Cindy Lawson - Copy of EPK

What's Up July!

Hello my friends!

We had such a blast at Pride and thank you so much to all of you lovely people who joined us. Unfortunately, our Wirth Park Trailhead show was a literal washout with rain coming down sideways soaking us and our equipment. Luckily, no equipment casualties this time!

We are joining forces with several other bands on Saturday, July 1 at Palmer’s to raise money for She Rock She Rock, the nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering girls, women, trans and nonbinary folks through the art of music. I participated earlier this year as a coach for their Women’s Rock Retreat and saw firsthand the amazing effect this organization has on the participants.

On July 5 at the Icehouse, my Wisconsin friend Genevieve Hayward will be playing with an opening set by Natalie Fideler. We played with her at the Octopus in Cedar Falls last April and she was magnificent~I highly recommend this show! She sings like Dusty Springfield and writes like Elton John.

Coming up on July 7, I’ll be joining First Avenue’s Rock Lottery - 48 Hours, 25 Musicians, 5 Bands, 1 Stage! “25 local musicians are drafted into 5 bands and have 48 hours to write a collection of original music to perform on the Mainroom stage” This should be a blast and I hope you can join us to see how it turns out!

Next up on July 8 the whole band will be playing at the Aster Cafe with support from Boston’s Linnea’s Garden. Linnea’s originally from St. Paul, but left for the East Coast several years ago where by day she is a scientist (I kid you not) and by night a crazy rock star. Tickets are only $12 bucks and available here. Super guy Joe Holland from The Goo Goo Mucks and Mad Mojo Jett is filling in on bass that night for the power trio.

Then we hit the road again for a show in Winona at the No Name Bar with cool bands Rogue the Wolf and The Silent Treatment on 7/21 and then the Smokestack in Dubuque with local heroes Skinny and the Shakes.

To wrap up the month we once again join a cast of thousands for PALMFEST 2023 with the Black Widows, River Sinclaire, Whiskey Rock and Roll Club Minneapolis, Goo Goo Mucks, the Sex Rays, The Silent Treatment, Cornbread Harris and many more! The festival runs from 7/29-7/30 and promises once again to be a hot and sweaty not-to-miss summer concert.

That’s all for now-I love seeing your beautiful faces at shows and can’t believe how lucky I am to play music again.

See you soon,

xoCindy

ABOUT CINDY

She's an American singer/songwriter both charming and profane; a sweet and sassy mix of Ronnie Spector and Iggy Pop. Whether it's a 60's girl group inspired ditty, or a spitting punk rock infused anthem, Cindy gives it her all and then some.

She began her rock and roll career in Minneapolis in 1985 with the all-female rock band, The Clams. Over the years, she played in several bands in Minneapolis and New York City, but then took a break starting in the late '90s. Cindy returned in full force in 2021, and in 2022 released “New Tricks,” her first full-length record in 25 years on Boston’s Rum Bar Records.

New Tricks got airplay both nationally (on Little Steven’s Underground Garage and on Little Steven’s Coolest Songs in the World) and internationally, garnering rave reviews and airplay across the globe. In 2023, Cindy released a new single and video called “Don’t Come Crying To Me” that was immediately picked for Little Steven’s Coolest Songs in the World Channel on Sirius XM. The EP "Don't Come Crying To Me" was released on November 15, 2023. Her songs have been streamed more than 57,000 times according to Spotify for Artists, and the song "Don't Come Crying To Me" was chosen as Song of The Day on 89.3 The Current for January 12, 2024, in the top ten of 2023 local releases on RacketMN, listed on KFAI's list of "Best Local Releases of 2023." Two songs from the EP, "I Don't Want You Anymore" and "Screamin' White Jezus," have been in daily rotation on Stevie's Coolest Songs station since the beginning of November 2023.

Since her first 'comeback' show in September of 2021, she's played over 100 shows throughout Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Boston. During that time she's opened for Everclear, The Dollyrots, The Dogmatics, The Suburbs, Tina and the B Sides, The Melismatics, Mark Mallman, The Von Tramps, Run Westy Run, Colin Bracewell, Venus DeMars and All the Pretty Horses, and many more.

PRESS QUOTES

“(There's) New life in older bands. Who could have guessed that four of the best albums by Minnesota acts in 2023 were by acts popular three decades ago that hadn't put out records in more than a decade (Martin Zellar) or even two decades (Run Westy Run, Semisonic and suddenly omnipresent-again ex-Clams singer Cindy Lawson)?” - Chris Riemenschneider

— Star Tribune-Best albums and signs of life from the local scene in 2023

“It feels like I just saw Cindy Lawson perform, but, in reality, other than a small cameo performance at The Von Tramps show a couple of weeks ago, I haven’t witnessed the magic of Cindy Lawson since November of last year, so I was due for it. Cindy is a legend—no other way to put it. Joined on stage by her super fun and solid band, her set on Saturday night was full of anthemic Minneapolis-styled garage-punk songs with a classic rock n’ roll twist that, like those of Tim Casey & The Martyrs, filled me with a sense of energy and enthusiasm. Beyond the flawless sound of Cindy and her band is what they stand for. I was still feeling the sting of the cover band show I had stumbled upon earlier in the week, so hearing Cindy thanking the audience for supporting live ORIGINAL music with all of her heart made me feel a slight sense of redemption. It also made me giggle as the band ironically jumped into a cover of “Send Me A Postcard” from Shocking Blue, but I’ll give them a pass. The heart and fire that was shown throughout the set was perfect and made it clear that I had picked the right show to spend my Saturday night at. I often wonder what I’ll be like when I’m older. If I have any say in the matter, I truly hope I'm just an ounce as cool and amazing as Cindy is.” - Girl at the Rock Shows

— Girl at the Rock Shows

“Watching Cindy Lawson sing has a way of putting a smile on your face. A charismatic performer, she exudes a love of the music and it rubs off on you as you watch.” - Sheila Regan

— MINNPOST

“Minneapolis rock pioneer Cindy Lawson is back, and she means business” - Chris Riemenschneider

— Star Tribune

“20. Cindy Lawson, Don’t Come Crying to Me / The return of the Clams’ Cindy Lawson was the great local comeback story of 2022, and it continued into 2023 with this six-song EP. On the title track, tuff garage-rock takes a mighty swing as Lawson softens her voice to a mocking pout; elsewhere she handles her vowels like a less Rimbaud-ridden Patti Smith. Lawson’s been gigging something fierce since plunging back into the scene last year and it shows here—this band is tight.” - Keith Harris

— Racket Mn - 20 Best Albums of 2023 (Local)

“Cindy’s sound is full of life. It’s that perfect blend of classic rock n’ roll with a singer-songwriter feeling behind it while keeping a punk-fueled energy on top of everything. This all makes sense as Cindy Lawson has been a part of more groups and scenes that I honestly have the time to write about but I love how, in this form, Cindy seems to take a little bit from all of those eras and modes to create something uniquely perfect. Performance-wise, Cindy is a pro. ” - Langen Goldstein

— Girl at The Rock Shows

“Cindy Lawson is without a doubt a legend in the Minneapolis music scene. Yet it would be hard to deny that she's making by far the best music of her life today — nearly four decades into her recording career. Out on Rum Bar Records, Don't Come Crying To Me is Lawson's second solo EP in two years and an absolute gem of a pop record” - Lord Rutledge

— Faster and Louder

NEWS

You're a prima ballerina on a spring afternoon

Hi all, I was so sad to hear of David Johansen’s passing. The New York Dolls were a revelation to me-they spilled out onto the stage in their feather boas and high heels and were at once powerful and vulnerable, trashy and sincere. I loved ‘em. The Clams did a cover of Human Being on our EP-you can hear it here. We wanted so much to embody that playfulness and the feeling that everything could go off the rails at any moment. When they reunited in the 2000’s I got to see their First Avenue show and felt so fortunate that I got to see the snarly and sexy showmanship of both Johansen and the late Sylvain Sylvain. Sigh. RIP.

AVAILABLE NOW!

Limited edition hand numbered lathe cut pressings with original art by Pat Moriarity. We are fundraising for a full length VINYL LP! This dandy collectable for your record collection is just one of the goodies we're offering!

BUY IT HERE!