Our Sierragrass Sessions continue this week with a brand new edition of the series featuring singer-songwriter, producer, and creative Ismay (AKA Avery Hellman). Ismay recently joined the BGS Podcast Network as a host of the fantastic, incredibly popular Finding Lucinda, a show built around their adoration and emulation of Lucinda Williams – and the award-winning documentary film by the same name. The podcast intentionally dives further into the stories, research, and conversations that became the film, sharing content captured during filming and crafting the project that didn’t make it into the documentary’s final cut. So of course we were beyond tickled to link up with Ismay – with Andrew Allen Fahlander – once again in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada at AJ Lee & Blue Summit’s inaugural Sierragrass festival.
For their first selection, it’s a beyond apropos cover of Lucinda Williams’ “Side of the Road,” delivered with a gorgeous otherworldly sculpture, “Brainchild,” by artist Michael Christian as a backdrop on the pastoral grounds of the Sierra Meadows Resort. (Watch above.) You can hear the comfort and ease with which Ismay approaches the number, having spent essentially their entire adult life performing Lucinda cover songs and in a Lucinda cover band. Originally released on Lucinda Williams in 1988, Ismay transforms the jangling rock and roll and alt-Americana textures of the track into a tender, acoustic indie folk contemplation with the loping groove preserved. Don’t miss an adorable cameo from a precious-and-sleepy pup, Punky Sue, who we were delighted to have crash the set.
The goodness doesn’t end there, though, as the duo quickly cue up “O Love Is Teasin” for their second selection. A winsome and flowing waltz in 6/8 time, it’s punctuated thoughtfully by Fahlander’s guitar picking solos. Many artists – Jean Ritchie and Rhiannon Giddens among them – have covered the timeless lyric, and Ismay translates the transatlantic touches well to the bluegrass setting. In the golden California sunlight, both songs elapse far too quickly, and an intimate impromptu audience applauds Ismay, Fahlander, and “Brainchild” as the folk waltz concludes.
Conceived, curated, and hosted by AJ Lee & Blue Summit, the very first Sierragrass was held May 9-11 at Sierra Meadows Resort in Ahwahnee, California, tucked into the shadow of the Sierra Nevada just across the Central Valley from Blue Summit’s home turf of Santa Cruz. For a debut, band-founded festival, the event was a smashing success. Our friends, the incredible team at I Know We Should, were on hand for this first edition of Sierragrass to capture live performance videos of artists from across the festival roster.
Thank you to Ismay, Fahlander, Sierragrass, and I Know We Should for another excellent round of our Sierragrass Sessions. More are coming soon, right here on BGS. And don’t miss your chance to spend some quality time with Ismay listening to Finding Lucinda – listen right here on BGS or listen and subscribe wherever you get podcasts.
Video Credit: I Know We Should, Brad Wagner, Juan Soria, Charlie Peterson, and Luis Scampamorte.
