USC’s female a capella group to release second album at Thursday’s show
They’re sugar and spice and everything nice. The Cocktails — USC’s token female a capella group — will be hosting their winter concert and album release in the Russell House Theater tonight at 7:30 p.m.
The show, which will feature a capella performances of songs from their new album “Another Round” as well as a few holiday classics, is one of the ladies’ two annual showcases and will double as the unveiling of their newly recorded full-length.
“Our set list this year really showcases that our group is multidimensional. We love performing music that means something to us ... and our concerts are a way for our audience to share in that experience,” said fourth-year sociology student Joanna Harrison.
Although the girls will perform an old favorite, “Numb” by Linkin Park, they will also showcase new arrangements from “Another Round” like Florence + The Machine’s “Dog Days Are Over” and Maroon 5’s “Sunday Morning.”
“This concert is going to be particularly special because all of the songs really tell stories about who we are as a group,” Harrison said. “We have a few powerhouse songs that show our strength as women, some upbeat songs that show our fun and silly side and a few emotional ballads that we really pour our hearts into.”
The girls began recording their second album — their first, “Happy Hour,” was released in 2009 — in May with The Vocal Company, an up-and-coming a capella production company.
“The Vocal Company spent countless hours working on our tracks, adding some flair, mixing the levels and adding effects,” said fourth-year biology student Laura Simpson. “And each time, we were able to hear the mixes and provide feedback, which was really awesome because it allowed us to be sure we were getting the product we wanted.”
After two days of recording in May, four days in August and a trip to The Vocal Company studio in Greensboro, N.C., Benjy Rose from B:COMPLEX Creative — an Atlanta-based marketing and design firm — helped create the album theme and Dave Sperandio at diovoce — an a capella vocal production company — mastered the tracks. But it all came at a big price.
The Cocktails set a fundraising goal of $3,000 for Dec. 2 to help offset the album’s production costs, and ended up meeting their mark with four days to spare after hosting percent nights at Village Idiot, selling advertising space and working with an online fundraising program called Kickstarter.
And the donations came with perks. Those who gave $5 towards “Another Round” received a personal video from The Cocktails, $50 backers will get copy of “Happy Hour” and a signed copy of “Another Round” and $500 supporters receive a performance “anywhere, anytime, a song of their choice arranged and performed” as well as the two CDs, Simpson said.
And what goes on behind the scenes? We hear the polished product on show night, but there is a lot that goes into song and solo selection and the mastering of the vocal percussion.
Each song arranged traces back as a group favorite or a radio hit, and although they can’t cover them all, The Cocktails do take requests.
“We like to reinvent songs but understand that sometimes the audience just wants to hear the song like it’s played on the radio,” Simpson said. “So sometimes we just pick a Top 40 that we have a good soloist for and go with it.”
Each of the girls pick their own songs to arrange, some tying back to a deeper connection and others a more spontaneous act.
“I decided to arrange ‘Tonight, Tonight’ one day when I was listening to it on the radio on the way home from school. I feel like it’s a really fun song and shows off our extremely goofy side,” said fourth-year biology student Samantha Ward.
But in the same chord, some of the songs are lesser known, or more “alternative” hits, that showcase a different side of the recognizable, like Simpson’s personal favorites — which will be performed at tonight’s concert — “Gravity” by Sara Bareilles and “Settle Down” by Kimbra.
“We are connecting with the songs more than we ever have before,” said second-year music education student Mary Adkins. “Each person has their own song that they can relate to the most, but as a group, we can relate to every part of the set in some way or another, which gives the audience such a different experience — when they can see exactly what you are feeling during a song and what it means to you.”
Outside the excitement of the winter concert and album release, The Cocktails competed as one of six finalists in their third year at Sojam, a nationwide a capella competition in Durham, N.C. Although they didn’t place as first or second in the Friday night sing-off, the girls were still overjoyed to have competed for a third time.
“We left our hearts on the stage and we were proud and humbled to be able to perform in such an incredible competition,” Harrison said.
The Cocktails will be performing at a conference in Hilton Head as well as a beach wedding next semester and hope to attend SingStrong, an a capella festival in Northern Virginia.
Their winter concert and “Another Round” release is tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the Russell House Theater. Tickets are $3 for students and $5 for non-students.