Tag: North Carolina

LISTEN: Fireside Collective, “Bring It on Home”

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Artist: Fireside Collective
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Song: “Bring It On Home”
Album: Elements
Release Date: March 20, 2020
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “We love all genres, especially funk. Getting to show that side of our band is always fun and a nice break from bluegrass, which we also love. Carson and Jesse worked a lot on getting the bass line as groovy as possible and I think they succeeded in making this one extra funky!” — Tommy Maher, dobro

“‘Bring It On Home’ is a great example of what can be done with bluegrass instruments outside of the bluegrass groove. The song begins with a unison riff before branching out into a funky groove with tight harmonies and tasty fills and solos to match. While it doesn’t land in the bluegrass groove, this song is a great example of where the genre is heading.” — Alex Genova, banjo

Photo credit: Heather Hambor

LISTEN: Carolina Blue, “Grown Cold”

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Artist: Carolina Blue
Hometown: Brevard, North Carolina
Song: “Grown Cold”
Album: Take Me Back
Release Date: June 19, 2020
Label: Billy Blue Records

In Their Words: “‘Grown Cold’ is the lead single from our forthcoming album, Take Me Back, on Billy Blue Records. I wrote the song specifically for Tim Jones to sing, and boy, does he deliver! What makes this song ideal, in my opinion, is that it’s different from anything that’s out there today, and that was intentional on my part as the songwriter. It really fits our motto of ‘Original yet Traditional.’ As a band, we want the listeners to be able to identify our music the moment that it comes on the radio, and I think we will be successful, not only with ‘Grown Cold,’ but with every track on the album. Hope you all enjoy it!” — Bobby Powell, Carolina Blue

Photo credit: Corey Johnson Studios

BGS 5+5: Jonathan Wilson

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Artist: Jonathan Wilson
Hometown: Forest City, North Carolina
Latest Album: Dixie Blur

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

Painting more than others really, I’ve always admired the visual arts so…..I want to be a great painter and the painters want to be a musician…….

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

The studio ritual is weed, the live ritual is multi-faceted: setlist, vocal warm-up for good luck, a tequila onstage and voila.

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

I live in nature and have for most of my recording career, it’s hugely important, the moon, the sunsets, they inspire new work, they make everything feel meaningful and magical … I live in the woods.

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

A Gjelina dinner with Neil Young is on my bucket list.

Photo credit: Louis Rodiger

WATCH: Darin & Brooke Aldridge, “Emmylou”

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Artist: Darin & Brooke Aldridge
Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina
Song: “Emmylou” (First Aid Kit cover)
Album: Inner Journey
Label: Rounder Records

In Their Words: “When we were choosing songs for this album project, Brooke and I were poring through YouTube videos looking through Emmylou Harris songs, when this tune popped up. We immediately were drawn to it and decided to record it.” — Darin Aldridge

“The song seemed perfect for us as a couple that makes music together. There’s not a day that goes by that Darin and I don’t share a smile and wonder how we got lucky enough to find each other. Years of searching and praying for that exact moment when love would find us. Little did we know what started out as the same musical goals and ambitions would bring our hearts together in a marriage and a career of music.” — Brooke Aldridge

Photo courtesy of Darin & Brooke Aldridge

WATCH: Brew Davis, “Another Scarecrow Learning How to Fly”

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Artist: Brew Davis
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Song: “Another Scarecrow Learning How to Fly”
Album: Another Scarecrow Learning How to Fly
Release Date: February 28, 2020
Label: Hellbender Records

In Their Words: “This song is about transcendence and trying to get beyond the ruts we get stuck in, especially in ‘middle age,’ which is where I find myself these days. The opening line came to me in church, actually, and the verses just flowed out from there. I wrote the chorus later but it was clear to me what I wanted to say about life — how we get tempted by the stuff the world tells us is important when really the most important things are the people and things (i.e., music) that we love and that make us happy. One fun tidbit is that the shirt I’m wearing was my granddad’s. He died several years ago at 93 and is one of the ones I talk about in the chorus who’s ‘calling to me from the other side.'” — Brew Davis

Photo credit: Andrew Kornylak, FourMile Media

LISTEN: Nathan Evans Fox, “Cigarettes and Moon Pies”

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Artist: Nathan Evans Fox
Hometown: Glen Alpine, North Carolina
Song: “Cigarettes and Moon Pies”
Album: Kindness
Release Date: February 20, 2020

In Their Words: “I wanted to write a love song that’s equal parts cultural idiosyncrasy, self-reflection, and just kinda manic. Some of my favorite places in the world are small, local gas stations in the Carolinas. They’re such an interesting cultural intersection; there’s goods from local growers alongside industrially manufactured, shrink-wrapped foods, and old relics of legendary NASCAR racers next to brand new vinyl banners promoting strange, cheap beer spin-offs. You’re left with a big cultural mish-mash that’s really complex and rich, and I think there’s something really romantic about these small drive-by spots. They’re a true reflection of all the strangeness and complexity of growing up in a place like North Carolina. They just seem like a good place to fall in love.” — Nathan Evans Fox

Photo credit: Zach Wolfe

BGS 5+5: Tall Tall Trees

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Artist: Tall Tall Trees
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Latest album: A Wave of Golden Things
Release Date: January 31, 2020
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): TTT, Trips T

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

In sixth grade band our music teacher Mr. Hangley, who was the sweetest, most enthusiastic, rosy-cheeked band leader, switched me from alto to baritone saxophone. One day we were playing one of his favorite John Philip Sousa marches, and at the very end, I improvised a little bass riff and everyone including Mr. Hangley turned around in surprise. Something immediately clicked in my brain and I was totally hooked. Thank you public school music teachers everywhere.

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

The song “A Wave of Golden Things,” which ended up being the title track, is the oldest song on my new record. It was written on an out-of-tune piano in my Harlem apartment back in 2012 on the afternoon of the Sandy Hook school shooting. I was so overcome with profound sadness, the song just came pouring out of me. I made a quick recording of it on my old tape machine and couldn’t bring myself to listen to it for a long time. I was scared of it for some reason. After all the years, and so many school shootings later, I felt it was time to let it go, and it became the underlying spiritual theme for this album.

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

Growing up in the suburbs of NYC, I always dreamed of living in “the city,” with all its excitement and electric energy. Moving there in my early twenties was the best decision I could have made. It’s impossible to not be inspired there, with its never-ending parade of random insanity and so much high-level art and music. I was involved in so many different projects during the fifteen years I lived there, and really got to understand what moved me, and what didn’t. New York City shaped who I am today artistically.

Still, while living there, I began fantasizing about nature and a quieter life, and after some extended retreats in the South, I landed in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. It’s an incredible place, steeped in banjo music and history and I’m really just getting my feet wet in the scene. I love being only an hour away from the towns where Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson came up. I have found myself unplugging my banjo more (haha, I know weird) and spending more time working it out on the porch. Living in the mountains has definitely had a positive effect on my psyche and the music of A Wave of Golden Things.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

I have spent so many of the best nights of my life on stage, it’s pretty impossible to have a favorite. One particular night does comes to mind. I was touring solo through Europe, just me, a manual VW hatchback, and an intermittent GPS. I was scheduled to play an early evening set at a music festival in Austria and had a seven-hour drive, which magically turned into ten hours. I arrived minutes before my show, set up on this beautiful lakeside stage and started to play.

Three songs in, the sky opened up and sheets of rain sent the entire audience running for shelter, with many ending up on stage under the tent huddled around me. The wind knocked out the stage lighting and I finished out my set in the dark, lit up only by the LEDs in my banjo. The people were soaked, dancing and having so much fun. Such a magic moment for me. Afterwards, I smoked a j with Nada Surf. Pretty damn good time.

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

I have been obsessed with books, art, and music for my entire life. Everything else has pretty much been secondary. In recent years, I’ve discovered graphic novels and I’ve been blazing through everything by Neil Gaiman, especially the infinitely brilliant Sandman series, and also the work of super genius wizard Alan Moore. I am in total awe of the worlds they create and the stories they bring to life within those worlds. I so want to write music that does that.

I am also very deep into spiritual thinkers, people like Alan Watts, Terence McKenna, and the recently-passed Ram Dass. I have spent countless hours of my life listening to, or reading, their teachings and can’t help but assume they have informed my writing and worldview.

Photo credit: Sandlin Gaither

STREAM: Alan Barnosky, ‘Lonesome Road’

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Artist: Alan Barnosky
Hometown: Durham, North Carolina
Album: Lonesome Road EP
Release Date: January 17, 2020

In Their Words: “I typically have a less-is-more approach when it comes to writing music. My first record from 2017 definitely reflects that, it was a stripped-down songwriter album with all songs performed solo or as a duo. However, when it came to recording again I felt that six of my songs really worked best in more of a full-band arrangement, so I pulled together some of my musical collaborators and good friends and we recorded this EP to showcase those songs specifically. The focus of this record is still very much on the song, but it also features musical aspects that are harder to achieve as a solo or duo, like instrumental solos, some three-part harmonies, and an instrumental tune that highlights the individual players. Although there are more musicians on this record than my last, it is still very simple in terms of production.

“Since the EP compiles a variety of songs that I felt would work best with a band, not all of these songs are new to me. In fact, one, in particular, is pretty old. I wrote ‘Might Be a Call’ over 10 years ago using my mom’s old Gibson Hummingbird guitar that has long since been sold at a garage sale. I sat on the song knowing that it would only sound right if it was on a full-band recording. Other songs were written within months of recording, including the third track ‘Ain’t It a Shame’ and the instrumental ‘Sawtooth Ridge.’ Though the timeline of these songs spans a wide period of my life, the themes are actually pretty consistent. They carry imagery of weary traveling and a search for something better.” — Alan Barnosky

Photo credit: Mick Schulte

LISTEN: Steep Canyon Rangers with Asheville Symphony, “Radio”

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Artist: Steep Canyon Rangers with Asheville Symphony
Song: “Radio”
Album: Be Still Moses
Release Date: March 6, 2020
Label: Yep Roc Records

In Their Words: “We’ve been lucky to perform these songs with some great conductors over the last few years, but the opportunity to record them with our hometown symphony and the combination of [producer] Michael Selverne and [arranger] Michael Bearden was too good to pass up. They brought the arrangements to life and helped reimagine some of our older tunes. We’re so grateful for everyone’s efforts in making it happen. To hear the power and sweep of a full symphony behind these songs is truly amazing.” — Graham Sharp, Steep Canyon Rangers

“It was such a cool yet unusual experience to work as a band on a collection of songs we’ve recorded over the years and have performed live hundreds of times, by adding the ASO and producer Michael Selverne. This brought the songs to a new place with an entirely new life and sound. We also recorded with the band in a truly live setting to capture the energy of the performance.” — Woody Platt, Steep Canyon Rangers

Photo credit: David Simchock

Steep Canyon Rangers Salute Their State on ‘North Carolina Songbook’

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Steep Canyon Rangers have been musical ambassadors of North Carolina for nearly 20 years, and during this year’s set at MerleFest, they presented a wide-ranging performance drawing on their home state’s diverse contributions to American music. That feel-good Sunday afternoon show is now available as an eight-song live album, North Carolina Songbook.

The collection covers inspirations from jazz musician Thelonious Monk, folk/blues hero Elizabeth Cotten, and enduring acoustic legends such as Doc Watson and Flatt & Scruggs. Replying by email, mandolin player Mike Guggino answered these first five questions, with singer/guitarist Woody Platt rounding up the remainder.

BGS: The music of North Carolina can be an overwhelming subject. What was the audition process, so to speak, when it came time to deciding which songs you wanted to include in your set?

Guggino: We all tried to come to the table with songs that we thought might work for the set. We knew we needed not only good songs, but also songs that worked well together to make the set flow. We needed the set to have some diversity, some highs and lows dynamically. We also wanted to feature different members of the band throughout the show.

These songs are familiar, of course, but how much did you rehearse the set list before singing at MerleFest?

We starting working on the tunes a few months before the show. We tried to incorporate many of the tunes into our shows leading up to MerleFest to get an idea of how they worked within the set.

Naturally it’s important to have Doc Watson and Rosa Lee Watson represented. How often did you cross paths with them, and what do you remember most about them?

We all started going to Merlefest in our college years and Doc would perform every year. Seeing him play live was always a highlight of the festival for us. His was some of the first bluegrass/Americana music many of us in the band were ever exposed to. We starting learning many of Doc’s tunes for our shows early on as a band. Many years later, Doc played our festival (Mountain Song Festival) in Brevard. He was one of the nicest musicians I have ever met. It was an honor to meet him and none of us will ever forget that experience!

“Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down” is a bluegrass staple. Do you remember how you all first heard that song?

That was one of the first Flatt & Scruggs tunes we ever heard or tried to learn. I’ve always loved the ragtime-like chord changes in that tune. Also, Earl played it open and the tune is in F major. It definitely gives it a unique sound on the banjo. I think Graham played the heck out of that one on the record!

What were the conversations like as you were deciding what kind of arrangement you wanted to give “Stand by Me”

We all agreed we wanted to feature that beautiful string solo section in the middle. This required a few extra fiddlers to make it happen and it came off so nicely. Woody really sings it with a lot of passion and that is really what makes the song work, in my opinion. We didn’t end up straying too far from the original arrangement in the end. It’s a simple song and we didn’t want to overthink it.

True to its name, “I’ve Endured” has been around a while. What pulled you toward this song?

Platt: This song was a natural fit — not only was Ola Belle Reed a clawhammer banjo player from Grassy Creek in Ashe County, North Carolina, but this song and several of her others have been pulled into the bluegrass genre. We have heard several versions of “I’ve Endured” and we are proud to now have our own.

This album is coming out on vinyl on Record Store Day. Who is the biggest vinyl collector among you?

Everyone in the band has an interest in vinyl and has a nice collection. Without doing an exact count I’d have to say Graham [Sharp, on banjo] is the biggest collector.

“Sweet Baby James” is a highlight of this album. Who is the biggest fan of James Taylor in the band?

James is from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where the band was originally formed. All of us have connections to his music in some way or another. I’d guess Barrett [Smith, on bass] is the biggest fan. He did a great job channeling James’s vibe and delivery on this version.

North Carolina Songbook provides a chance for you to share part of your state’s musical heritage with the world. What do you hope fans will take away from the experience of listening to this album?

The takeaway is North Carolina’s incredibly rich and diverse musical history! Also, we have recorded nearly 100% of our own original music throughout our career — so it’s fun to show a different side of the band and how we can interpret other songs and deliver them in the SCR style.

What lies ahead for the Steep Canyon Rangers in 2020?

We have a few new projects coming up in 2020. A collaboration with the Asheville Symphony will be released in early 2020. Later in the year we will be releasing a new project of all original SCR material. Other than that we plan to continue to tour and play theaters, clubs, and festivals all over the country and abroad. There will also be some touring with our banjo buddy Steve Martin.

Photo Credit: David Simchock