MEEFERS - Nervous But Excited

When Kate Peterson and Sarah Cleaver first started making music together, they had everything that a successful folk duo could ask for: amazing voices, two guitars, a mandolin, a violin, and a harmonica to create the most unique sounds in folk, plus the smiling faces and deep emotional lyrics that have won them fans nationwide. They just didn’t have a name.

So they played until they reached perfection, or at least until they were ready to go public. And they came up with a list. Peterson went to a dear friend for advice. “Okay, I’ve got some names,” she said. “I’m nervous. But excited.” And she carried on with her list, but the friend said they should just be what they are. And so Nervous But Excited stuck.

Three years later the duo is touring the country and celebrating the release of their newest album Anchors. Anchors has a dozen mystical songs and special appearances by sixteen of their most talented friends in the local music industry, including Chris Bathgate, Susie Giang, and Girlyman. “This one we’ve developed in a much more mature way,” Peterson says. “We’re moving to the next level in this recording process. We’ve reached and surpassed so many goals.”

Both Peterson and Cleaver are known for their songwriting and vocal skills, and the album shows a range of emotions and skills from them both. “I love songs with the most feeling and soul,” says Cleaver. “It’s easy to connect with songs like Scars and Anchors. It’s about going through a hard time in life, and wondering if you’ll ever be okay, only coming out stronger for it.”

Dear John is also a powerful song. It’s got a melancholy message mixed with a sadly upbeat tempo that any listener having gone through the ups and downs of breaking up will certainly be able to relate to.

When Nervous But Excited first started they decided they would have “made it” to get to play at The Ark in Ann Arbor and at Michigan Womyn’s Festival, both of which they’ve now done multiple times. “Now we want to be fully sustainable. And to be comfortable both financially and emotionally,” Cleaver says.

They also hope to be examples for change. They have crafted Anchors in such a way that they’ve left no carbon footprint on the planet, and their music has championed gay rights and an anti-war, pro-earth message.

“Nothing is overly political,” Cleaver says, “But we are interested in social change. On stage it’s clear we’re both openly queer women and we sing about that in various aspects.” They will be performing as part of the We Are Michigan Concert Series. This three-day event takes place in a different city each day to help raise awareness about GLBT human rights issues, and features both musical artists and local gay activists.

In keeping with the value of protecting the planet, Nervous But Excited teamed up with record label Riot Grrrl Ink to produce Anchors without leaving any carbon footprint. Any energy usage was replaced with renewable energy credits through a program at www.terrapass.com, which invests in wind power, tree planting and other environmentally renewing activities. They also used 100% post consumer recycled materials in the production of their CD covers.

The CD release party for Anchors will be held at the Arc in Ann Arbor at 8pm. You can also check out Nervous But Excited at the We Are Michigan Concert at The Magic Bag in Ferndale on April 30. For more information about Nervous But Excited, check out their website at http://www.nervousbutexcited.com.

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