Fancy Gap is the duo of Stuart McLamb (The Love Language) and songwriting/producer Charles Crossingham, they recently announced their debut self-titled album will drop on July 26th. Ahead the album’s arrival, Fancy Gap have shared “Strawberry Moon,” featuring vocals by Sharon Van Etten, keys by Rami Jaffee (Foo Fighters), and pedal steel by Jon Graboff (Willie Nelson, Noel Gallagher, M. Ward).

“”Strawberry Moon” goes back almost a decade for me. Back then, it had similar words and chords, but more of an 80s vibe with pulsing bass and synth. It slipped my mind for years until I stumbled upon it and stripped it down more like a folk song. I still didn’t think much of it until Charles and I talked about making a record together. He heard something in the demo that I didn’t, so we collaborated on the arrangement and were able to breathe new life into it. Rami and Graboff contributed so much to the mood of the song, establishing its time and place sonically. Around this time, Charles sent me ‘Like I Used To’ by Sharon and Angel Olsen, raving. I mentioned that I knew Sharon from way back, and Charles insisted we ask her to sing on ‘Strawberry Moon.’ Despite my reservations about asking for favors, I sent her the demo and she enthusiastically agreed. We recorded her part when she passed through town a few months later, and her contribution added depth and emotion to the song that wouldn’t be there otherwise. We consider Sharon one of the best that has ever done it.” says McLamb

On their self-titled debut, Fancy Gap takes listeners on a journey that steers through life’s melodies with windows down. It’s a country-tinged, radio-ready sound, yet delves deep into universal themes. From stirring reflections on death and aging to the joyous celebrations of life, love, and triumph, every track on Fancy Gap captures different facets of the human experience. With a twang evoking the heartland and a widescreen perspective hinting at something greater, McLamb and Crossingham explore poignant moments of laughter and loss, enduring bonds of friendship, and the ups and downs of relationships.

As he began working on a fifth album for The Love Language in early 2020, McLamb took some early demos to Crossingham, whom he had known for nearly a decade but became closer with after moving back to Raleigh, North Carolina, that March. The pandemic struck in the midst of feeling out those early ideas; the two sheltered in Crossingham’s mountain cabin in Fancy Gap, Virginia, and questions of what life would look like when the world started over seeped into their late-night songwriting sessions. What began as a producer/artist collaboration blossomed into a close-knit co-writing project, rooted in Crossingham’s inspired belief and admiration in McLamb’s talents, and the musical kinship that the two had forged. Fancy Gap was born.

pre-order Fancy Gap HERE