Donna the Buffalo On Tour, New Album In The Works With Producer Rob Fraboni

(Left to right: David McCracken, Jeb Puryear, Tara Nevins, Mark Raudabaugh, Kyle Spark). Photo by Chris Mortenson from the band’s recent appearance on Jam in The Van

Distinctive, Groove-heavy, and Danceable,
Donna The Buffalo Recording New Album with Producer Rob Fraboni

 

Spring and Summer Tour Dates Announced!

ASHEVILLE, NC — Donna the Buffalo is joining forces with legendary Producer/ Engineer Rob Fraboni to record their next album February 2018 at Sonic Ranch in El Paso, TX. It is one of the world’s largest residential recording studios and is built around an 80-year-old hacienda and pecan orchard right along the border. Fraboni is well known for his work with Bob Dylan, The Band, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Tim Hardin, The Beach Boys, Joe Cocker, and Bonnie Raitt, and as Vice President at Island Records where he oversaw the remastering of the entire Bob Marley catalog. He produced the soundtrack on Martin Scorsese‘s groundbreaking concert movie, The Last Waltz, which included an all-star cast of famous rock and roll performers. He built and designed the legendary Shangri-La studios in Malibu to the specification of Bob Dylan and the Band. Referred to as a “genius” by Keith Richards in his bestselling autobiography Life.

Rob Fraboni, Tara Nevins, and Jeb Puryer at Sonic Ranch. Photo by Bess Greenberg

Known as one of the most dynamic and determined bands continuously touring America since 1989, Pittsburgh City Paper says, “Though it will always be hard to pinpoint the key to an act’s staying power, distinctiveness and consistency surely can’t hurt. Donna the Buffalo has carved out a niche; it has weathered trends, and even made some of its own by being unapologetically itself.” Donna the Buffalo is Jeb Puryear (vocals, electric guitar) and Tara Nevins (vocals, fiddle, guitar, accordion, scrubboard) joined by David McCracken (B3 Hammond organ, Hohner Clavinet & piano), Kyle Spark (bass) and Mark Raudabaugh (drums).

Donna the Buffalo drew their original inspiration from a cherished part of the American heritage: the old-time music festivals of the south that drew entire towns and counties together. Not only was it playing music at these events, it was the vibe and the togetherness that bonded the people that attended. The Erie Times says, “They craft spirit-soaring songs with distinct sensibilities: Nevins’ songs are unfailingly melodic, brisk and buoyant, powered by her reassuring, wisdom-soaked vocals and ever-present fiddle and accordion. Puryear’s songs accentuate the groove, his exceptional guitar work and sly, Dylan-like way with lyrics.”

Donna the Buffalo’s fanbase, The Herd, will be excited to hear the news of the upcoming album since their most recent album, Tonight, Tomorrow and Yesterday, came out nearly five years ago in the spring of 2013. All Music Guide says of it, “This is what 21st century Americana sounds like, a little bit of this and that from anywhere wrapped up into a poignant, jamming dance reel, a place where the past and history meet easily in the immediate now and everybody feels like dancing.”

Donna the Buffalo has released ten albums and are affiliated with several others including  two solo albums from Nevins including 2011’s Wood and Stone (produced by Larry Campbell in Levon Helm Studios) and Mule to Ride in 1999,  Puryear’s 2007 solo album Hopes and Dreams, and a 2003 release, Wait Til Spring, with Jim Lauderdale. The band’s 2008 release, Silverlined, as well as the 2013 release, Tonight, Tomorrow and Yesterday, (both on Sugar Hill Records) did well on the Americana Music Chart, each placing well into the top ten.

“Donna the Buffalo knows a thing or two about rhythm, says New Haven Register. “Cajun, zydeco and old-time rhythms. A bit of reggae rhythm. Various guitar and fiddle rhythms. The rhythm of traveling by bus year after year for more than a quarter-century now, criss-crossing America… over and over again.”

The band’s tour kicks back up in New York City at at the City Winery in mid-March before a show at Ransom Steele Tavern near their hometown in the Finger Lakes region of New York state. They’ll be sunny Florida for the Suwannee Spring Reunion in March and the Peace River Revival in early April. They’ve got a plethora of shows lined up including two festivals which they started and are still the driving force behind: Spring Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival in Pittsboro in North Carolina in May and The Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival in Trumansburg, New York in July, as well as other great festivals like MerleFest, Old Settlers Music Festival, Edinboro Music & Arts Fest, Buttermilk Jamboree, Blue Heron Music Festival, and more!

Donna the Buffalo on Tour
3/16 Fri – City Winery – New York, NY
3/17 Sat – Ransom Steele Tavern – Apalachin, NY
3/24-25 Sat-Sun – Suwannee Spring Reunion – Live Oak, FL
4/6 Fri – Terra Fermata – Stuart, FL
4/7 Sat – Peace River Revival – Punta Gorda, FL
4/14 Sat – Loaded Up and Truckin @ Oskar Blues Brewery – Hendersonville, NC
4/19-20 Thu-Fri – Old Settlers Music Festival – Driftwood, TX
4/21 Sat – Blue Moon Saloon and Guest House – Lafayette, LA
4/26-29 Thu-Sun – MerleFest – Wilkesboro, NC
5/3-6 Thu-Sun – Spring Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival – Pittsboro, NC
5/11 Fri – The Dock – Ithaca, NY
5/12 Sat – Narrows Center for the Arts – Fall River, MA
5/13 Sun – Infinity Hall – Norfolk, CT
5/17 Thu – Edinboro Music & Arts Fest – Edinboro, PA
5/18 Fri – The Ardmore Music Hall – Ardmore, PA
5/19 Sat – The State Theatre – Falls Church, VA
5/20 Sun – Edinboro Music & Arts Fest – Edinboro, PA
6/16 Sat – Buttermilk Jamboree – Delton, MI
7/6-8 Fri-Sun – Blue Heron Music Festival – Sherman, NY
7/19-22 Thu-Sun – Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival – Trumansburg, NY
8/16 Thu – Daryl’s House Club – Pawling, NY
8/17 Fri – Green Mountain Bluegrass & Roots Festival – Manchester, VT
8/18 Sat – Hickory Festival – Wellsboro, PA
8/24 Fri – Evanston SPACE – Evanston, IL
8/25 Sat – Porcupine Mountains Music Festival – Ontonagon, MI
9/15 Sat – Harwich Cranberry Jam – Harwich, MA

 

“Swing That Thing” Live on Jam in The Van –> 

For more information and tour dates, please visit www.donnathebuffalo.com
www.facebook.com/donnathebuffalo and www.twitter.com/donnathebuffalo

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Ty Gilpin Releases “Crooked Hollows” ~ A Solo Project Featuring Pickers from the Asheville Music Scene

Ty Gilpin Releases “Crooked Hollows”

A Solo Project Featuring Pickers from the Asheville Music Scene

www.TyGilpin.com

Crooked Hollows on iTunes

A veteran of the Asheville music scene, Ty Gilpin steps out with a solo project that aims to capture the essence of the Asheville Roots music world with his new release Crooked Hollows.

Gilpin is no stranger to any aspect of the music business. He is a performer, songwriter, vocalist and player with multiple groups and has worked for over a decade on his own and with Crossroads/Mountain Home Music doing marketing and promotion for some of the biggest names in Bluegrass. Now he has recorded his own songs with a select group of talented peers.

Don’t get it wrong, this is not a Bluegrass album, although there are cuts that lend itself to the genre. Gilpin’s release Crooked Hollows is an eclectic mix of Americana, Folk-Rock, Irish and even includes an electronic remix.

All the tracks feature names that are not just a staple of the local music scene but rather a Who’s Who of folks that are known both in North Carolina as well as nationally.

“With all the different types of songs the cd has, I felt like each one called for different vocalists.” Gilpin says. “I wanted each track to have it’s own identity and include my talented friends to give the songs a special feel but also to make the recording a community event that celebrated what I believe to be some of the best artists here or anywhere.”

The lead off track “Queen of the Crows” includes Cody Kilby, guitarist from Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, noted banjo picker Steve Sutton and female folk troubadour Jen Duke who joins Gilpin on vocals. The dynamic selection of songs moves to country themes including “Smiling for the Camera” featuring the vocals of Darren Nicholson of Balsam Range and the song “Losers Like Me” with Town Mountain vocalist Robert Greer. Other contributions come from the vocals of Amanda Platt of the celebrated Asheville group, The Honeycutters, as well as from Buddy Melton of Balsam Range, Lance Mills, Sav Sankaran and singer-songwriter Taylor Martin.

Keeping to the diversity of the music, there is an Irish element on the track “Going to the West”, sung by Duke and concludes with an even further musical departure featuring a re-mix of “Queen of the Crows” by Danny Peck (aka dep) who blends acoustic and electronic elements for a hauntingly beautiful finale.

The line-up also includes, Charles Humphrey III of the Steep Canyon Rangers, Josh Haddix of the Greasy Beans, Rick Cooper, Jessica Smith, multi-instrumentalists Matt Smith, Duncan Wickel and Tim Gardner as well a studio drummer extraordinaire Tony Creasman.

All tracks were written and arranged by Gilpin and produced by Gilpin and Tim Gardner. Tracks 2-7 were recorded at Coyote Ridge Studios in Asheville with the lead off track recorded at Omni-Artists Studios in Weaverville by Eric Willson. The album was mixed and mastered by Van Atkins at Crossroads Studios in Arden, NC.

The official street date for Ty Gilpin’s Crooked Hollows is September 18th. The album is available at CD Baby and iTunes. Visit www.tygilpin.com for information on the release and links to buy.

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Folk Rocker Aaron Burdett Releases ”Breathing Underwater” This September

Aaron Burdett Releases “Breathing Underwater”

“Burdett’s accessible and utterly authentic vocal style is the perfect match for his insightful, ruminative lyrics, which totally sells the truth of his tales, making for a truly satisfying listening experience.” —Bold Life

“laid-back set of acoustic driven folk” —Mountain Xpress

“Burdett’s music ranges from handmade hooks to newgrass to Starbucks soundtracks” —Greenville Metromix

Based in the Asheville, NC area, storyteller and musician Aaron Burdett is set to release his 4th album, Breathing Underwater on September 11th, 2012. Building on the traditions of the finest performing songwriters such as John Hiatt, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, and John Prine; Aaron’s music blends folk-rock, bluegrass, and blues with pop sensibilities. His honest songwriting pours in between hammer-on chord changes and rolling crosspicking rhythms, all the while keeping at the forefront his own unique sound and authentic voice.

After successfully raising $9000 through Kickstarter, Burdett and his band (Will Jernigan on bass and Billy Seawell on drums), took to Hollow Reed Studios to record with producer Chris Rosser. Breathing Underwater is the first album where vocalist Burdett performs on his electric guitar as well as acoustic. Guest musicians include Casey Driessen on fiddle, Andy Pond on banjo and cajon, Brian Swenk on banjo, and Chris Rosser on keys.

Optimistically themed, Breathing Underwater reflects Aaron’s life experience and the changing perceptions and priorities that come with the passage of time, working towards goals, and finding the peace of mind to allow life to unfold naturally. It features 11 tracks, all penned by Burdett, including the slow, bluesy electric title track. It’s a tonally diverse album, from the upbeat and newgrassy “Copper on the Corner” and “Sneaking up” to the more relaxed pace of “The Simplest Things”, a piece about stepping back from day to day distractions and concerns to remember the more important things we are blessed with. There is a musical release in “3 or 4 minutes”, a song about being taken away on a journey by an artist, and then realizing that it’s only a 3 or 4 minute song even though you feel like you’ve been gone and zoned into the music forever.

Burdett has recorded three previous albums: 2005’s The Weight of Words, 2008’s Resolve, and 2010’s Stand Up Eight. The latter two hit in the top 25 top regional releases on WNCW. “There’s a comfortable feeling to Stand Up Eight, somewhat reminiscent to the music of John Hiatt and Bruce Hornsby,” writes Blue Ridge Outdoors. Over the years Aaron has been a finalist in several songwriting competitions including The Mountain Stage Songwriting Contest, The NC Songwriter’s Cooperative Songwriting Contest, and the Hank Williams Songwriting Contest (from the old Flat Rock Music Festival).

From Ireland and the UK to the Southeastern United States, Aaron‘s abilities have been noticed and showcased on some of the premier singer-songwriter stages during his career. Burdett has collaborated on his past albums with members of Big Daddy Love, Acoustic Syndicate, Free Planet Radio, and Snake Oil Medicine Show. He also had the pleasure of opening for the Avett Brothers several years back at his bass player’s wedding!

Whether solo or with his band, Aaron’s talent for the craft of songwriting and knack for connecting with a live audience has won him praise time and time again.

Aaron Burdett on Tour:

Aaron Burdett Band Live on Studio B, WNCW 88.7
4pm Friday, September 14. 2012

Aaron Burdett Band’s AVL CD Release Show @  The One Stop in Asheville, NC
With special guest Andy Pond joining the band
Saturday, September 15, 2012 10pm

Aaron Burdett Solo @ Pisgah Brewing Co. in Black Mountain, NC
Saturday, September 22, 2012 3pm

 Aaron Burdett Band @ The Purple Onion in Saluda, NC
Hometown CD Release Show!!
Saturday, September 29, 2012 8pm

Aaron Burdett Band @ Jack of Hearts in Weaverville, NC
Friday, October 10, 2012 9pm

Aaron Burdett Band @ The Garage in Winston-Salem, NC
Saturday, October 13, 2012 9:30pm

More dates tbd…

aaronburdett.com
facebook.com/AaronBurdettMusic
twitter.com/Aaron_Burdett

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The Duhks on Tour This October!

The Duhks On Tour this October!

Thur, Oct 6th, 2011   Newton-Conover Auditorium  Newton, NC
Fri, Oct 7th      Pisgah Brewing Company     Black Mountain, NC
Sat-Sun, Oct 8-9th      Shakori Hills Festival    Silk Hope, NC
Wed, Oct 12th     Jammin’ Java     Vienna, VA
Thurs, Oct 13th      Kent Stage     Kent, OH
Fri, Oct 14th      The Newton Theatre    Newton, NJ
Sat, Oct 15th      Infinity Hall    Norfolk, CT

www.duhks.com

The most vital acoustic music being made today acknowledges its predecessors and lives in the here and now. The Duhks, a band of five skilled, high-energy, tattooed musicians from Winnipeg, Manitoba, has been riveting audiences and winning staunch fans around the world with just that kind of music. The Boston Globe says about them, “Canada’s premier neo-tradsters romp from world-beat to blues, urban-pop to old-timey, with wild-eyed invention, haunting traditionalism, and spine-rattling groove. Who says the Frozen North can’t sizzle, eh?”

Since the release of their self-titled album in 2005, the consequent re-release of its Canadian debut (Your Daughters and Your Sons) to their most recent release (Fast Paced World), the band has won admirers as diverse as David Crosby, Dolly Parton and Doc Watson. This isn’t surprising, given the band’s blend of soul, gospel, North American folk, Brazilian samba, old-time country string-band music, zydeco and Irish dance music, folk rock and the attraction to these interwoven acoustic styles. The Duhks’ unique sound has also earned the band a Grammy nomination, one Juno Award, two additional Juno nominations, two Folk Alliance awards and an Americana Music Association nomination for Best Emerging Artists.

NPR says, “The inventive Canadians in The Duhks are widely beloved for their smooth blend of traditional roots music and soul, which they inject with well-placed Afro-Cuban and Celtic influences.” Ultimately though, according to band founder and claw-hammer banjoist Leonard Podolak, the Duhks “just want to play music that speaks to everybody.” Mission accomplished.

2008’s Fast-Paced World was the first Duhks record to feature prodigies Sarah and Christian Dugas. The siblings have been immersed in music their whole lives, thanks in part to their musician parents. “We had a family band that toured across Canada when I was 7 and Christian was 9,” remembers Sarah. “My father had a recording studio in the house, so I grew up hearing a variety of musicians playing everything from rap to rock to world beat. I grew up in a fun and creative environment.”

Joining the band in 2011, violinist Duncan Wickel‘s (formerly of Asheville, NC and now in Boston, MA) studies also began early with classical violin training at age 4. He was soon after introduced to Irish fiddling and has evolved into a wildly diverse and highly accomplished improviser, composer and technician on the violin; which fits amazingly with the Duhks diverse sound.

Guitarist Jordan McConnell also started digging into music at an early age and he started making guitars right out of highschool. He built both the guitar he plays on stage and one of Leonard’s favorite banjos as well. Currently, Jordan’s luthier business is taking off through the roof- a guitar he built was recently played by Seth Avett of The Avett Brothers alongside Bob Dylan on the Grammys!

Sarah and Christian have started playing as a duo and signed with Southern Ground Records (Zac Brown, Wood Brothers, Sonia Leigh). Since then they have played on Zac Brown’s Cruise “Sailing the Southern Seas” as well as the renowned folk and roots cruise “Cayamo”. They released an EP titled “Another Day” in February of 2011.

When not performing with the Duhks, Leonard has been invited into the Cecil Sharp Project based in the UK, as well as a new project, he’s started with some great Canadian songwriters called Dry Bones who performed earlier this year at the Vancouver Folk Fest.

With all of the side projects taking off, this tour is a special and rare opportunity to see the band. According to one blogger‘s live review, “The Duhks have soul in spades and a heart beat that pulses more true than an Ibiza night club. A night spent with The Duhks is summed up best by their own encore, ‘HALLELUJAH!’ Hallelujah indeed.”

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The Duhks play Pisgah Brewing on Friday, October 7th– Dehlia Low opens!

THE DUHKS:
The most vital acoustic music being made today acknowledges its predecessors and lives in the here and now. The Duhks, a band of five skilled, high-energy, tattooed musicians from Winnipeg, Manitoba, has been riveting audiences and winning staunch fans around the world with just that kind of music. The Boston Globe says about them, “Canada’s premier neo-tradsters romp from world-beat to blues, urban-pop to old-timey, with wild-eyed invention, haunting traditionalism, and spine-rattling groove. Who says the Frozen North can’t sizzle, eh?”  www.duhks.com

Since the release of their self-titled album in 2005, the consequent re-release of its Canadian debut (Your Daughters and Your Sons) to their most recent release (Fast Paced World), the band has won admirers as diverse as David Crosby, Dolly Parton and Doc Watson. This isn’t surprising, given the band’s blend of soul, gospel, North American folk, Brazilian samba, old-time country string-band music, zydeco and Irish dance music, folk rock and the attraction of these interwoven acoustic styles. The Duhks’ unique sound has also earned the band a Grammy nomination, one Juno Award, two additional Juno nominations, two Folk Alliance awards and an Americana Music Association nomination for Best Emerging Artists.

DEHLIA LOW:
Dehlia Low’s vocal harmony and instrumentation reflect a deep connection to traditional music with modern arrangements and relevant, smart songwriting. The band combines their gripping, rustic-flavored vocal style with instrumental prowess. Performing original songs that feel at once both old and new, the band is rooted in bluegrass while pushing their sound into Americana, Roots Country, and Folk, true to their southern Appalachian roots.  www.dehlialow.com

SPACE CAPONE:
Space Capone highly danceable, ’70s-style grooves and thrift store retro style! www.spacecapone.com

Show details at a glance

The Duhks w/ Dehlia Low
Pisgah Brewing Inside Taproom
Friday, October 7th

Fri., 10/7/11 — The Duhks w/Dehlia Low and Late Night w/Space Capone
Inside Taproom
Door 6:30 PM/Show Time 7:30 PM
Tickets: $15
Ticket Purchase – https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/198082

828-669-0190
150 Eastside Drive
Black Mountain, NC 28711
http://www.pisgahbrewing.com

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Crash Test Dummies Tour the North East (VT, PA, NJ, NH) This September 2011

UPDATE: We’re sorry to announce that the Crash Test Dummies’ fall 2011 tour of the US Canada has been cancelled. Lead singer/songwriter Brad Roberts has been dealing with chronic and worsening back problems stemming from a herniated disk. His doctors have advised him that he can not go out on the road for the remainder of this year. Roberts is deeply disappointed, and knows that Crash Test Dummies fans will be disappointed as well, but his medical condition has to be his priority right now.

-Crash Test Dummies – September 12, 2011

Seeing the Crash Test Dummies perform live may rocket you backward momentarily, with Brad Roberts‘ distinctive voice and satirical humor conjuring hits like “Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm” and “Superman’s Song”, but it will also land you firmly in the present with modern folk rock perfected over 20 years of touring & recording.

Last year’s critically acclaimed Oooh La-La! [Deep Fried Records] was made using 1970’s analog toys, including the the Optigan and Omnichord. Despite the unusual nature of production, the songs on Oooh La-La! stand up as some of Roberts’ best work, both lyrically and musically. Venus Zine noted “Soaring string arrangements, Roberts’ booming baritone…captivate the listener,” and as the Huffington Post put it, these newly revitalized Crash Test Dummies “Should be taken seriously in 2010 and beyond.”

Rather than try to recreate music that was written with some rather cranky toy instruments, Roberts and company embarked on a highly successful acoustic tour around the release of the album, which further cemented the GRAMMY-nominated band’s relationship with fans new and old. Fortunately for fans, Roberts immediately discovered that he really does love playing live shows. In that spirit, Crash Test Dummies are heading out on a mini-tour in September to play the Taste of Madison (9/4); Sellersville Theater, PA (9/13); Mexicali Live in Teaneck NJ (9/14); and the Tupelo Music Halls in White River Junction, VT (9/16) and Londonderry, NH (9/17).

Roberts’ voice and offbeat lyrical sensibility have been this beloved band’s calling cards since their founding twenty years ago. Joining Roberts for this tour are Rob Morsberger (keys and accordion) and Terry Derkach (guitar). Rob Morsberger is a composer, arranger, keyboard player and singer. He created the string arrangements on “Oooh La-La!” and has toured with Brad, both as an opening act and as a keyboard player. Rob will also do a short, solo, opening set. Terry, like Brad, is originally from Winnipeg and like Roberts, has been living in NYC for many years. They’ve worked in the studio on some projects, but this will be the first time that the two have actually “been in a band together” since they were 18 years old. That band lasted one rehearsal! We have every expectation that this collaboration will be more sustained.

The live show, which never fails to impress, is “…easily the most breathtaking acoustic act you’re likely to see… distinctive voices exert amazing prowess” according to Consequence of Sound. The show touches on the breadth of material that Roberts has developed with a variety of collaborators over a storied career and nine notable albums. This new three-piece lineup will be sure to play ‘the hits’ – of which there were plenty – as well as a vast array of material that makes them such an enduring force in folk rock.

In addition to the stellar set list, the band will will offer fans a newly-released, limited edition collection of never-before-heard cast-off recording from 1996-97 titled “Demo-litions”. It is available only at the shows (and of course on their web site). Roberts states, “Put on the record, shut off your cell phones, internet, TV screen, and even the lights; then sit back, and give it a full listen through. I promise you’ll laugh, at the very least. And a laugh is worth a thousand good ideas.”

Meanwhile, while he’s not recording and playing shows, or reading and re-reading Milton’s Paradise Lost, Roberts’ Facebook and Tumblr fans continue to follow his output as a photographer, as he catalogs life around him in New York and on his travels.

To learn more about Crash Test Dummies, see videos, read Roberts’ blog and more, visit www.crashtestdummies.com.

www.CrashTestDummies.com

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Acoustic Syndicate Plays The NC Music Factory in Charlotte Friday, May 6th!

Really pumped up about the Acoustic Syndicate show this Friday, May 6th at the NC Music Factory in Charlotte!

Here is a bit about what they’ve been up to from what they told Ryan Snyder in a recent interview with YES! Weekly:

As the Acoustic Syndicate family grows, a new album finally awaits:

There`s maybe no better way to sum up the outlook of Acoustic Syndicate circa 2005 than the words of Bryon McMurry on the Shelby folk-rock oufit’s song “It Was Good While It Lasted.” “Nothing lasts forever and we find out who we are,” he sang on the band’s 2000 album Tributaries, unaware then that it might be the band’s mantra in only a few years time as they entered an indeterminable furlough. The McMurrys — Bryon, Fitz and cousin Steve — knew just who they were: a close-knit group built upon rural values of sustainability and commitment to the family. When the two brothers began to experience growth in their own families, their incessant touring lifestyle of the past decade suddenly became an afterthought.

“Fitz and Brian were both having to be gone during pregnancies and the last thing we wanted to do is have our families suffer on account of what we’re doing,” said Steve. “It’s important for us to stay centered and understand what’s most important. It was the obvious thing to do at that point.”

The group was arguably going out at their peak. They had just released one of their best-received albums in 2004’s Long Way Round (Sugar Hill), and kicked off the album’s supporting tour with a return to the Bonnaroo Music Festival after performing the inaugural festival two years earlier. Steve says that show in particular was instrumental in that tour’s success.

. . .   . . .    . . .

At the urging of their booking agent Hugh Southard, the group started playing more and more shows around 2007, learning how to juggle being a working band and family men at the same time. The days of 180- 200 shows per year may be over for the band, but Steve says that being able to have their families present has engendered a new kind of creative freedom in them.

As of now, they’re not only looking to begin recording their first album in seven years, but their arrangement is growing as well. Bassist Jay Sanders invited a friend, dobro player Billy Cardine, to join the group for a performance at last year’s Asheville Earth Day Celebration, and Steve said they knew almost immediately that he was a perfect fit for the group.

The addition is progressive for the group’s sound, which Steve describes as being edgier than any other era of the band, and for the first time, they’ll be writing songs specifically to feature a certain instrument. They hope to hit Echo Mountain Recording in Asheville with the pool of 15-16 songs later in 2011, many of which Steve describes as being written from a deeper, more personal place than ever before.

“I always tried to keep songwriting away from my personal life, but there’s been a couple of things in my life with living and people dying. Some major influences that really changed my reality,” he said somewhat hesitantly. “I thought about it and thought about it, and sort of avoided writing anything about it, but something kept bugging me to do it.”

He added that the time away has allowed him and his cousins to refocus their creativity after admittedly becoming burnt out in the year before their hiatus. Reenergized as a group, Steve believes that the band is in as good of a creative place as they’ve ever been.

“When you get burnt out and you start to write songs from the gut, it’s just not good,” he said. “It’s better to be creative out of a desire to be creative and not a need to be creative.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://www.yesweekly.com/triad/article-11650-as-the-acoustic-syndicate-family-grows-a-new-album-finally-awaits.html

Photo by Bright Life Photography

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Acoustic Syndicate Mini-Documentary

This is a great Acoustic Syndicate mini-documentary that was filmed at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC by MPA Productions.

Folk-rock band, Acoustic Syndicate, is the product of Cleveland County’s McMurry clan and is known for their high-energy, positive sound. Guitarist Steve “Big Daddy” McMurry is joined by his cousins, Bryon McMurry on banjo and Fitz McMurry on drums. The three McMurrys also bring a trademark vocal trio that only a lifetime of singing together can deliver. They are backed on acoustic and electric bass by Asheville’s Jays Sanders‘ versatile playing that hinges between being the steadfast “rock” and expanding into adventurous improv. The guys have written some great new songs and have recently added (the Biscuit Burners) Billy Cardine‘s blistering dobro sounds to the mix.

Here is a link to an audio archive from the show at the Orange Peel in Asheville over Thanksgiving weekend: http://www.archive.org/details/as2010-11-27.at853.flac16.

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Archive: Review of Acoustic Syndicate at the Cat’s Cradle in Glide

Here’s a nice review of the recent Acoustic Syndicate show at the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC  with Glide magazine. Some excerpts are below. Please click the link to read the full review with show specifics and see some great photos by Bryan Rogers as well.

Acoustic Syndicate

The Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC 1/8/11

By Bryan Rodgers

The recent resurgence of Acoustic Syndicate has seen the band utilize a wide variety of formations.  After six albums and a decade of touring with the core quartet of brothers Fitz and Bryon McMurry (drums/vocals and banjo/vocals, respectively), their cousin Steve McMurry (guitar and vocals), and bassist Jay Sanders, the band took a hiatus that, at the time, was of undetermined length . . .

. . .

n 2011, it seems that the Syndicate is really and truly back, at least in a regional sense, with Sanders fully on board, several tour dates in the southeast, and their first new batch of songs since 2004.  Despite this rejuvenated focus on the band, the McMurrys continue to find themselves balancing different formations, as evidenced by the long-awaited Saturday night Cat’s Cradle show . . .

. . .

Dobro player Billy Cardine is the latest addition to the group, and in many ways his inclusion makes perfect sense. . .  the band often featured saxophonist Jeremy Saunders during their most prolific period, so Cardine helps bring back that instrumental flexibility, giving Syndicate a new weapon to utilize during their lengthy improvisations. Starting slowly with “Billy the Kid” and crowd favorite “Pumpkin and Daisy,” the band wasted no time in paying tribute to one of their key influences on his birthday. Elvis Presley’s first ever single, “That’s Alright, Mama” was performed with reverence just before the joyful, island-flavored “November” pushed the energy of the show in a new direction….

Read more of the show review: http://www.glidemagazine.com/articles/56785/acoustic-syndicate.html

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Acoustic Syndicate plays this Saturday, January 8th at the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC.

Acoustic Syndicate plays this Saturday, January 8th at the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC.

Here is a bit more info from IndyWeek:

Festival favorites earlier in the decade, Acoustic Syndicate now play far fewer live shows than they once did. But the pleasing jamgrass and familial harmonies of Cleveland County’s McMurry boys—plus bassist Jay Sanders and newly added dobro master Billy Cardine—hasn’t changed much. Music for and by good-natured mountain folk, Acoustic Syndicate’s grass is enriched with strong jazz sensibilities, a dose of reggae and occasional electric banjo licks that disregard the acoustic designation. Opening newgrass quintet Acoustic Manner features four members of defunct Raleigh outfit Barefoot Manner. —Spencer Griffith

Read more: http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/acoustic-syndicate-acoustic-manner/Event?oid=1884682

They also got a best bet in the Herald Sun who lists the following details about showtime as well:

Guitarist Steve “Big Daddy” McMurry is joined by his cousins, Bryon McMurry on banjo and Fitz McMurry on drums. They are backed on acoustic and electric bass by Asheville’s Jays Sanders. Recently, they have added (the Biscuit Burners) Billy Cardine’s dobro playing to the ensemble. Acoustic Syndicate will perform Saturday (doors open at 8:30, concert at 9:30) at Cat’s Cradle, 300 E. Main St., in Carrboro. For tickets, call 967-9053 or visit http://www.catscradle.com.

Read more: The Herald-Sun – BEST BET Acoustic Syndicate to perform at Cradle

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