Myrtle Beach’s Sleeping Policeman is aging Grace-fully
We first covered local singer/songwriter Charles Grace when he was a sophomore at Myrtle Beach High School some seven years ago. The soft-spoken, polite youth, with thick black-rimmed glasses and nearly waist-long blond hair performed in a punk/pop garage band called Chicken Day. The band was fun and energetic, even if not quite ready for prime time. Fast-forward to Nov. 18, Grace, now 23, sports much shorter hair, the same hip eyewear, and has released a new, self-produced, full-length CD entitled “Anticipation.” He says it’s his first “grown up” effort and that it is the “most ambitious, polished, and mature collection” of songs he’s ever written.
Chicken Day first paved the way for Grace’s next musical incarnation, a usually solo (sometimes larger) project he calls Sleeping Policeman. But now, no longer primarily a solo effort, the five-piece version of the Sleeping Policeman will perform in a CD Release party and concert at 8 p.m. Saturday at Fat Cat Café in Carolina Forest.
Grace graduated from Coastal Carolina University in May 2013 with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Music. He says the training, mostly on classical guitar, has helped his songwriting and guitar performance, more than he expected. “It’s weird,” he said. “The further along I got into the program, the more I found less distinction between [pop, rock, and classical] styles. I apply the [training] and use it in weird ways.”
“Anticipation” found its genesis in 2009 when Grace first started writing songs for Sleeping Policeman but hadn’t fully grown musically to the point of comfort and confidence he now enjoys. He says he hopes this newest Sleeping Policeman project (the third in his discography) will help launch a professional career in songwriting and performance. The project is available at all the usual digital distribution sites, and from Grace. The www.sleepingpoliceman.bandcamp.com site offers full-length samples and merch. “I put everything I had into this,” he said. “It’s the first record I recorded in a professional studio. Before, with other projects, I’d do it DYI. I’d go to the Office Depot and buy CDs and jewel cases and then print my own inserts. This time I recorded it at JBH Recording Studio, and Brian McKenzie mastered it. I used Discmakers and had 500 copies pressed and shrink wrapped.”
The 11-track folk-indie/rock recording features Grace, engineer Jim Harris (Tim Clark Band), along with Caleb LaBarre and Timothy Hardwick (Wonder Shakedown). Grace and Hardwick played multiple instruments, and sang, but other than Grace, the Sleeping Policeman band is altogether different than the session players. Saturday’s concert will feature Grace (electric and acoustic guitar/vocals), Zac Thomas (electric guitar), Thomas Smith (bass), Jack Graham (keyboards), and Peter Strauss (drums/percussion). “This lineup fell into my lap,” said Grace. “Everyone just started calling and we put it all together.”
“’Anticipation’ is the record I want to use to jump-start and expand into regional and national territory. My whole goal with this project and this record was to start over and say ‘The Sleeping Policeman is more than just Charles Grace; this is a band.’ I’ve always enjoyed playing in a band. Music is like a conversation. It’s not as much fun if you’re talking to yourself.”
Saturday’s all-ages show ($5 cover) will feature opener singer/songwriter Alex Muller. The Fat Cat Café is at 2060 Oakheart Road in Carolina Forest
All In A Name
In the beginning the Earth was void and without form – it was a hot mess. Then the Earth cooled and it was much better. Then came the dinosaurs, and it was scary as hell. Then came the Necessary Brothers and it was fun again. Then Matt Necessary moved and the band morphed into the Necessary Band; and it was good. Then came guitarist Mike McCoy and keyboardist Monty Montanaro and The Necessary Band rocked the Grand Strand for an age. But then Montanaro and drummer Danny Evans moved away and so the Necessary Band disbanded, and it was not good. But the remaining players missed playing together, so they downsized and reformed as the Mike McCoy Trio with Pete Roditis on drums. And for a season it was good. Then Evans moved back and the Necessary Band reformed as Lowcountry Soul; and that, too, was good. Then the Earth warmed up a bit; just ask Al Gore. Now at the onset of winter, Lowcountry Soul, featuring Mark Necessary (bass/vocals), McCoy (guitar/vocals), and Danny Evans (drums/vocals) again became the Necessary Band and all will be right with the cosmos. Got it? Amen.
This story was originally published November 25, 2014 at 11:26 PM with the headline "Myrtle Beach’s Sleeping Policeman is aging Grace-fully."