Inside Track

Here's what Richmond's bands are working on.

Bass player Brian Cruse, who plays in numerous local bands, including the Larri Branch Agenda, Quux Collective and Marionette, is releasing a jazz album titled “Con Legno” under the name Brian Cruse and the J Smith Trio. The album, which was recorded last year at Minimum Wage Studios, will be released sometime in 2013.

Hoax Hunters is writing and demo-ing about a dozen songs that will be the group’s first full-length album, which should be out by the fall.

Pop rock band Against Grace is putting the final touches on its new album “This Is Your Story,” which is scheduled to be released in March. The band will also be performing at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, TX.

After a 14-year hiatus, local punk group Fun Size, which features members of Long Arms and the former River City High, is back together and releasing a new album entitled “Since Last We Spoke,” which has a planned release date in early March.

Musician about town Prabir Mehta of Goldrush is working on a 10-track solo project called “Breakfast Menu” that Mehta says “involves topics such as getting brunch with [the Trillions manager] Brandon Crowe, the discussion about if CDs are still being used, spiders, gnats, bugs and, of course, Eddie Vedder.” Goldrush is also working on a full length album to be released later this year.

Rock band One Friend is self-recording a new full length album, the first since 2008’s “This Dignity,” to be released sometime in 2013.

Musician and master projectionist Dave Watkins is currently engineering an album for Dumb Waiter, holding a fundraiser where he writes songs for anyone who donates. He also started a new duo project and is working on a possible recording for the Colloquial Orchestra, which features a rotating cast of local musicians, including Watkins, the Snowy Owls’ Matt Klimas, PJ Sykes, Nelly Kate, Chris Payne, the Diamond Center’s Kyle Harris, White Laces’ Landis Wine and countless others.

Two months into the new year, Stephen Frost, who performs with various local musicians such as the Led Zeppelin tribute band Led Zepplica, released two new singles entitled “Age of Gold” and “Wimyn Redux.” He is also working on what he calls the “Paris Metro Project.” He plans to record and release a new song every few weeks, which will be available for free through his website. stephenfrostmusic.com.

Adrian Olsen, who runs Montrose Recording, has been busy lately. Among the interesting projects he has recently worked on: Maggie Ingram and the Ingramettes – “Live in Richmond,” an unfinished solo record by Stephen McCarthy, a solo record by Matt Conner of RPG and new records by D.J. Williams Projekt, the Rootdowns, Steve Basset and People’s Blues of Richmond, among many others anticipated releases.

The Jim Ivins Band recently shot a video for “The Sight of Fire,” a single off its new album, “Everything We Wanted.” For the video and single, the band linked up with Grammy Award winner John Seymour (U2, Santana, Dave Matthews Band) and Mark Santangelo (Linkin Park, Muse, Kanye West). The band is also headed to Texas play South by Southwest in March.

Inside Track is compiled by Andrew Cothern, who covers local music daily on RVA Playlist, rvaplaylist.com.

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