For more than two decades, Stuart McLamb has been a fixture of North Carolina’s independent music scene. Best known as the principal songwriter and frontman behind The Love Language, McLamb has toured nationally, performed at Coachella, and shared stages with artists like Arcade Fire and Camera Obscura. Today, he’s channeling that same creative spirit into Fancy Gap, a new project that blends his musical instincts with a broader, rootsier sound. Now living in Wake Forest, McLamb says the town’s slower pace, historic character, and strong sense of community have become an unexpected source of inspiration. I sat down with him at his home to talk about his musical journey, the changing music industry, the art of songwriting, and why he’s found renewed inspiration in a small town.

Q: Let’s start at the beginning. Tell us a little about yourself and where you grew up.
Stuart McClamb: I’m a North Carolina native. I was born at Rex Hospital in Raleigh, but I grew up in Cary. Music was always around. My maternal grandfather played guitar, and I eventually inherited his old acoustic. My dad wasn’t a musician, but he was a huge music lover. He always had music playing in the house. A lot of people my dad’s age were really into The Beatles and Dylan, but he loved Motown. I grew up listening to that, and it definitely made an impact on me.

Q: When did you first pick up a guitar?
McLamb: Around 13. Before that, a friend and I would make these terrible little recordings and hand them out at school. Somehow people actually liked them. I was mostly self-taught. I remember getting Guitar World magazine and learning songs from guitar tabs. One of the first things I learned was the intro to “Today” by Smashing Pumpkins. Then I got really into The Velvet Underground after hearing them in Oliver Stone’s The Doors movie. I learned “Sweet Jane” pretty early on.

My brother and I spent a lot of time making four-track recordings in a room over our parents’ garage. Looking back, that’s where I really learned to love creating music.

Q: What was your first serious band?
McLamb: The Capulets. We started while I was at East Carolina University. It was very much the early-2000s indie rock era. The Strokes were huge, and everybody wanted to be the Strokes.

When that band ended, I started The Love Language as a solo project. At first, it was just me with an acoustic guitar and a tambourine attached to a hi-hat stand. Eventually the band grew, the sound got bigger, and things really started taking off.

Q: Was there a moment when you realized music could actually be a career?
McLamb: Honestly, it wasn’t until a record label reached out. The first Love Language record was released by Bladen County Records. Just having somebody across the country hear what I was doing and want to invest in it was a huge moment. I was 27 years old. Up until then, music wasn’t really a career plan – it was just something I was obsessed with. That was probably the first time I thought, “Maybe this is actually something.”

Q: The Love Language went on to do some pretty cool things, right?
McLamb: We were lucky. We signed with Merge Records, toured all over the country, played Coachella, played with Arcade Fire, Camera Obscura, and Teenage Fanclub. We also played the first Hopscotch Music Festival. Looking back, there are a lot of amazing memories.

Q: Today you’re focused on Fancy Gap. How would you describe that project?
McLamb: It’s definitely adjacent to The Love Language. It’s still my songwriting and my voice, but it’s maybe a little more country-rock influenced. That’s the easiest way to describe it, although I don’t think it’s a drastic departure. It’s just another chapter. I’ve been working closely with Charles Crossingham, and we have a fantastic band around us – we’re already deep into our second album, and I’m really excited about where it’s going.

Q: What’s your favorite part of playing live?
McLamb: Those little magic moments. Sometimes it’s just a few seconds where everything lines up – the crowd, the band, the energy in the room. It doesn’t happen constantly, and that’s part of what makes it special. I’ve always compared it to surfing. You’re riding a wave and trying to stay on it as long as possible. Those moments are why we keep doing it.

Q: North Carolina has always had a strong music culture. What makes it special?
McLamb: People genuinely care. There has always been an incredible amount of talent here, but there’s also a spirit of support. It doesn’t feel overly competitive. Different scenes, different genres – people generally want to see each other succeed. I think that’s rare. When I was younger, places like Tír na nÓg and King’s helped create that sense of community. Those venues connected musicians with each other. A lot of friendships and collaborations came out of those spaces.

Q: You’ve lived in a lot of places, including Los Angeles. What brought you back to North Carolina?
McLamb: Life, really. I moved to Los Angeles after a major breakup. I wanted a complete reset. I felt like if I didn’t do it then, I’d regret never having the experience.

It was hard. But it forced me to grow up. It gave me discipline. It taught me work ethic. And it made me appreciate home in a deeper way.

Q: What advice would you give young musicians?
McLamb: Pay attention to what genuinely moves you. There are so many options now. So many genres, platforms, tools, and ways to create. But eventually you’ll hear something that resonates deeply with you. Follow that feeling. Make work that you’re proud of. Don’t spend all your energy trying to imitate somebody else or game the system.

The thing that stands out is authenticity. The thing AI can’t replicate is a real human experience.

And don’t be afraid to tell people about what you’re doing. Share it. Invite people into it. Community still matters.

Q: You and your wife recently moved to Wake Forest. What do you like about it?
McLamb: We love it here. We’ve only been here a little over a year, but it already feels like home. We have wonderful neighbors, and there’s just something about the town that inspires me. It’s hard to explain. It feels lighter somehow. I’ve lived in bigger cities, and over time, some places lose their identity. Wake Forest still feels like itself. The historic downtown, the local businesses, the sense of community – there’s a character here that you don’t find everywhere.

I think it has tremendous potential, but I hope it grows in a way that preserves what makes it special.

Q: Last question. Do you see yourself ever stepping away from music?
McLamb: No. I’m a lifer. Whether it’s The Love Language, Fancy Gap, solo shows, recording at home – music is always going to be part of my life. I’m not doing it because I need to reach some level of success. I’m doing it because it’s what I’ve always done. It’s how I make sense of the world.

And I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Photo courtesy of Brandon McCarrell.