Frances Luke Accord at Waynesville Music

When Nicholas Gunty and Brian Powers put their songs and voices together, there is a delicate magic that commands the room to attention. The duo is known as Frances Luke Accord, and they are what NPR’s Mountain Stage calls “the definition of lean-in music.” Their soft, contemplative vintage of indie-folk gestures toward a timelessness that honors the inevitable Simon & Garfunkel comparisons but pushes beyond into the world of Bon Iver, Jose Gonzalez and progressive folk music.

Both raised in South Bend, IN, Gunty and Powers met and began performing together during their time at the University of Notre Dame. Their first release, Kandote, was a bold intercultural collaboration with the Barefoot Truth Children’s Choir in Uganda, a not-for-profit effort. Relocating to Chicago in 2013, the duo honed their songwriting craft for their breakthrough debut full-length album, Fluke, in 2016. This immersive, philosophically rich album set them off on their first national tour, which included support dates with Darlingside, Anaïs Mitchell, and The Ballroom Thieves. Still self-managed and self-produced, the duo has since released their sophomore LP, Safe In Sound, out now on Spotify and other streaming services.

FLA’s performance at Waynesville Music on October 12 will be an intimate listening room experience. The venue can only accommodate an audience of 30 people, so be sure to buy tickets in advance and avoid the likely chance that this show will sell out.

Be aware that Waynesville’s Sauerkraut Festival is also happening this weekend. Thousands of visitors to this small village will make parking downtown near Waynesville Music a challenge. But don’t despair! Shuttle bus parking is provided and the free shuttle service will run from 8 AM – 9 PM on Saturday from the High School to downtown.