Givers

Givers originated in Lafayette, Louisiana, formed in 2008 by Tiffany Lamson, Taylor Guarisco, Kirby Campbell, Josh LeBlanc, William Henderson, and Nick Stephan. The band’s early roots trace back to Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, which led Lamson and Guarisco to return to Lafayette after their New Orleans apartment was damaged. During this period, the duo began making music together and performing at open mic nights. Their musical background includes zydeco, jazz, and Cajun genres, with Lamson growing up singing gospel music in her parents’ church band. The initial formation of Givers occurred when Lamson and Guarisco recruited other members for a last-minute two-hour performance at a Lafayette pub, where they improvised their entire set. This unplanned performance led to further invitations and the development of their distinctive sound, characterized by a clatter of percussion, bright tropical melodies, slinky guitar upstrokes, and playful vocals over polyrhythmic grooves.

The band recorded their debut EP in Campbell’s bedroom, releasing it online for free in 2009. A pivotal moment for Givers came when they secured an opening slot for Dirty Projectors at a Baton Rouge show, arranged by booking agent Aaron Scruggs. This led to an invitation from Dirty Projectors frontman Dave Longstreth to join them on an East Coast tour. In January 2010, the band recorded their debut album, “In Light,” at Dockside Studios in Maurice, Louisiana, spending 20 days immersed in the recording process. Unlike their EP, which was recorded with limitations, Dockside provided an ideal environment for creation. Each song from their debut EP was re-recorded and revamped for the album. Their performance at the 2010 Austin City Limits festival caught the attention of Glassnote Records, leading to a record deal on February 1, 2011.

“In Light” was released on June 7, 2011, and achieved significant success, with every song licensed for film, television (including “Glee”), and video games (such as “FIFA 12”). The band earned praise from musician Neil Young, who mentioned Givers in his 2012 memoir, “Waging Heavy Peace: A Hippie Dream.” Givers performed at major music festivals in 2012, including Coachella and Lollapalooza, and also appeared with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band at Carnegie Hall in January 2012. After a period of touring, the band released their second album, “New Kingdom,” in November 2015, which was described as more experimental. In 2018, Glassnote issued the “Movin’ On” EP, featuring songs recorded with producer Dave Cobb at RCA Studio A in Nashville.