Trio of Young Oxford Musicians to Headline Proud Larry's on Friday

A trio of Oxford and Ole Miss musicians—including Lo Noom, Mattie Thrasher and Bedon Lancaster—will perform Friday night at Proud Larry’s, offering a range of styles for music fans.
The doors open at 8 p.m., and the show starts at 9 p.m. The cover charge is $5.
Lo Noom, also known as Andrew Newman, is a sophomore at Ole Miss and has been playing and creating music since he first picked up the guitar at 10 years old.
“Everything inspires me,” Newman said about his music process. “People I meet, movies I watch, music I listen to, interviews with people, sounds I hear in nature, the AC or a refrigerator turning on. It all makes me wanna make music.”
Newman released his EP, “Pretty Woman,” in 2017, and before that put out an album titled “Groovy” in 2015. For both projects, he created, recorded and produced the songs in his bedroom, which he shaped into a studio.
As a sophomore at Ole Miss, Newman said he wants to focus on getting his degree and continue making music on the side.

“It’s a fun stress reliever, but right now, the only goal I have with music is to have fun and make something new,” he said. “Being young is the biggest advantage you can have as an artist because you are more in tune with your imagination, like a child. The only disadvantage is you’re more vulnerable to negativity, which can take your imagination away. But young people are the art, new sounds, new movies, new ideas, new everything.”
While “Groovy” was more of a mix of synth with an electronic-rock vibe, his EP, “Pretty Woman,” gives off a techno, folky Beach Boys feel.
Also joining Lo Noom on stage is Bedon Lancaster, another UM sophomore and budding musician in the Oxford music scene. He’s begun playing more shows around town recently, he said.
“This will be a more intimate set from me and, hopefully, a more intimate experience for everyone,” Lancaster noted.
Lancaster credits many musicians for inspiring him both musically and lyrically, including Pinegrove, Whitney, Sturgill Simpson, The Beatles, and more recently, Frank Ocean.
“So many artists are inspiring, and sometimes it’s difficult, when you’re in a phase of [listening to] an artist, not to write something stylistically similar to said artist,” said Lancaster. “Songwriting, for me, normally comes in waves of inspiration, and as I further what I hope can be a music career, it’s hard for me to develop discipline in songwriting. I normally write music first and tackle lyrics after, but lyrics will hit me randomly [and] end up working their way into songs later.”
Lancaster’s plans are to finish college and move to Nashville to pursue music until “it becomes foolish to do so.”
“It’s risky, but it’s what I believe I’m supposed to do in life,” he said. “I’m going to pursue it until, again, I believe it’s the wrong thing to do. It’s also an aspiration of mine to have a family one day, so success would be being able to provide for a family while being a touring artist.”

Also opening for Lo Noom is Mattie Thrasher, who will be playing songs from her recently released EP, “We are Miscommunication and Stardust.”
“Being a musician in Oxford is an honor because Oxford is such a cool hub for incoming and outgoing artists, writers, directors, etc.,” said Thrasher. “Collaborating with other artists is one of the best parts of being a musician.”
“It’s such an awe-inspiring experience to be able to create a performance so beautiful that you can be confident in your skills as artist,” Thrasher added. “However, you can’t collaborate with [just] anyone. You have to have a connection and an ability to listen to the other artist. I hope that I can continue to do this with as many people as possible and create something really unique and wonderful for Mississippi.”

Lucy Burnam is a journalism major at the University of Mississippi.