Last year saw beloved Milwaukee indie radio station WMSE throw its hat in the Record Store Day ring with a live Field Report 7-inch—the station’s first foray into vinyl. Now, WMSE is gearing up for Record Store Day 2016 with another release featuring live cuts from a high-profile artist with Milwaukee ties: Sylvan Esso.
Live From The WMSE Studios, Sylvan Esso, will feature two songs, “Dreamy Bruises” and “Dress,” that were recorded, mixed, and engineered at the WMSE studios on November 13, 2014 by station engineer Billy Cicerelli. Sylvan Esso members Nick Sanborn (formerly of Decibully) and Amelia Meath met at Milwaukee’s Cactus Club back in 2010, and have since become one of the most celebrated acts in indie rock. “As a longtime Milwaukee resident, WMSE has always had a special place in my heart and it’s an honor that they asked us to be a part of this,” says Sanborn in a press release.
The release is another coup for the radio station, which is currently celebrating its 35th anniversary. “The fact that Sylvan Esso allowed us to release these two tracks on our second Record Store Day 7″ allows WMSE to show the local music scene once again not only how much we support it but also how much we depend on it,” says WMSE general manager Tom Crawford in the press release. “With support like this, it puts WMSE and Milwaukee at a national level, proving once again we have the most exciting, diverse and supported local music scene in the country.”
Live From The WMSE Studios, Sylvan Esso also marks the second time the station has worked with indie label Partisan Records, which is home to both Field Report and Sylvan Esso. “As a record label, we have been fortunate to work with a small fraction of Milwaukee’s diverse musical talent,” says Partisan’s Head of Radio Dan Yocom in the press release. “It is thanks to fine organizations such as WMSE—made up of hard working, passionate, intelligent, creative, wonderful and talented in their own right individuals—that we are able to spread awareness of this talent throughout Milwaukee and beyond.”
Record Store Day 2016 is scheduled for Saturday, April 16.