Man Up, Yancey

“Man Up” sounds like poorly worded yet sage advice for a young punk band—dust off your jeans if you slip up and keep chasing the D.I.Y. dream. For Atlanta’s Man Up, Yancey, it’s a critique of gender expectations, as its namesake Anna Yancey is openly gay and unafraid to rail against sexism, racism, and other issues that sometimes rear their ugly heads in music scenes. Both interpretations suit Man Up, Yancey going into 2016. The band’s blend of post-punk and Yancey’s singer-songwriter sensibilities has the group in position to take its socially-conscious show on the road following the spring release of its debut E.P. Yancey (vocals, guitar) formed the band in 2013 shortly after meeting metal-loving guitarist John Pierce. “I saw John chain smoking at Java Monkey all the time and thought, ‘Who the fuck is this nerdy kid with Sideburns?’,” she says. “’I bet he shreds pretty well,’ and he did.” A few lineup changes later, Man Up, Yancey settled on the rhythm section of bassist Grahm Naylor (Twin Studies) and drummer Max Greenfield. With a steady roster in place, the band sharpened its genre-defying sound, with influences ranging from classic (the Kinks and Orange Juice) to contemporary (Manchester Orchestra and the Screaming Females). Playing out often helped solidify the Man Up, Yancey sound, too, including opening spots for Hop Along, 100 Watt Horse, Nana Grizol, and others. Though it is far from perfect, the Atlanta scene has been welcoming to Yancey as a queer and female musician. “It was odd going into it because I grew up in Gwinett County, so when I was growing up I’d be told I couldn’t play guitar or wasn’t a songwriter,” she says. Growing confidence, a solid backing band, and the opportunity to have her songs heard outside of Atlanta via a forthcoming CD and cassette release have cemented an outlet for Yancey to help others shake prejudices based on gender, race, or sexual orientation. “The songs I’m writing now are politically based, with one song about Ferguson,” she adds. “I think it is important as a queer person to speak out against racism as much as possible and help out other minorities… Those few people who go to shows who aren’t straight white men, I want them to feel welcome.” - Bobby Moore 4 people who don't know how in the heck to answer 'what's your genre'