When they first met at a suburban Junior High just outside of Nashville some thirty years ago, Mike Shepherd was the rule-following new kid with a stash of X-Men comics under his chair and Jereme Frey was the black and white checkered Skidz-overalls wearing local with a stash of X-Men comics under his chair. They sat next to each other in band, and for the most part, followed the rules. Then they heard that damn Nirvana record, scooched their trombone and tenor sax over just a little to make room for a bass guitar and drum kit, and Schtucket was born.
A few short months later, Mike (Bass, Vocals), Jereme (Drums, Vocals), and their other bestie, Ryan Shogren (Guitar, Vocals), recorded a demo on a boombox / karaoke dual cassette tape machine to take down to Lucy’s to see if maybe, just maybe, they could get a show. Spoiler alert: they did. On the regular.
Thirty years later, “Nashville’s happy-go-lucky musical tricksters” are members of Tower Defense, and they’re still cranking out their unique version of loud, high-powered punk, making records, and playing live shows to packed houses.
Jereme Frey and Mike Shepherd have played rock music together for nearly 30 years, beginning with “Nashville’s happy-go-lucky trio of musical tricksters,” Schtucket. Schtucket was together from 1993-1998, and their run included ten appearances at Lucy’s Record Shop between 1994 and 1997. Following Schtucket’s dissolution, they went on to play together in The Shakedown Cruise, Shiboleth, Gentleman Divers, Partytown Hospital, and early-aughts loud-rock legends Apollo Up! For the last ten years, they’ve collaborated in Tower Defense, alongside Mike’s wife Sarah Shepherd on bass and Currey May on guitar. In The City, the latest LP from Tower Defense, was released in 2020 on Nashville’s YK Records.
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Twitter: @lucysrecordshop
Facebook: /lucysrecordshop
Episode Music
“Skirts” – Schtucket (1994)
“In the City” – Tower Defense (2020)
“So I Hear You’re Moving” – Lambchop (1994)
Additional Links
Schtucket – Discography 1994?-?1998
Apollo Up!
Tower Defense
Gentleman Divers
Partytown Hospital
The Drmls with Mike Seymour
Stone Deep
Fun Girls From Mt. Pilot – Hi Doll 7”
— Troy Pigue – bass; Chris Fox – Drums; Donnie Kendall – Guitar, Vocals; Cat – vocals
Fun Girls From Mt. Pilot – “Hold A Grudge”
Dion and The Belmonts – “Teenager in Love”
Nirvana – “Tourettes”
Pixies – “UMass”
Daphne’s Operation (Murfreesboro, TN)
Logic Bomb
Uncle Daddy
Hammerhead
Hoover
Brainiac – “Bonzai Superstar”
Dallas Thomas (Fingerhutt)
Murdered Minority
Jon Sewell
They Might Be Giants
Forget Cassettes
YK Records
Drkmttr
Southern Rock & Roll Girls Camp
Hear the stories behind the legendary 90’s Nashville record store and all-ages punk club.
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