Twen Brings Ethereal Rock To The Basement Debuting Their Inaugural Album ‘Awestruck’

This past Friday at The Basement, Nashville psych rock band, Twen, released
their debut record, Awestruck.

Between the faded brick walls of The Basement, so concealed by indie rock
band stickers that they become indistinguishable from one another, Peachy, a punk-
rock trio opened the night. Dressed in pastel colors and singing songs about rich
boys, orgasms, and lonely park outings, Peachy brought a welcomed energy to the
increasingly large crowd throughout their set.

Peachy’s songs lasted only a minute or two, brought intense energy to the
venue, and proved surprisingly articulate as the relevancy of their sardonic lyrics
resonated amongst the crowd, and their crunchy guitar and thumping bass lines kept
people’s feet moving.

Peachy’s set concluded, and the crowd hustled to buy another round of drinks
or smoke a final cigarette before Twen took the stage. It was clear that nobody
wanted to miss a second of Twen’s reputable, invigorating performance.
Awestruck is Twen’s debut, full-length album, released under Frenchkiss
Records. It’s a bedroom pop meets psychedelic rock record, and boasts vibrant
guitar hooks, ethereal harmonies and impressive, rhythmic breakdowns that Twen
perfectly replicated in a live setting. Both the record and Twen’s performance
balanced a fine line between an intimate, melancholy sound and their dissonant,
punk upbringing.

Fronted by Jane Fitzsimmons singing, and Ian Jones accompanying on guitar
and harmonies, Twen was started in 2017, emerging from the basements of the
Boston DIY punk music scene.

Now relocated to Nashville, Twen has become a force to be reckoned with
amongst the DIY music scene, and Nashville’s music community in its entirety.
Fitzsimmons’ delayed vocals and Jones’ ripping guitar solos made their
performance unforgettable as they navigated their way through their debut record
and some older content.

As their set progressed, their performance of tracks “Damsel,” “Awestruck,”
and “Honey Smacks,” from their new record were especially memorable. While all of
these songs contained the dream-like sound that has defined Twen, each
exaggerated a different aspect of their musical abilities. “Damsel” exemplified their
affinity for catchy guitar hooks, “Awestruck,” emphasized their haunting harmonies
and “Honey Smacks,” exaggerated their punk inspiration.

Twen ended the night with perhaps their strongest cut from the record and
their performance, “Waste.” The track, released as a single prior to Awestruck’s
debut, encompasses all variables that establish Twen as a definitive up-and-coming
Nashville band, sure to progressively draw larger audiences and more listeners from across the country.

Photo Cred: Henry Gregson