The Bruces

by MacKenzie WilsonAlex McManus is the brainchild behind the lush, poetic sounds of The Bruces. The Bruces began as a side project in the mid-nineties when McManus was jamming with Lambchop and Empire State while working with Vic Chesnutt. He had made a life in Atlanta, self-releasing a limited 500 copies of Hialeah Pink by the decade's end. In 2002, McManus dusted off The Bruce's southern, sweet sound for a second album. He hooked up with fellow Lambchop compadre/producer Mark Nevers (Vic Chesnutt, Jenny Toomey, Silver Jews) at Nashville's Beech House. McManus and Nevers created a folk/indie/electronic sound that eventually led to the release of The War of the Bruces in fall 2002. Nevers returned to the mixing board in 2004 for the Shining Path, which also featured the talents of guest vocalists Ted Stevens (Cursive) and Maria Taylor (Azure Ray)