Musician Stephanie Fagan’s ongoing musical journey will make a stop in Florence this weekend as the songstress celebrates the release of her second album.
Fagan will perform Saturday night during the “Heart Thief” Album Release Party at Southern Hops Brewing Co. in Florence. The party also marks the official launch of the Yonder Music record label, to which Fagan is signed.
Fagan is a Florence native who began her musical career at North Greenville University in an all-girl folk group named Flowers by Gert. After leaving college and getting fired from her day job, Fagan hit the road and performed as a solo act across the Southeast.
Fagan said those months of sleeping under the stars and on the couches of strangers enhanced her songwriter skills and helped her grow as an artist.
“I fell in love with the earth and the people in it,” Fagan said.
Her live performances and self-released first album, 2009’s “Ideas for Your Earbone,” earned her an eclectic and loyal regional fanbase.
But much has changed for Fagan during the past two years. She’s now a military wife, residing in Germany, and her perspectives on romance, life and people have matured a bit. She’s signed to an independent record label, and she says both the professional and personal changes are reflected in her new material.
“The last album was recorded at many different studios with different players on each track,” Fagan said. “Being able to go into the same studio, with the same musicians, engineer and producer has created a more cohesive sound this time around.”
Many popular Pee Dee musicians contributed as session musicians on the album including Ray Berry, Timmy Berry and Steve Hamilton of Dillon; James Scott Bullard of Mullins; John Bazen, Jeff Springs, Melanie McMillan, Deidre Johnson, Barrett Jackson, Mark Jackson, Rick Paulus, Brian McIver, Bernard Rand and Tommy Hatfield of Florence; Tom Ross of Columbia; and Sarah Harrelson. Florence native and Nashville session musician Chris Cottros also appears on the album.
The album was engineered by Ken “Dakota” Jones of Southern Harmony Recording Studio in Florence and produced by Yonder Music’s Missy Davis Jones.
Fagan will perform songs from “Heart Thief” during Saturday’s launch party. James Scott Bullard and the Late Night Sweethearts will open for Fagan.
“Heart Thief” will be available for purchase during the party.
- Traci Bridges, The Morning News
Source: Florence native Fagan celebrates release of second CD with launch party