Who is Lady Southpaw? No offense Gaga, but the nickname pre-dated “Poker Face.” Back in 2005 when I (Erin Sholl) was feeling squeamish about plastering my full name across my myspace music profile and the scarey unknown internet I decided to use the name people called me in the boxing class I was taking at the time. Not knowing my name, the instructor playfully tossed it at me since I was the only female lefty in the class. It stuck among the regulars. Hearing the name made me feel strong, exhilarated and full of adrenaline like in the class. It was very similar to a “runner’s high.” The idea of writing about that state was already in my mind but at the time I was doing the standard singer-songwriter hitting the open mics of Brooklyn with my guitar thing. Yes, I play guitar as a righty, it is just a lot more convenient that way.
Lady Southpaw and Chris "Mr. Classic" Romulo
In 2008 I ran my first marathon with Team in Training. The whole experience changed my life; I can’t recommend it enough. As part of my fundraising I wrote a song called “Every Step Together,” about the experience to give to my donors as a thank you gift. Honestly, I didn’t run with music at the time so I did a ton of research to figure out what people listened to when running, what the tempo should be and the gear to use. The whole idea of it really inspired me and the more I experimented with it the more I sensed the huge potential. It suited my desire to make music and passion for fitness perfectly.
The Songs for Running EP was independently released with producer Terry Radigan in 2009 as a demo. All the songs are streaming through ReverbNation and can be played through the widget on this page or purchased through iTunes, Amazon, Napster, emusic, Rhapsody and Spotify. In 2010 I collaborated with Jonathan Jones of Linwood Studios and Hella Sound to produce “Strides: Choose to Run,” a full running music workout with coaching.
In March 2011 I recruited some friends to perform with me as a band. Drummer, Dennis Sedita, comes to us from multiple projects including Republic of Apes and Angel Vomit. Brent Lazo also moonlights as the lead guitarist for Men and Wales. Back-up vocalist, Diana Erskine is part of the all female a capella ensemble, Treble. John Frenette of Hella Sound helped out on bass for our debut but budding young bassist and amore mio Andrew Hickey took over once John’s commute from Houston, TX to NYC became too much.
In 2012 Mike Bordino joined the lineup on guitar with Anthony Lubrino on drums.
The Lady Southpaw Band playing the Delanacey
Part of the Lady Southpaw experience is performance. One of the objectives of the music is to enhance running performance. This is done through a fast beat and powerful lyrics as well as the ability to incorporate songs into workouts as speed, hill or rest intervals.
The Lady Southpaw Band preparing to play race-side at the NYC Half Marathon 2011
Performance also refers to the band’s live shows. The Lady Southpaw band is available to play along race courses, at pre or post race expos, festivals, fundraising benefits, gym events and other types of concerts. For booking please contact ladysouthpawmusic at gmail dot com.
Check here to see if we have any upcoming events!
