Locals Only

Travel On, Riders

by Chris DeVille

Several long-dormant Columbus bands are getting back together for Little Brother's 10-year anniversary concerts this weekend, including alt-country staples the Lilybandits and weirdo prog-funk-rock trio Ishkabibble.

Perhaps the biggest of them all is Scrawl, the acclaimed '80s and '90s indie-rock trio that released five albums and toured their way across several continents before fading away a decade ago.

That's big news for those who fondly remember the Columbus rock scene of those days, but even more exciting is that this weekend's show is no one-off.

"We're hoping to play again," Scrawl singer/guitarist Marcy Mays said. "We're hoping to record."

Scrawl never officially broke up, Mays said, they just sort of went into hibernation after drummer Dana Marshall moved away at the end of the '90s. Mays and bassist Sue Harshe, who founded the band in 1985 with original drummer Carolyn O'Leary, tried a few shows with a drum machine but eventually decided to take some time off to do "real world" stuff.

"We were like 10 years behind everybody else our age," Mays explained.

Mays and Harshe dabbled in various pursuits for the last several years, including Harshe's gig scoring silent films and Mays' part ownership of Surly Girl Saloon. But recently the pair joined up to write songs again, this time with multi-instrumentalist Jovan Karcic (Gaunt, You're So Bossy) on drums.

What: Scrawl

When: Saturday, May 19

Where: Little Brother's, Short North

Web: littlebrothers.com

Scrawl 3.0 probably would have debuted sooner, Mays said, but the band members couldn't decide where they wanted to play a show. The Little Brother's anniversary seemed like a good occasion, even before owner Dan Dougan announced the club would likely be closing this summer.

Those anxious for new Scrawl material will have to wait a little longer. Saturday's show, which also features Ishkabibble, Earwig and the Lindsay, will be more like a greatest-hits set, Mays said. Many of the new songs are about 90-percent done and could get a public hearing sometime in July or August.

In lieu of a preview, Mays gave a description of the new stuff, calling it "almost simpler, but not as melodic."

The band has no plans for serious touring, but if one of the members' favorite bands asked them to do some dates, they would be up for it. "Shellac flew us to London for one show," Mays recalled. But now, as ever, the band is less a stardom pursuit than a fun outlet for three musicians, "purely for our own selfish entertainment."

One thing is for sure, Mays noted: Scrawl will adhere to the old adage about the shark that must move forward or die. So beyond Saturday, don't expect the band to lean too hard on its back catalog.

"If all we were going to do is play our same songs over," she said, "we would quit right now."

May 17th, 2007