Mothdom invites all music fanatics, entomologists or otherwise, to join the ranks of “silly little moth followers” and to witness the quest of distilling the Athens music scene’s diverse genres into one group.
The band consists of Salvo Rion, a senior studying music therapy and the group’s lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist; Amelie Davenport, a junior studying music therapy and keyboardist/backing vocalist; Ang Rodriguez, a freshman studying marine biology and lead guitarist; and Alyssa Lee, the group’s bassist.
“We wanted to bring a queer, fem band to Athens because honestly most of the bands are predominantly men and we don’t see people like us on the stage,” Davenport said.
In addition to this initial mission, each band member has found their own driving motivation within the group. For example, after finding herself weighed down by the pressure of a creative career, playing bass in a group of like-minded performers has helped Lee rediscover her creative passion.
“Everybody’s so kind and it’s a safe space to grow,” she said. “So I feel like it’s everything I want creative expression to be.”
Similarly, both Davenport and Rion experience a deluge of creative pressure within their major, and the two enjoy using the band as an outlet to free themselves of those stressors.
“We deal with a lot of … this pressure of being good enough and stuff like that, but here … it’s such a safe space for all of us to be creative and bond together that we don’t have to worry so much,” Rion said.
Rodriguez was the final piece of Mothdom to fall into place, rounding out the band's sound with her years of experience on the guitar.
“Growing up I didn’t have a way of speaking because I had a speech impediment, so I kind of found my language in music and playing the guitar,” Rodriguez said. “It’s nice having people who understand that and feel the same way.”
The band first debuted its sound at an open mic night, hosted by local performer Brandon Jackson, at Big Run Kava Bar, located at 72 N. Court St. Continuing its journey with the establishment and its cast of characters, Mothdom shared billing Friday with Jackson at Big Run, the group’s second performance with the completed lineup.
Throughout the night, Jackson and Mothdom took the stage in turns, switching between Jackson’s stripped-down, raspy style and Mothdom’s eclectic setlist. Although both sets varied in sound, the musicians all shared an ability to bring their own spin to a vast range of songs.
Aided by nothing but his guitar and a voice with the passion of Glen Hansard and the twang of Noah Kahan, Jackson managed to make songs like “1950” by King Princess and “No Diggity” by Blackstreet entirely his own. The artist also paid homage to groups like Cage the Elephant, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Bob Marley and the Wailers, and many others.
Jackson’s assortment of songs, as well as the comfortable and casual energy he introduced to the stage, set the scene nicely for Mothdom to share their equally miscellaneous and extensive repertoire of songs.
The group kicked off their set with Gorillaz’s “On Melancholy Hill,” which transitioned right into “Dead!” by My Chemical Romance. As the evening continued, the group left no corner of the music industry unexplored, covering a myriad of artists from Childish Gambino to Glass Animals to Sade to Fleetwood Mac.
The skillful manipulation of gossamer guitar melodies and the versatile keyboard created an ethereal and pure sheen over the whole setlist. The vocal duet of Rion and Davenport is unlike any other duo in the Athens scene, characterized by impeccably intertwined control and expressiveness.
The evening ended with a cover of Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club,” interpreted into American Sign Language by Mo Jeffries, a senior studying media arts and studies, and the group’s self-described "number one groupie.”
“I don’t have a musical bone in my body, so I like seeing them perform and also just being able to see my friends do things they love, it’s just a really heartwarming thing for me to do,” Jeffries said.
As someone who has attended every Mothdom performance, Jeffries aptly described both the artistic and personal energy of the burgeoning group:
“It’s definitely good music to vibe to, it’s got calming energy but also enthusiastic energy,” Jeffries said. “There’s a lot of heart and soul in everything they play and a lot of passion goes into every single decision that is made within the band practice for the performances.”
