[bright music] - [Announcer] "Shaped by Sound" is a co-production of PBS North Carolina and the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The series is presented by Come Here North Carolina.

[gentle music] - [Host] I'm James Mieczkowski and this is "Shaped by Sound."

Fancy Gap, created by Raleigh native Stuart McLamb and Charles Crossingham, aimed to capture a moment.

What's that moment?

It's pop rock bliss, ready for the radio and fit for an arena.

Today on "Shaped by Sound," performing within a set inspired by your local honkytonk, and in conversation with me, this is Fancy Gap.

[guitar note drones] [solemn rock music] ♪ "Silver Springs" the night that you died ♪ ♪ Chasing whims, the time of your life ♪ ♪ Ring the new year with wandering eyes all the while ♪ ♪ More or less, reasons to leave you all behind ♪ ♪ Couldn't stop once you started ♪ ♪ You were spilling everywhere like magnolias in bloom ♪ ♪ And I never meant it to harm ya ♪ ♪ Never knew that I could ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Sunrise high, you draw the blinds ♪ ♪ Turn me on when you're telling those lies ♪ ♪ Or anything that would have you believe ♪ ♪ Your good deeds could save you ♪ ♪ From what's haunting me, it's everything ♪ [dramatic rock music] ♪ Couldn't stop once you started ♪ ♪ You were spilling everywhere like magnolias in bloom ♪ ♪ And I never meant it to harm ya ♪ ♪ Never thought that I would ♪ ♪ Anytime I let my mind out, wandering down to the river ♪ ♪ When I'm there, you're in the air, everywhere ♪ ♪ And I swear that I kissed ya ♪ ♪ Take me dancing in the moonlight ♪ ♪ I wanna feel light as a feather ♪ ♪ Hold me down under the water ♪ ♪ I wanna get closer than ever ♪ [solemn rock music] [solemn rock music continues] ♪ Some might say same as before ♪ ♪ Choose to lose or open the door ♪ ♪ Good intentions, yet they all seem so vague ♪ ♪ What a shame ♪ ♪ You'll be back when you know that you never went away ♪ ♪ Couldn't stop once you started ♪ ♪ You were spilling everywhere like magnolias in bloom ♪ ♪ And I never meant it to harm ya ♪ ♪ Never thought that I could ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Felt a little wind on the collar ♪ ♪ Yeah, the air was changing ♪ ♪ Just the same as me and you ♪ ♪ And I couldn't beg you to borrow ♪ ♪ Another moment to lose ♪ [solemn rock music continues] [solemn rock music continues] [solemn rock music continues] [guitar note drones] - We have Stu.

We have Charles from Fancy Gap.

Thank you so much for being on "Shaped by Sound" and coming in and chatting with us and being here.

- Thanks for having us.

This is great.

It's big time.

- Thank you so much.

- So I kind of wanted to start from the beginning maybe.

Y'all are from North Carolina.

Is that right?

- Mhm.

I was born and raised in Cary, which has changed a lot, but I remember cow pastures Kildaire Farm Road.

It was actually a farm.

- A farm?

What about you, Charles?

- I was born in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

- Oh, awesome.

Can you tell us a little bit more about Fancy Gap?

- So, Fancy Gap, like I said, I was born in Mount Airy, and Mount Airy's an interesting place because it's basically the foothills of the mountains and then, you know, 10 miles north, the elevation probably goes up 2,000 feet, and there's just this huge sort of hill or mountain up.

There's a whole community up there.

So it's really not a mountain.

It's like a continental shift.

I mean, the land is just higher.

I guess 2015, '16, I bought a log cabin.

It turned out to really tell our story.

I mean, this was a really magical place.

I've had some great nights up there.

It's not a fancy studio.

We ended up in some fancy studios, but really the bones of this record, there's nothing fancy about it, really.

It was just sort of, except the gap, the fancy gap.

[tender rock music] ♪ Riding home in the back of a car ♪ ♪ I could see your eyes glowing in the dark ♪ [tender rock music continues] ♪ Took so long and it came too soon ♪ ♪ We rise and fall like the strawberry moon ♪ ♪ I miss the light in this town ♪ [heartfelt rock music] [heartfelt rock music continues] ♪ I walk alone with your words in my chest ♪ ♪ They braise and they bruise, but they don't quite confess ♪ ♪ Came back early in the late afternoon ♪ ♪ Just to find the fire was burning blue ♪ ♪ I miss the light ♪ ♪ So tell me, how long will you wait ♪ ♪ 'Til something real's gonna come your way ♪ ♪ How can every step just take you half-way ♪ ♪ Forever ♪ ♪ And I don't know the score ♪ ♪ Somewhere between these distant shores ♪ ♪ Maybe we just can't afford how we live ♪ ♪ Together ♪ [heartfelt rock music continues] [heartfelt rock music continues] ♪ One out the window, one in your ear ♪ ♪ And the one in your heart just disappears ♪ ♪ I miss the light ♪ ♪ So tell me, how long will you wait ♪ ♪ 'Til something real's gonna come your way ♪ ♪ How can every step just take you half-way ♪ ♪ Forever ♪ ♪ And I don't know the score ♪ ♪ Somewhere between these distant shores ♪ ♪ Maybe we just can't afford how we live ♪ ♪ Together ♪ ♪ Together ♪ ♪ Ah ♪ ♪ Together ♪ ♪ Ah, ah ♪ [heartfelt rock music continues] ♪ I miss the light in this town ♪ - I feel like we really dove in during the pandemic, which a lot of great art came from that time where everything kind of shut down, but it was fortunate.

I mean, the world got real quiet, and we had this place to go to create.

- Yeah.

- You know, everyone formed their little safe pandemic buddies, you know, and then that was me and Charles.

We were at a time where it felt like, are we ever gonna play shows again?

Does music matter anymore?

Like, you know, the world was shut down, and so we were looking at the record as, like, a love letter to what was lost, and it wasn't about, like, fitting into a scene or being cool to these people or that people.

It's just like we miss everyone.

You know, if we can define this new scene, we don't have the answers right now, but we're ready for it when it comes.

[mellow rock music] ♪ Well, I'm writing you ♪ ♪ From a motel room ♪ ♪ On the edge of out of state ♪ ♪ These wood panel walls don't confine me at all ♪ ♪ But I'm floating up in outer space ♪ ♪ Greet the rising sun ♪ ♪ How the west was one ♪ ♪ How it finally fades ♪ ♪ But the lights are so bright in the valley that I ♪ ♪ Just might move away ♪ ♪ I want it more ♪ ♪ Than I ever did before ♪ ♪ Hated predicting the ending ♪ ♪ Now I need it more and more ♪ ♪ There comes a time in all of our lives ♪ ♪ Where we wish we could go back again ♪ ♪ It happened so fast, gone in a flash ♪ ♪ We check out before we check in ♪ ♪ And I've heard the predictions ♪ ♪ They're all contradictions ♪ ♪ Of just how this Earth's gonna quit ♪ ♪ But I'd give my last dime ♪ ♪ Just to buy some more time ♪ ♪ So you and I could just waste it ♪ ♪ Oh, I love you more ♪ ♪ Than I ever could before ♪ ♪ I hated predicting the ending ♪ ♪ Now I can't take anymore ♪ [mellow rock music continues] [mellow rock music continues] ♪ I've always tried to find the other side ♪ ♪ Of where all those love songs fell ♪ ♪ Into my head, at the side of a bed ♪ ♪ Down at the Starlite Motel ♪ ♪ Some were convictions and others fiction ♪ ♪ Some sat on the shelf ♪ ♪ Under the gun or under the sun ♪ ♪ And for this one, we both through hell, yes ♪ ♪ I love you more ♪ ♪ Than I ever could before ♪ ♪ Hated predicting the ending ♪ ♪ There's no ways than I could ♪ ♪ Waiting for you ♪ ♪ And I'm right off of 52 ♪ ♪ Honey, put on your raincoat ♪ ♪ 'Cause it's about to pour ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪ - I Mean, Stu is meant to perform, and so throughout this whole process, I mean, he was getting depressed.

We were creating and creating.

He's like, "Man, I miss playing shows."

And you ever have a plant that needs some water and you just pour some water on it, and like 10 minutes later, it looks so much better?

Stu playing music, he's meant to do this as much as possible for people and to sing for people.

The goal of great songs, in my opinion, is to relate to as many people as possible.

It's just a powerful thing to be able to create and share and impact.

We're all here for a limited amount of time, but in some way, I think music can kind of live forever.

[somber rock music] [somber rock music continues] ♪ I love stormy weather ♪ ♪ If it rained forever, I'd be fine ♪ [somber rock music continues] ♪ Hold your breath, deprave me ♪ ♪ Are you someone else's baby ♪ ♪ Would they mind ♪ ♪ Would they mind ♪ ♪ Your sweet ♪ ♪ Your sweet time ♪ [dramatic rock music] ♪ Caught me by surprise ♪ ♪ And now you're gone, baby, why ♪ ♪ Was I barely on your mind ♪ ♪ You got me searching ♪ ♪ And I'm choking on the lines ♪ ♪ But I won't forget the nights when you were mine ♪ ♪ You were mine ♪ ♪ You were mine ♪ [somber rock music] ♪ Last night was stolen ♪ ♪ Take a drive and roll it, you'll be fine ♪ ♪ Now I can't forget her ♪ ♪ She wrote a letter to my mind ♪ ♪ To my mind ♪ ♪ Your sweet ♪ ♪ Your sweet time ♪ [dramatic rock music] ♪ Caught me by surprise ♪ ♪ And now you're gone, baby, why ♪ ♪ Was I barely on your mind ♪ ♪ You got me searching ♪ ♪ And I'm choking on the lines ♪ ♪ But I won't forget the nights when you were mine ♪ ♪ We went wild, we went wild ♪ [dramatic rock music continues] ♪ We never took the time, looking forward ♪ ♪ Look behind, look behind ♪ ♪ We never took the time, looking forward ♪ ♪ Look behind ♪ ♪ Your sweet time ♪ [dramatic rock music continues] [dramatic rock music continues] [dramatic rock music continues] [dramatic rock music continues] [dramatic rock music continues] [dramatic rock music continues] [dramatic rock music continues] [dramatic rock music continues] [dramatic rock music flourishes] - Charles just has a real talent for writing hooks, and maybe some of 'em are understated, but they're like foundational hooks.

That's always been a way that you've written or started is, like, kind of guitar or piano.

- Yeah.

A hook tells you so much.

It tells you the key of the song.

It tells you the mood.

It tells you the tempo.

It inspires everything.

I think Stu's brain is like, it's like tie dye.

It's like all over.

It's every color.

It's a full spectrum all over the place, and for better or worse, I think I'm sort of like sticks, potatoes.

Like, I've got like these very basic- - Potato sticks, - Very, like, basic.

It's a different way of thinking, and somehow it comes together.

Like, if I'm good at the frame, he's good at the decorating, and so, like, if I have the riff, he suddenly knows all the chords.

It's a really interesting thing, but when it works, it works really well.

[gentle rock music] ♪ Terror Twilight ♪ ♪ A fire beside the ocean ♪ ♪ Watch the waves come crashing down ♪ ♪ All in slow motion ♪ ♪ And I could tell you but you already know it's true ♪ ♪ Your heart is mine ♪ ♪ But every time I try to get to you ♪ ♪ I lose ♪ ♪ I just get the blues ♪ ♪ Lying on our backs on the tracks ♪ ♪ Watching the vultures fly above ♪ ♪ 'Round in circles ♪ ♪ Waiting for something down here to die enough ♪ ♪ I can see the ending ♪ ♪ Now I'm beginning to wonder ♪ ♪ If lightning can strike the same man twice ♪ ♪ Then why is all I hear the thunder on down the line ♪ ♪ About 40,000 miles ♪ [dramatic rock music] ♪ To the west, could it change your mind ♪ ♪ Saw the sunset in your eyes ♪ ♪ Before you left ♪ ♪ And it won't burn out ♪ ♪ It won't slow down until this hummingbird takes a rest ♪ [dramatic rock music continues] [dramatic rock music continues] ♪ Hold your breath, babe ♪ ♪ Hold your fire for a day ♪ ♪ I couldn't say it now ♪ ♪ It's playing on your radio waves ♪ ♪ It's hard to begin again ♪ ♪ When all you wanna do is watch it spin ♪ ♪ If lightning can strike the same man twice ♪ ♪ Then why can't I make you love me again ♪ ♪ I tried about 40,000 times ♪ ♪ I would guess, did it change your mind ♪ ♪ Did the sun behind the hills do it best ♪ ♪ And it won't burn out ♪ ♪ It won't slow down until this hummingbird takes a rest ♪ [dramatic rock music continues] [dramatic rock music continues] [dramatic rock music continues] [dramatic rock music continues] [dramatic rock music continues] [dramatic rock music continues] [dramatic rock music continues] [guitar note drones] [drum notes clang] - [James] Thanks for joining us on "Shaped by Sound."

If you'd like to hear more of our discussion from today, you can find it over on our website at pbsnc.org/shapedbysound, or you can find 'em on our PBS North Carolina YouTube channel.

[lively rock music] ♪ Thinking about somewhere new ♪ ♪ I've been kicking around all the dirt in this room ♪ ♪ And when I say I'll start over again ♪ ♪ Better get it my line just as fast as you can ♪ ♪ And I believe in the forces ♪ ♪ I don't even question the facts ♪ ♪ Without a little time taken ♪ - [Announcer] "Shaped by Sound" is a co-production of PBS North Carolina and the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The series is presented by Come Here North Carolina.