LISTEN: Nell & Jim Band, “Travelin’ the Road West”

Artist: Nell & Jim Band
Hometown: Berkeley, California
Song: “Travelin’ the Road West”
Album: Western Sun
Release Date: May 29, 2020
Label: Whippoorwill Arts

In Their Words: “The new album has an exciting new band sound, as we have added accordion and keys to the ensemble with Rob Reich, plus the broad array of musical styles mastered by him, our bassist Jim Kerwin and percussionist Alex Aspinall. It took us a few years to really settle into the sound we wanted and this is it. We have the depth to move from folk to polkas to driving bluegrass — but what I really love is that we are just any one of those genres. We are our own blend.” — Jim Nunally

“Lowell Levinger (Banana from the Youngbloods) co-produced the album with us. He was very influential in the recording studio — with tasty, spot-on suggestions and guidance about when to stop. Lowell is a man of few words, and when he speaks we all truly listen. He even suggested lyric changes in two songs and we took his advice and the songs are better for it. What a pleasure!” — Nell Robinson


Photo credit: Kalie Capadona

LISTEN: The Nell & Jim Band, “Dime in My Pocket”

Artist: The Nell & Jim Band (Nell Robinson and Jim Nunally)
Hometown: Bay Area, California
Song: “Dime in My Pocket”
Album: Steel
Release: February 15, 2019
Label: Whippoorwill Arts

In Their Words: “‘Dime in My Pocket’ was written as an exercise in songwriting, and inspired by the book Will You Miss Me When I’m Gone?, the story of the Carter Family. I wanted to try to write a song about A.P. Carter and his feelings about Sara that I gathered from the book. I borrowed a melody, like Woody Guthrie would, which was ‘Rollin’ On’ from the Monroe Brothers, which I recorded with the David Grisman Bluegrass Experience. I changed a few notes of the melody and a couple chords and there you go. I put the words to that and there you have ‘Dime in My Pocket.'” –Jim Nunally, The Nell & Jim Band


Photo credit: Jay Blakesburg