Memphis gets to claim another musical legend as its own — sort of. In 2015, two-time Grammy-winning vocalist/accordion maestro Terrance Simien and his manager/wife Cynthia decided visits to the Bluff City were becoming too frequent and hotels were too expensive. They might as well just go ahead and buy a home in the Cooper-Young neighborhood. So, the Simiens spend most of their time in Louisiana (or on tour) and only make it into M-town for a few days every couple of months. That still counts, right? Between times, the home is occupied by family — Simien’s musical offspring, Marcella Simien, who made Memphis her adopted home some time ago.
“We’ve got roots planted,” Marcella says of her family’s evolving relationship with Memphis. This week, that relationship evolves a little more when Marcella and Her Lovers open for Terrance Simien’s Zydeco Experience on stage at the Halloran Centre.
Terrance Simien
“I’m particularly excited,” Marcella says, reflecting on a special occasion. “We’ve had Dad sit in with us, and my band has learned a lot of his material. We’ll do Zydeco songs with him. But this is the first time that my band’s ever opened for his.”
Dad picked up his last Grammy for 2013’s Dockside Sessions, a sonic quilt stitched in honor of the Vermilion Bayou’s famous Dockside Studio. Daughter’s last EP, The Bronze Age, came out a year later, and Marcella’s anxious to get back into the studio.
“I’ve been wanting to release something, but the songs have to come when they come,” she says. Now they’ve come, rehearsals are in full swing, and she’s about to start cutting new tracks at Memphis’ High/Low Recording.
