Changes: From Fuzzy Needle
Greetings Fuzzy Needle friends,
The redbud is blooming. The air is growing warmer. I’m writing to you on a Wednesday instead of a Friday. Why? Well, email newsletters are much like the natural world in that they are defined by change. (And symmetry, and haptics, and hex codes.) We’ve revamped this newsletter to better serve all y’all in the Wilmington area and our buddies here in the Triangle and the Fuzzy friends out in the great beyond.
I say here in the Triangle because last week, I worked my first shift at our Durham location. It’s a pretty cool spot: lots of vintage clothes, bagel shop right next door, and a whole bunch of cool live shows on the calendar. I know our folks in southeastern NC often go through the Triangle, and I have to say, it’s a must-see. (And if you’re from the Triangle, Fuzzy Needle in Wilmington is absolutely a must-see.)
So we’re gonna try to include recommendations for cool things at both shops in this newsletter, as well as event calendars at both shops. The new thing I’m most excited about is our new Q&A section. Every few issues, we’re going to be interviewing artists, writers, musicians, and other interesting locals. The first folks in the hot seat are singer-songwriter-superstars Al Olender and Ahna Ell, who will be gracing our shop in Wilmington tonight. Read on to learn more.
If you have any feedback on the new layout or ideas for cool stuff to do, feel free to DM me (Nikolai) at @countryboysdotcom on Instagram, or shoot a message to Tim. We’re stoked to be continuing this thing. But yeah, anyways…
Q & A with Al Olender and Ahna Ell
Al Olender
“Now I wanna replace all my glass / With paper plates / Things that cannot break…” So sings Al Olender in “The Cyclone,” the lead single off her new album The Worrier. It’s the follow-up to the New York songwriter’s debut album Easy Crier. Olender is one of those brutally honest singers who excavates the personal (and at times, embarrassing) parts of heartbreak, grieving, and, ultimately, living. She’s just as candid in The Worrier, yet also questioning how best to protect herself from the vagaries of love in the future.
I caught up with Al this week — here’s our interview, which has been lightly edited for clarity.
Nikolai Mather: So you’re on album number two, and it’s fantastic. How has your artistry changed from your first record?
Al Olender: I think that The Worrier and Easy Crier live in the same family. I have the same mental illness from album one that I’m bringing into album two — the same anxieties and dread and the fear for life and love and sexuality. And I still am writing songs about my crushes, but I think I’m a more mature and honest writer. And I hope that comes through in the music. I think they do live in the same realm, except this new album lives on Planet Crush and maybe the first one lived on Earth. But I can’t tell the difference sometimes. I just know that I made more decisions as a more hot and confident adult on this record, and I made choices that resonated with myself instead of taking any easy ways to make something. And that feels really good.
NM: That’s fab. So who were some of your key musical influences for The Worrier?
AO: I listened to a lot of of Arthur Russell making this record… John Moreland, Sufjan Stevens, Mitski, Lucinda Williams, Blake Mills, Fiona Apple, Twain. People that really wear their hearts on their sleeves and are great storytellers, and that I think tell a very honest experience of the human existence.
NM: So my favorite track off the new project is probably “The Cyclone” — I love how you describe somebody spiraling down the East Coast, like brushing their teeth in the Planet Fitness. You’ve been in a similarly transient state for your tour. What have you liked about being on the road?
AO: I’m so glad you like “The Cyclone.” I think that might be one of my favorite tracks, too. I think a lot of my songs are about how I feel while I’m traveling. I’ve spent the last ten years touring and I think that a lot of my songs will tell you that I’m either on the road, like brushing my teeth at the Planet Fitness lol, or meeting people on tour in Los Angeles. I live in New York, but I’m constantly away. So any of my songs about home are about how I wish I was there more.
But I love the road. I’m a dirtbag and a road dog and I was meant for this life. I love to go to new places and meet people. And my favorite thing about going on tour is meeting different folks at shows. It’s people that I never would’ve met, strangers that become family in a night. And then you never really see them again. But the ones that you do immediately leave a huge impact on you.
Ahna Ell
Al Olender will be joined by Wilmington’s own Ahna Ell. Today, she’s released her first record since the funny and heartbreaking Everybody’s Gonna Let You Down (2021). We’re hoping to hear some songs off her new EP tonight.
Here’s our interview, which has also been edited for clarity.
Nikolai Mather: So Tim tells me you’re in Nicaragua right now — is that true? What’s going on there??
Ahna Ell: I got home yesterday! I spent February in El Tránsito, Nicaragua doing a work exchange at a surf hotel. I taught yoga and did various odd jobs around the property. I also helped out with a surf retreat through the Wrightsville Beach-based Mermaid Surf Club. For my last week, there were ten women from the Wilmington area holding it down in the line up! It was an incredible experience. I have lots of respect and gratitude for the hospitable Nicaraguan community there and hope to go back one day.
NM: That’s awesome. I also heard you have an EP coming out — tell us more!
AE: Yes! Thank you for asking. I have an EP coming out on March 4, which may be the most proud I’ve been of any of my recording projects. My next effort will definitely be a full length. I’ve got the songs, but recording is damn expensive and demanding. My husband and I have spent the last couple of years growing our home-recording capabilities. This EP is the first thing we’ve made together at home, and I hope a full length comes next.
NM: You’re joining Al on a few tour stops this year. What about the tour are you most excited for?
AE: Oh that’s a tough one. I’m so honored to get to support Al Olender on her release tour for The Worrier. Definitely getting to hear her music and watch her masterful showmanship every night will be a highlight. My last day of being 34 will be at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle — a great venue in one of my favorite cities — hell of a way to bid adieu to the year; hoping to surf with some friends in San Diego; and honestly really looking forward to Omaha, NE. The last time I played Pageturner’s Lounge, the crowd really seemed to appreciate my songwriting, so I’m looking forward to going back.
Al Olender and Ahna Ell will be performing alongside Abigail Dempsey at the Fuzzy Needle in Wilmington tonight at 7 p.m. Click here for tickets and more information.
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Shop recs
〰️ Shop recs
Wilmington
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Durham
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Upcoming events
〰️ Upcoming events
Durham
Thursdays in March: Anjimile Residency, the Fuzzy Needle, 8 pm… Celebrating the release of his new record You’re Free to Go, featuring sets from Meltdown Rodeo, Loose Green, and Quay, presented by phishonphilm and Good Moon… what’s not to love? More info here. Shows 3/12, 3/19 and 3/26.
March 6th: Big Mistake, Babe Lewis, With Love, the Fuzzy Needle, 7:30 pm… NC indie rock alongside VA band Babe Lewis. Details here.
March 7th: Rod Smoth album release show, the Fuzzy Needle, 7:30 pm… with support from Roku City and Supermutt. Details here.
March 11th: Truth Club, Motocrossed, i26Connector, the Fuzzy Needle, 7:30 pm… Monster show. Tickets will only be sold at the door. Details here.
March 28th: Rosali and Verity Den, the Fuzzy Needle, 7 pm… This one is also likely to sell out. Tickets here.
Wilmington
Tonight: Al Olender, Ahna Ell and Abigail Dempsey, the Fuzzy Needle, 7 pm… Gonna be major. We’ll have some on sale at the door, but you can also buy your tickets here.
March 14th: Spring Vinyl Market, Mad Mole Brewing, 1-4 pm… We’ll have a booth here alongside our buddies at Gravity, Fort Lowell and more. More info here.
April 16th: An Evening with Laurie Gwen Shapiro, the Fuzzy Needle, 6:30 pm… Shapiro just published The Aviator and the Showman, a glimpse into the life and marriage of Amelia Earhart. Join her and other local creatives for a night of conversation, music and connection. More info here.
May 22nd: Hiding Places, the Fuzzy Needle, 7 pm… Our friends and NC indie rockers just released a new song today. Super stoked to be having them at the shop. Buy your tickets here before we hit capacity.
P.S.
Wilmington Fuzzy is up for WECT’s Best of the Cape Fear 2026. You can help us secure our spot by nominating us for Best Bookstore here. It’s free, it’s easy, and you can do it once daily until March 15th, 2026.
And, as always, you can check out our stuff on Discogs and eBay. See you at the shop.
- Your friends at the Fuzzy Needle
