MKE Concert Picks: Two chances to celebrate new local music

Milwaukee’s concert scene has a lot going on, so we look at the shows coming up to find the ones you’ll look back on and be glad you went. Then we add them to our weekly Milwaukee Concert Picks.

The relationship between an artist and their fans is what makes Milwaukee’s music scene as special as it is. With so much talent found throughout the city, there are just as many chances to watch someone’s creative journey from the front row — literally, in the case of our top two (or is that three?) concert picks this week.

Hanna Simone is only a few days removed from releasing Love Letter, a six-track EP that doubles as a “turning the page” moment for the singer-songwriter. Her sound has drifted toward R&B and soul since her days performing in Nashville, and that trend takes some determined steps forward on the new record — something we heard when helping her premiere lead single “Red Lips” back in January.

“I feel this is authentic to who I am and my experiences in life,” she shared with us at the time. “I’m hoping this opens my artistry up to another side of Milwaukee I haven’t had the chance to introduce myself to yet.”

The Americana elements Simone employed in the past are pretty much absent on Love Letter, which rightfully keeps her vocals front and center while leaning into production elements befitting the new sonic thumbprint: finger-picked acoustic guitar, more prominent bass lines, warm keys and a general groove that flows from one track to the next.

You can step into that experience Friday night at Anodyne in Walker’s Point, which will host Simone’s EP release show featuring A.C. the Ruler, *aya and Emmitt James.

The following day supplies our second release celebration, this one a full-album affair that’s actually two shows from Milwaukee surf-rock standouts Fellow Kinsman.

To call the band’s new record “anticipated” doesn’t quite do it justice. Break Room got a Milwaukee Music Premiere via the track “Love Came Through” way back in August of last year, with the plan being to release the album in the fall. It turned out life had a few plans of its own (as frontman Nate Kinsman explained in his interview with 88Nine music director Erin Wolf), so they pushed Break Room‘s birthday to this Friday.

Based on what we’ve heard so far, the record delivers everything from wicked instrumental breakdowns to foot-stomping anthems to interstellar love grooves. That’s a lot to celebrate, so Fellow Kinsman decided to spread it across two performances Saturday at Cactus Club: a 5 p.m. installment with Ellie Jackson and an 8:30 p.m. session with Josh Evert.