Musicians can write the best songs, book the hottest venues, and load up on quality gear, but that doesn’t guarantee bodies in the room. With the local press withering and social media algorithms eager to serve up distraction at every turn, artists are pressed further between a rock and a hard place. Forced to be a songwriter, live performer, promoter, social media manager, and so on.
That’s where Ayslee Pilkenton comes in. Through her nc.scene Instagram account, the Charlotte-based college student has become an invaluable connector for the state’s music community. The page posts dozens of show listings and local releases every month, from Asheville to Wilmington. Now with thousands of followers, it has evolved into a centralized hub where newcomers find their scene, bands can fill rooms, and North Carolina’s sprawling DIY community stays vibrant.
After following nc.scene for a few months, I just had to reach out and learn more about the person putting all this valuable work together. Little did I know it was going to be with a mechanical engineering student, who may be more organized than I’ve ever been in my life. More importantly, she believes everyone has a role to play in supporting local music – and I couldn’t agree more.
What have you been listening to lately?
Ayslee: I’ve been trying to finish up my recent releases for 2025. It’s been a lot of Twisted Fate’s self-titled EP that just came out, and the new EP [Stand Strong!] from Get Wise. I feel like I’m always listening to Kerosene Heights; I love them. Also, Newgrounds Death Rugby (a great emo band from South Carolina) and The Front Bottoms.
How did you get introduced to music?
Ayslee: My mom got me into most of what I like. She was very big on grunge and Riot Grrl when I was growing up. I have so many distinct memories of me being like six years old in her like 90s Pathfinder on the way to school and she’s just blasting Hole or Bikini Kill. And I was like, “I fucking love this.” I also got really into country music because of my dad. He’s kind of from the middle of nowhere.
At the end of middle school, I started getting more into more underground, alternative artists. I went deeper into Riot Grrl and grunge, but I was also really into Darkwave and the more mainstream emo artists. By high school, I met my best friend, Landon – who is my cousin, but we didn’t know it at the time – and he introduced me to more local bands. That got me going to shows.
What was it like coming up in the Greensboro music scene? How does that compare with being in Charlotte now?
Ayslee: First off, I really love the Greensboro screamo scene. It’s so good. One of the first places that I started going to is etc. It’s a fantastic DIY venue. There are a decent number of venues in Greensboro, but Charlotte has so much more. When I moved here, I started struggling to decide which shows to go to because there are so many going on every week.
On November 8th, there were two shows that I couldn’t decide which to attend, and both sold out. One was Emo Royale at the Milestone, and the other was American Theory at Snug Harbor. I had to go to Emo Royale to see blankstate., but it was hard to miss American Theory. Beyond that, Charlotte has public transit that isn’t amazing, but can get me to NoDa for a show and back home, which is easier that getting around Greensboro.
I became like really good friends with this person I met a La Dispute show and they love driving like long-ass distances for shows. So we go to Columbia like twice a month now and it’s kind of fire. [laughs] I really like seeing shows and meeting people in different cities and scenes. Like Western NC shows have such a different vibe than Charlotte or Greensboro shows.
What inspired you to start nc.scene and how has this project evolved over time?
Ayslee: It started back in my junior year of high school. I use Instagram a lot and didn’t like following bands on my main account because I would miss all of my friends’ stories. But I didn’t want to miss out on any local music, so I decided to make a separate account that would only follow bands. That way, I could still check in like once a day to see what new shows are coming up.
This led to my friends asking me if any good shows were coming up. So then I was like, “I’ll just make a little collage and post it on Instagram.” But I was super inconsistent with it, mostly because I would get sad when I would see all these shows I couldn’t go to. [laughs]
It wasn’t until February 2025 that I wanted to take it seriously. I was going to more shows and wanted to boost them. And then everyone was just super nice in response to my posts, which made me do it even more.
The design has gotten better over time. My cousin Landon was like, “Ayslee, you need to lock in your graphic design because it’s so ugly.” Originally, the account was gso.scene, but when I started posting shows from outside Greensboro, he gave me the idea to look up nc.scene.
I’ve also gotten more into the music journalism side of it, which I want to do more in the future. I started doing write-ups on recent releases and am in the process of a series of interviews. 2026 will be my year!
In what ways have you seen the impact of all this work?
Ayslee: The craziest thing is when people offer to put me on the guest list for their shows. Sometimes I can’t go because they’re at 21+ venues or hours away. But it’s so awesome just to have the chance. Everyone I’ve talked to has been the sweetest ever, so the labor is so worth it. I’m putting together a birthday show in May and messaged a few bands, and they were all like, “Yeah, definitely!” That’s so amazing.
I’ve also had some people DM me who are new to North Carolina and found their scene through my account. They started going to shows, made some friends, and reached out to tell me! Knowing that people found shows to go and have a good time at because of this work is genuinely my favorite thing in the world.
Between this account, life, school, and everything else, how do you balance it all? Do you find yourself dealing with burnout? If so, how do you handle it?
Ayslee: So I’m in college for mechanical engineering, and sometimes I’d rather be on my account than doing a problem set. Other times, I really want to take a social media break, but it’s hard because everything I do is on Instagram.
I do feel pretty burnt out sometimes, but not enough to make me stop. If anything, I’ll lock in for two hours and schedule posts for a week so I don’t have to think about Instagram for a week. Then I’ll log in once a day to check stories and stuff for future posts.
Honestly, every time I feel overwhelmed or burnt out by Instagram, I just need to go to a show and talk to real people about music. That reminds me why I love doing this and being a part of the community.
What advice would you give to someone passionate about local art and music, but doesn’t know how to find their role?
Ayslee: Just talking to people is a great place to start. There are so many things you can do that aren’t being in a band. I have friends who work doors, make merch, sell merch, and do audio engineering. Ask people what they need. You could make zines or organize shows. Everyone has their own niche talents that can help the local community. And not every role might fit, but don’t be afraid to try something new!
A huge part of the scene and music is being social. Don’t be discouraged from going to shows alone; go have fun and make new friends. We’re blessed to live in North Carolina, where we have many major cities, each with its own scene. I know like certain states where they have like two cities, but we have Raleigh, Greensboro, Charlotte, and Asheville. Boone and Wilkesboro are popping off, which I did not expect as someone with family from Wilkesboro.
Who do you think are the most underrated bands in NC?
Ayslee: FAFO is so fucking good. Same for sunshower; they combine shoegaze with screamo in the best way. Syndicate 99 is a great hardcore band from Charlotte with the sweetest people ever. INFINXTY is an excellent post-hardcore electric emo hyperpop kind of sound. Ruminations, ythgrp, and Selfish Means means are all also really good! Tristinza is my cousin Landon’s band, and I think they’re really good skramz. If they were bad, I would tell him. [laughs]
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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