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L'Resorts' 'Sad Happens' is an unorthodox children's album we can all learn from

Martha Cannon and Vincent Kirtcher make up L’Resorts. Martha moved to Milwaukee from Idaho in 2009, and shortly after started performing as Lady Cannon, a group that started with just her, but has ballooned into a whole seven piece set that makes big textured pieces of art. Vincent started in a high school band called The Detectives, which ended abruptly after one terrible set at Marquette where “everything went wrong” and the drummer threw his sticks into the crowd and quit on the spot. Vincent pulled it together and formed Jaill, a long time beloved Milwaukee band who did a stint on prestigious Seattle label Sup Pop.

L'Resorts | Photo credit: Georgia Lloyd

One day Martha sent Vincent a Facebook message about working on a song together. Not understanding Facebook, Vincent didn’t see the message, as it was hidden because they were not friends and Vincent didn’t check that inbox frequently. But he was hot off recording with a Nashville producer and was eager to do more, so when he finally saw the message, two months later, he agreed to record together.

https://radiomilwaukee.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/LResorts-Interview-FINAL.mp3
L'Resorts interview

That’s when L’Resorts turns into a love story. They didn’t meet for a while, but they worked on the music together. Eventually they did meet and love did what it does and now they live together in Riverwest and have made one of our favorite albums of the year. It’s called “ Sad Happens.”

At its heart, “Sad Happens” is an instruction manual. Or maybe guide map. Or possibly a bit of fatherly advice. They describe it as a children's album, though they say it’s fine advice for adults too. Drink water, eat your vegetables, make friends. Admitting that they don’t know all the answers, it asks questions too. In “Oh This World” they are curious about the world, asking, “Why do we get old?” And “How deep is the ocean?” It also reminds all listeners that sometimes, sad happens too.

And they don’t just give out advice, they practice it too. “Sad Happens” is available for purchase on Bandcamp and L’Resorts are giving 100% of the proceeds through Jan. 5 will go to Pathfinders, a non-profit in Milwaukee that helps homeless and housing insecure youth find and sustain safe housing.

“Sad Happens” might be the most charming Milwaukee release of 2020.