Tag: 5+5

BGS 5+5: Chris Pandolfi

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Artist: Chris Pandolfi
Hometown: Golden, Colorado
Latest Album: Trance Banjo
Personal nicknames: Panda

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

From one perspective, this is a really tough question for me because there are many sides to my music, and many influences that have factored in really heavily at different periods. But from another perspective, it’s easy. I wouldn’t be playing the banjo if it wasn’t for Béla Fleck. I discovered the Flecktones in high school and was just blown away in every possible way. It was a moment of pure inspiration, and after a handful of shows all I wanted to do was learn how to play the banjo. That was the start of my journey as a musician, and none of that happens had I not discovered Béla’s music.

But his influence doesn’t end there. He’s a legendary improviser on the instrument, and that’s a big part of what the Stringdusters do. But maybe even more importantly, he’s made his mark by recontextualizing the banjo, combining it with so many eclectic sounds and bringing it to many new genres. That’s a big goal of mine as well, and that’s very much inspired by Béla. He didn’t leave too much undiscovered territory! But the bigger your imagination, the more territory there is to explore, and I love that challenge.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

I have many great memories of being on stage, but the night that we played in Covington, Kentucky, in the summer of 2019 stands out. It was an electric show, and the moment we walked off stage we all sort of simultaneously decided that we had just made a live album. That has only happened a handful of times in our career, even though we have had many gratifying shows. But this was one of those stand out nights where something connected on a deeper level. It seemed like everything we did just hit the crowd with maximum power, and then they were feeding us with so much energy and emotion. That’s what can happen at a show. It can happen any night, even when a venue is not packed out, and that possibility is one of the great thrills of this career. On a night like that, everyone there is an equal participant in the performance. There’s no divide between the performers and the crowd, and the possibilities are endless.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc — inform your music?

I get inspiration from a lot of places, but books and visual art are high on that list. I love artists and writers who surprise you. It may not inspire a specific melody or song, but it definitely stokes the idea inside me that anything is possible, and with imagination and creativity you can always find new paths to travel. Lately, I have really enjoyed the work of Clyfford Still. Still was an American, abstract painter whos work is bold and stunning. There’s a beautiful museum dedicated to his work here in Denver, and it turned me into a big fan.

I also love reading science fiction, mainly because the imagination factor of good sci-fi is off the charts. I read a trilogy of books in recent years called The Three Body Problem by a Chinese author named Cixin Liu that blew my mind. The story is gripping and endlessly creative. Two song titles on my new record, Trance Banjo, are references to that trilogy, both from the second book, Dark Forest, which is my favorite. Great art of any kind transports you to a place that feels very free, where there’s no strong sense of self. I get a lot of inspiration from that feeling.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

Playing music is one challenge, but performing is a whole other hill to climb. When I am getting ready to play live or record, I always try to spend some time with my instrument (15-45 minutes or so) playing really mindfully and getting in the zone. That zone of being deeply focused on the music has seemed like a mystery at points in my career, and will forever be elusive in some way. But there is also something methodical about it, and that’s where practice comes in. When I practice I spend some time focusing on more mechanical elements, a new technique, transcribing or that sort of thing. But ultimately, I want to devote a good chunk of every practice session to building that zone. A good practice session should be like a meditation. The more time you can log in that focused zone, the more you know what it feels like and the easier it will be to conjure up in a performance setting. It’s a lifelong journey, and it certainly keeps you humble! But it’s not magic, it just takes practice.

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

I think my most consistent goal is to sound like myself as a player, and craft music that is unique as a producer. Bluegrass is the banjo’s native territory, and a common goal among proficient bluegrass players is to study and copy the styles of the early masters. For banjo players, that’s Earl Scruggs, and I would give anything to sound like Earl! There is so much great knowledge there, and so much expression as well. It’s a bedrock element of the instrument that practically every great player has a deep knowledge of.

While I have spent much time working on the fundamentals of Earl’s style, that is more of a starting point for me, and not an end-game. There are times on stage when I really try to emulate that older sound. But when it comes to crafting my own style and my own music, I try to use those old school bluegrass rudiments — timing, power, tone — but then add my own voice as well. The same goes for producing. It’s all about identifying and connecting with sounds that move you, and then using your imagination to grow from there and utilize those tools to bring your own vision to life.

Photo credit: Chris Pandolfi

BGS 5+5: Jillette Johnson

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Artist: Jillette Johnson
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Latest Album: It’s a Beautiful Day and I Love You
Personal nicknames: JJ

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

It’s so hard to pick one, but Randy Newman has greatly impacted me as a songwriter and performer. I heard my first Randy Newman song when I was a toddler, watching the movie Beaches with my parents. Bette Midler sings his song, “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today,” at the end of the movie, and it cut right into me. I didn’t know he wrote that song until by accident, I got to see him play and essentially lead a lecture in Los Angeles when I was 16. He completely transfixed me.

His musical sophistication and ear for beauty, coupled with his cutting, hilarious, and deeply empathetic storytelling was like nothing else I had ever heard. He’s so prolific, and so unchained to whatever the world expects of a singer-songwriter. He takes risks, tells the truth, and lets his humanity lead the charge in every song. And he’s still doing it, to the highest level, which inspires the hell out of me. I’ve said often that I want to be Randy Newman when I grow up, meaning that I want to keep making exciting music that matters for the rest of my life, just like him.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

This wasn’t exactly a stage, but it sure felt like one. When I was 17, I was invited to go to Liza Minnelli’s apartment on the Upper East Side in Manhattan to play songs for her on her beautiful grand piano overlooking Central Park. She greeted me at the door with those big bright eyes, no makeup, wearing sweatpants and a giant smile. Her apartment was under construction, but the “piano room,” was perfectly intact — a room of only mirrors, windows, one couch, and the piano where I played. We sat there for hours while I performed songs I had written, and she sat next to me, asking me to replay certain parts of each song so she could really let them sink it.

She made me feel like what I was making mattered, and like I belonged. I’ll never forget that feeling, or her kindness. Towards the end of the visit, she told me I reminded her of Laura Nyro, whom I’d never heard before then, and she insisted I go to her bedroom with her while she crawled on the floor of her closet looking for a Laura Nyro record to give me. She never found the record, but I still relish the image in my mind of her in a pile of clothes scouring for it and swearing under her breath.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

It happened before I can remember. In fact, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know that I wanted to be a musician. I was the kid wandering around the edge of the sandbox making up songs and singing them to myself out loud. My grandmother asked me when I was like 4 or 5 what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I said a rock star. She asked what my second choice would be, and I said I didn’t have one. And I still feel that way. Music has been with me before everything. I’d be an entirely different person without it.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

It’s really helpful for me to find some time to be quiet and center before a show. I always warm up my voice first, usually an hour or so before I go on, while I get changed and do my hair and makeup. But then, in that half hour before I go on, I really like to be alone. I’ll often take that time to meditate first, and then move my body in ways that energize me and make me feel powerful. The sweet spot for me is to go on stage feeling calm and in control, but still full of vigor and excitement. It’s a hard line to walk sometimes, and my nerves have been getting harder to control as I’ve gotten older. That’s why the meditation part is so important.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

Often! It’s a fun way to have a little therapy session without having to leave my house or pay anybody. And in writing land, it can lead to songs that speak more clearly and feel more inclusive. When I need guidance or am feeling insecure, I like to ask myself what I would tell someone that I loved if they came to me for help with the same issues. And when I’m writing a song that starts to sound like a pity party, or I get lost in what I’m trying to say, I often do the same thing. It’s so much easier to find clarity and compassion for others than it is for yourself, at least in my experience. Flipping the “I” to “you” or “her” is a tool I like to use in both art and life.

Photo credit: Betsy Phillips

BGS 5+5: Tony Trischka

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Artist: Tony Trischka
Hometown:: Fair Lawn, New Jersey
Album: Shall We Hope
Release Date: January 29, 2021
Record Label: Shefa Records

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

Earl Scruggs. Pretty much a no-brainer for me. He changed my life when I was 14 years old. His playing is at the heart of everything I do. And on a larger scale, indirectly because of him, I have the wonderful family I have, have had a successful career and many friends around the world.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

I can’t say there was a moment like that. I first earned money playing music when I was 14, and continued to do so regularly through college. Though I was a Fine Arts major in school, and had very abstractly thought of a career as a museum curator (who was I kidding?).

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

In 1988, our band Skyline was invited to tour communist Czechoslovakia. Since my background is Czech on my father’s side, it was a particularly moving experience. While there, we performed in front of 30,000 people at the Porta Festival in Plzeň. We played a nighttime set and every second or third person in the audience was holding a candle, which made for an unbelievable sight. We were called for a second encore, and the emcee asked us to leave our instruments backstage and just walk to the front of the stage. As we were standing there facing this incredible candle-dappled crowd the emcee said, “You’ve given your gift of music to us, now we want to give you a gift.” He proceeded to divide the audience into thirds and had each third, of 10,000 each, sing a separate note of a major chord for us. Especially considering this was when Czechoslovakia was still communist, it was a profound experience.

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

Push boundaries and explore new areas on the 5-string banjo, but honor the history of the instrument. Don’t get bored.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

Can I bring back Aaron Copland? On an emotional level he has had as much influence on me as Earl Scruggs. As for a meal, we’d have to start with a nice cocktail, and I guess it would have to be a Manhattan. Dinner would be hearty beef brisket with all the sides, and finish off with some good ol’ apple and cherry pie. I think that would cover all of the appropriate culinary bases.

Photo credit: Zoe Trischka

BGS 5+5: FRETLAND

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Artist: FRETLAND
Album: Could Have Loved You (out March 26, 2021)
Hometown: Snohomish, Washington

All answers by Hillary Grace Fretland

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

At this point they’re all my favorite! On our first tour, we played Off Beat Music Festival in Reno and we were feeling a little exposed and nervous for our first big stage that wasn’t home. I remember finding our manager’s face in the crowd after the first song ended and both our eyes and smiles got so big. The door was pouring people through and there was hardly room left. By the end of the set, the audience had this surge in energy where they wouldn’t let us off the stage and were stomping their feet. That look was a mutual, “I think it’s going to go just fine,” and instantly all the nerves left. It felt so good!

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

I don’t think I’ve ever not wanted to be one. Our home had every instrument for us kids to explore. I started writing songs on the piano around seven years old and didn’t pick up the guitar until I was 15. My mother led her own band and wrote all her own music too. Musicians were always in and out of the house like a wonderful loud family.

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

We are actually revisiting this as a band right now. It’s important to me that my stories allow for empathy for every character. So that no matter who someone is connecting with in the song, the conversations aren’t, “Am I good or bad?” but rather, “Am I understood?”

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I spend most of my time in nature around my home. I am lucky enough to live in a beautiful valley where two rivers meet and you can see Mount Rainier from the third bend on the loop. Whether I’m in the garden, swimming, or walking in the valley it gives my mind time and space to find what and how I want to say something. I think songwriting should be personal and true to every individual and if you spend enough time alone with your thoughts then you have a better chance of being honest.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

I’d say that, more often than not, I earnestly think that a character is fictional. It’s not until I’m listening back to it some years later that I realize that my songwriting is like an unconscious diary. Sometimes I’m all the characters at once.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6kj3NzFPjD5SQBxs6GsaR1?si=q_nlSYrkTUSx7QwpRiLneA

Photo credit: Kendall Rock

BGS 5+5: Jim Olsen, Signature Sounds

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Name: Jim Olsen, President, Signature Sounds
Hometown: Northampton, Massachusetts
Latest Album: Golden Age: 25 Years of Signature Sounds
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): Molson

What’s your favorite memory from working in the music business?

I’ve been in the music business in one form or another for over 40 years, so it’s pretty hard to break it down to any one memory. Without question my favorite moments are discovering great new artists and watching them perform for the first time in a small club to an intimate audience. I’ve had the good fortune to see amazing performers like Josh Ritter, Eilen Jewell, and Lake Street Dive way before the rest of the world knew them.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to work in the music business?

I grew up in the NYC area, a huge fan of music and WNEW and LLIR, the great progressive radio stations of the time. A career in music never occurred to me until I discovered that my Ithaca College roommate had a show on the campus radio station. It seemed inconceivable that anyone who asked could get a radio show. I’ve worked in radio ever since and have hosted The Back Porch, a weekly roots music show on 93.9 The River in Northampton, Massachusetts, since 1992. Working in radio keeps me connected to new artists and the greater music community.

What advice would you give to an artist who’s pursuing a career as a singer-songwriter?

Aim for quality, not quantity. I think many new singer-songwriters are focused on making album-length statements when a few good songs would be more effective. The streaming age has changed the way we listen to music and the sad truth is that no one has the patience for 12 songs from an unknown artist. Take your time, edit and hone your best songs and present them thoughtfully.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I’m fortunate to live in a beautiful rural area, and I love to run and bike with a musical soundtrack. I can lose myself completely in the music and scenery to the point of not even being aware of time or commitments. The combination of deep listening and fresh air make it a highlight of the day. I also find that some of my best creative ideas happen on the road.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

My dream pairing involves a fried oyster po’boy and an Abita Turbodog while watching a favorite Louisiana band, like the Iguanas, in front of the Fais Do-Do Stage at Jazzfest in New Orleans. It’s number one on my post-pandemic wish list.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Signature Sounds

BGS 5+5: Hardened and Tempered

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Artist: Hardened and Tempered
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Latest album: Hold the Line
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): Less of a nickname than a consequence of a band name for a duo that uses the conjunction “and” is that we are often asked, “which one are you?”

Answers provided by Kristin Davidson

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

I was 12 when I discovered a mixtape of the Indigo Girls in my older sister’s room. Their songs captured my ears, mind, and heart, and remained constant company for me growing up. I think it was the first time I felt transformed and transported by music. But the pantheon of my musical influences is full of powerful writers, and I can pair just about every childhood memory with songs by Indigo Girls, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Nanci Griffith, Tracy Chapman, Lucinda Williams, Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Patti Smith, and Ani DiFranco.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc. — inform your music?

I love street photography and am drawn to the captured moments that expose the illusion of anonymity — that split second of absurdity or loneliness on a crowded street. I enjoy the process of finding words and sounds for the images that evoke emotion.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

We love to laugh and try to bring a joyful lightness to the stage. We are big fans of Maria Bamford. In the second season of her show, Lady Dynamite, Ana Gasteyer’s character keeps shouting a particular line as a rallying cry that we think is hilarious. We usually say that line to each other, giggle, and then walk onto the stage.

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

Hard enough to hold an edge; soft enough not to break. The band name, Hardened and Tempered, sums up the dynamic and delicate balance we try to keep in our lives and our music. Both Carolyn and I have intense personalities, we are drawn to big adventures and hard challenges, and we work with a lot of suffering. Slowly but surely, we are learning the artful balance of easing up a little and looking for light in dark places.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

I have dreamed about finding refuge from a cold, big city night in a basement bar room, only to discover Nina Simone playing an impromptu set on an intimate stage. I order my favorite bourbon, but don’t drink it. How could I?!

Photo credit: Norah Levine Photography

BGS 5+5: The Bright Siders

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Artist: The Bright Siders (Kari Groff, MD, and Kristin Andreassen)
Hometown: Brooklyn & Nashville!
Latest album: A Mind of Your Own
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): How about a rejected song title? “Everybody Goes to Therapy” We actually recorded a demo of that one… but we might have to save it for these kids when they grow up!

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

There’s one album that influenced both of us deeply as children. The record is Free to Be…You and Me created in 1972 by author and actor Marlo Thomas, Carole Hart of Sesame Street and Letty Cottin Pogrebin of Ms. magazine. Free to Be… was a collection of songs and skits about gender issues, performed by Thomas and a cast of the era’s most prolific stars. The messages were clear to us as children (Girls can be anything! Boys can play with dolls too! Parents are people! Good stuff like that…). But the reason we listened again and again was because the music just sounded amazing. When we started to work together on the project of making kids’ music with a mental health message, this album gave us a gold standard to work toward. So here we are as adults feeling grateful for this music once again. — Kristin

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

I don’t think I had a choice. I grew up in a very musical family. My parents were both music teachers as well as my grandfather. It was just a given that you would play music along with whatever else you decided to do. In my case, that was medicine and psychiatry. — Kari

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

Good question for a psychiatrist. Not that often. I usually try to own my own emotions! — Kari

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc. — inform your music?

My first true musical passion was actually traditional percussive dance, and I toured as a clogger before I started playing stringed instruments. Often, when I start working on a song, the melody and rhythm come most easily, and I always figured that was somehow related to the time I spent in the dance world. — Kristin

What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?

I tried to write a few songs in the early days of the pandemic but I couldn’t capture the intensity of the experience here in NYC so I chose to write a short children’s story instead (releasing soon!). — Kari

Photo credit: Jefry Wright

BGS 5+5: Matt Urmy

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Artist: Matt Urmy
Hometown: New York City
Album: South of the Sky

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

If I had to choose one person who has had the widest impact on me and the way I approach my work, I would probably have to say, Cowboy Jack Clement. Jack was someone that I was able to get close to personally, which allowed me to be imprinted by him in a deeper way than just connecting to his art. He was also a businessman and producer, like myself, so he came at things from more than one perspective. … He was an all-around “content creator” before that term was ever even used.

For instance, Jack was vlogging before vlogging existed, he was vlogging before the internet existed! In the times I spent recording in his studio, sitting in his office and talking about art, business and life over coffee and cigarettes, or performing alongside him here in Nashville, I absorbed as much as I could from him. He had such a wide lens perspective on creativity, finding your voice, and being true to your vision. Our paths crossing was a real revelation for me.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc. — inform your music?

All of the above. And not just those, but business (which I consider an art form), the healing arts, and nature all have an impact on my creative process. I find myself inspired every single day (to varying degrees) by things I experience personally, things the people in my life experience and tell me about, things I see on the news or in movies… and I just allow myself to feel those feelings and then toss it on my creative compost heap to breakdown and become part of the soil that I garden in, artistically speaking.

When it comes to those other forms of expression specifically, the way they inform my process is on two levels: 1. the direct inspiration they provide (feelings, thoughts, etc.) and 2. the way they inform craft and/or process. For instance, sculpting really has informed the way I view the craft and process of songwriting. There are techniques that I can draw from and apply to my forms of expression. So, I may see someone dancing, and be moved to go home and create, but also I may learn something that inspires a new technical approach to the craft itself. I hope that makes sense.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

Ritual factors into my creative process across the board. One ritual is to make sure that I write at least one or two lines every day. In the studio, one ritual might be something like listening to a specific type of music or sound source before starting to work on something, just to clear the mind before beginning a session. Or, before a show, nursing a shot of tequila or mezcal for an hour or so before the show, so I slowly feel the effects of the spirit in my body before taking the stage. I find that my rituals change over time. I do believe they are important, but also that they are extremely personal. an artist has to find rituals that resonate with them and their unique processes for whatever situation they are in.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

This is fun to think about. I think I would have to go with French cooking and Leonard Cohen. I choose French cooking, not just because I love it, but because it’s traditionally served over many courses, slowing the meal down and drawing things out. I choose Leonard Cohen because he was an artist who also wrote poetry, like myself, and was an artist who publicly savored drawing the creative process out over long periods of time. I would like to imagine that dinner and a bottle of wine with Leonard Cohen would yield a memorable conversation that would be an art form unto itself. I guess I’ll have to wait for another lifetime to have the chance to find out. Bummer.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

I don’t think this ever really happens to me. The reason for that is that I don’t think I’ve ever written a song that was 100% informed by my own life. Obviously, everything that I write is heavily influenced by my personal experience… however, I find that experiences or pieces of information from the outside world always find their way into my work. For example, if a dear friend is going through something in their life, witnessing them work through their life creates feelings that intertwine with my personal story. The result of this is that I don’t ever feel as if I need to hide. All of my songs are made up of elements from my personal experience, as well as things I encounter in the world around me. It actually makes me feel more connected to other people and the world around me.

Photo credit: CM Howard Photography

BGS 5+5: Beta Radio

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Artist: Beta Radio
Hometown: Wilmington, North Carolina
Latest album: Afraid of Love (EP)
Personal nicknames: Brent is Brent. Benjamin is Ben.

Questions answered by Ben Mabry.

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

Oh boy, so many. How to answer this question…. Not sure how to distill it down to one, but the music of Sufjan Stevens has been a beacon to me in terms of how to honestly sing about faith and spirituality.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc. — inform your music?

I’ve been reading a ton recently, so that’s been pretty huge. Brent gave me a book a year ago called The Way to Love by Anthony De Mello, a Jesuit priest. And that’s having a pretty big influence on this most recent batch of songs. It’s literally showing me the way towards love.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I grew up in North Carolina. I went to school in the mountains, and we lived on the coast, so any time in either of them is more than enough to remind me of the wideness of the world.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

Oh yeah! This is a big one. Been doing some breath work before I record vocals in the studio these days. I’m learning to sing more openly. I feel like I’m somehow unlocking a little bit more of my chest when I do that. Also, cold showers!

What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?

It probably was ALL the songs on the Ancient Transition record! I fought through a lot of writer’s block, or self-doubt, or something on that one. Not to mention a few existential crises.

Photo credit: Amanda Holloman

BGS 5+5: Bob Davoli

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Artist: Bob Davoli
Hometown: Lincoln, Massachusetts
Latest Album: Wistfully Yours
Nickname: Bob Davoli Band

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

When I first heard Dylan’s first album in 1962. However, I never wrote my first song until I was nearly sixty. I guess life got in the way!

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I live by the sea for six months; its rhythms and beauty influence my writing and music. The other six I live in the woods, on a pond, which influences my writing and music as well.

What other art forms influence your music?

Film, plays and painting have influenced my writing. For example, I use the lines “alone and lonely as Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks; “Rear Window Waltz” is from Hitchcock’s film, Rear Window; from John Schlesinger’s Midnight Cowboy, I use the phrase “just like Ratso in Midnight Cowboy”; and I reference twenty-five Eugene O’Neill plays in my song “Ode to Eugene O’Neill.”

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

Playing at a community center with my great bandmates, and the audience loving the set.

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

Write from my heart, follow my muse to the truth and be forever curious!

Photo credit: Lynn DeLisi