” 

What other bands are Tyler, Anna, Emily, and Chloe associated with? Tyler Key is an old buddy of mine who has been playing in the Atlanta/Athens scene for a while. Anna Griffith came from the now-defunct band Bandanna. In terms of “Where Is My Blood,” that song is sung by Emily Backus. Emily is the singer of this awesome local band called Mom Friend. “Somewhere” singer Chloe Kay is a singer-songwriter who used to share bills with my own band The Head. She’s also my fiancée! All of these singers are fantastic singer-songwriters in their own right and have released music on their own. Chloe actually just released her second LP I’m free now, I’ll miss you last fall. Most of these guest singers performed for The Goodmood Fund‘s benefit concerts at one point or another. Tyler and Chloe also used to be part of Goodmood’s booking roster in 2019-2020. All of them are amazing artists and people.

Any plans to play live? No. False Corners isn’t a live kind of project. That’s not to say we wouldn’t do a special live performance one day. 

Anything happening with The Head in the near future? Yes! We’re actually working on some new stuff we plan on releasing soon. We’re also about to announce our first live show of the year soon. Expect more from both False Corners and The Head.

Mark your calendars for the Shoobie release January 26 on all streaming platforms. It will be the first installment of a three-volume EP series from the Shaw-Moon collaboration. Stay informed by following False Corners on Instagram and Spotify.

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