Nervous but Excited | Said & Done

We’d wake up singing like summertime,
Even when the snow fell. 

The other night I got a chance to hit up local WYCE-radio’s award night (better known as the “Jammies”) for the previous year in Grand Rapids, Michigan’s music scene. Set up as a series of mini-concerts between two stages, the awards were presented in between 3-4 song sets by a number of local bands and singer/songwriters of various genres, giving me a chance to see the burgeoning local Grand Rapids scene in a more real way - among some of the acts were college friend Justin Stover, The Soil And The Sun (who I’ve seen three times now), and Ribbons Of Song, all of them putting on great sets for both new and old ears.

It was about halfway through the evening that my slowcoustic funny bone started tingling after Kate Peterson and Sarah Cleaver, self-described “pleasantly aggressive folk” duo Nervous But Excited, took the main stage for a handful of minutes. It would be hard to describe the way their singing filled the room without sounding like hyperbole, but it was one of those moments where all conversation slowly gave way to silence in a hushed reverence for what was happening on stage.

NBE’s presence was humble and the music filled with a powerfully bittersweet honesty of love lost and distance felt - accompanied by an acoustic guitar and mandolin, their intertwining harmonies were wound together as tightly as a rope, strengthening each melody in an incredible way. And While I can’t remember everything they sang, they certainly left an impression on me. I recall knowing that I needed to hear more after their painfully short set.

Thankfully Kate was kind enough to hook me up with the above track, Said & Done, from their most recent full-length album Anchors. Even more recently, their latest project is the Just The Two Of Us EP, released last spring and comprised of 6 covers ranging from The Weepies to The Righteous Brothers. More information on touring and releases can be found via their website, and if you’re feeling up to it, you can help out with their costs for their next album via their kickstarter campaign. Grab a live version of Coffee Stained below while you’re at it.

Nervous But Excited | Coffee Stained (Live)