Red Tail Ring Interview

Laurel, half of the duo that is Red Tail Ring, met with me at a coffee shop in Ann Arbor, MI - the town in which we both went to college - to talk about influences on the group's music, their growing success, and the traditional music community in Michigan.

I’m not super familiar with the folk music scene in Michigan, so it was fascinating to learn about some of the great things that are going on. Laurel spoke highly of EarthWorks music collective, which she described as a “really great family of folk artists, working together to benefit the environment.”

We discussed the place and the influences of different kinds of spaces at length. Laurel grew up in the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan “in the middle of the woods,” but the pair went to college in Ann Arbor and now live in Kalamazoo. I wondered whether the relative urban-ness of those areas led to a distinct sound, or if there was a city/country tension. According to Laurel: “That’s a pretty easy dichotomy to label. Contemporary, urban folk music.” She went on to describe how hearing traditional Scandinavian and French Canadian music in the UP caused her to appreciate that style, but “the diversity of a city” also had a great influence.

Red Tail Ring’s captivating lyrics are a large part of why I listen to them, so I asked Laurel about her songwriting process. She says that she and Michael both write lyrics separately, and then bring them “to the table” for review. Given the difficulty of collaboration, I can see how this process would work well. Where does she get the ideas for such unique and fascinating songs as “Sugarwine,” which compares the beauty of life to enjoying a sweet wine, or “My Ole’ Friends,” which laments the exodus of young college companions from the Midwest?

“A little bit of everywhere.” She went on to explain that sometimes they try to use the conventions of the traditional mountain songs they play, asking “what makes this so thrilling to us?” Often it has to do with the pattern and form. Asked for an example, she presented the banjo ballad, in which the banjo plays a melody and then a voice sings that same melody, and the song intersperses banjo and voice, “almost like the banjo and the voice are one voice” or “a conversation.” She later sent me a track from her new album to exemplify this form.

When I asked for Laurel's perspective on Red Tail Ring's growing success (they packed the Crazy Wisdom Tea Room in Ann Arbor the night before, and I’ve seen their name on flyers around the state), Laurel displayed genuine modesty. “I’m glad that we’re making a very simple living. That's really all that we can ask for. And be able to be creative…and bring something to people. That's....the very simple definition of success.”

Regarding her plans for the future, she wants to continue to widen their circle outside Michigan. So far their tours have mostly taken place in the Midwest, with some on the east and west coasts. They travel in a van – “it’s totally old school” – and enjoy long journeys.They are going to keep on growing, continuing their "very slow and healthy build.”

Chicago Indie Rock: Vintage Blue

I love social networking, especially Twitter. I love the challenge of creating witty comments within the confines of 140 characters. I enjoy connecting with new people and flirting with a handle - I even sort of dated someone for five months thanks to Twitter (but that’s a different story.) But one of my favorite things about Twitter: it’s an avenue for finding and discovering new music.

Like all twitter users, I get psyched when I gain a new follower, and as a music lover I get super psyched when it’s a band. So after looking into my latest band follower, @VintageBlue, I was feeling pretty good.

After a few tweets, RT’s and DM’s, (Re-tweets and Direct Messages, for those who are unfamiliar with the Twitter game) I was invited to check out their performance at Double Door in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. The relatively small venue is an important part of Chicago's rock history, famous for booking "up-and-coming bands" in addition to quite a few "big-name" talents who prefer the more intimate setting. They split the bill with three other Chicago based groups: The Chris Buehrle Band, Farraday, and the headliner, Workout Music. Having high hopes, but mediocre expectations, I was totally blown away; Vintage Blue is a big band, with an even bigger on-stage presence!

The self-described “contemporary, classic rock” band officially formed as Vintage Blue in August of 2011. Prior to that, three of the now five members were part of the cover band, Tanglewood. But once the guys started writing some of their own music, they realized they had a true knack for it and decided to give it a go.

The five piece band consists of Ben and Ryan, each on vocals and guitar, Cesar on bass, Will on drums, and Max on saxophone and keyboard. When playing big shows, they bring out Brent for backup sax and Caitlin as backup vocals, I imagine they’ll be rolling as a seven-piece group a lot as their summer concert schedule is already stacked pretty deep.

At the Double Door performance, my roommate and I had the opportunity to catch Vintage Blue jam as a seven-piece band. They opened with “California Road,” a folk rock track that catchy lyrics that melodiously correspond with the country-guitar riffs, while throwing in enough saxophone to add a bluesy undertone. Midway through the performance, the band played “Amazing Grace,” a single they recently recorded for a short independent film, which conveniently shares the same title. The set included several tracks that did a great job of showcasing the bands cohesiveness without undermining the talent each member brought to the stage.

The group kept busy last summer playing several Chicagoland festivals. The age-old trick of “complaining little and helping a lot,” along with a growing audience and an energetic performance resulted in return invites to every festival previously played. In addition to an impressive festival lineup for summer of 2013, Vintage Blue also booked several venues spanning cities and states.

Over the course of the past two years, Vintage Blue has achieved success most Indie bands only dream of achieving. They have opened Fitz & The Tantrums, Sister Hazel, Vertical Horizon, and even performed at a VIP event for Dave Mathews. The group happily associates with several of those quintessential 90’s rock bands, claiming the style of that genre played a key role in inspiring their sound, as it’s what most of them listened to as they learned to play music.

That familiar sound, accompanied with the heavy use of the horn and catchy lyrics are a few of the reasons for Vintage Blue’s large appeal. They’re a band basically anyone can enjoy, and the fun they have performing is completely contagious. Even if it’s not your go-to sound, it’s almost a guarantee you’ll have a great time.

In addition to touring and performing, also keeping them busy is their work on creating a new LP album with seven tracks, which fans are eagerly anticipating end of this year. The band’s second album will have a more Indie rock and concrete sound, with several lyrically and sonically intense tracks.

Due to their growing popularity, they recently brought on Novo Management & Publicity to help wrangle in the chaos and crazy schedule that every band dreams of having. That being said, you just might have the opportunity to catch them live at a venue or festival near you. Check out vintagebluemusic.com to listen to their tracks and see a list of their up-coming performances. And if you get a chance to see them, be sure to go up and say hi, they’re super friendly and down-to-earth.

Follow me on Twitter @AshleyLaurenD if you feel like tweeting about #goodmusic, #sweetjams, or anything else you had in mind. Might as well follow @VintageBlue while you’re at it!

Vintage Blue performing at Double Door in Chicago

The Cardinal Dream: A Group of Toronto-Based Rockers With a West Coast Sound

Toronto-based alternative rock group The Cardinal Dream has big plans, big dreams, and a big sound. With the release of their debut album this year, people north and south of the border will know it too.

The Cardinal Dream’s five members - Dan Falconi on vocals, Rob Taylor and Chris Copobianco on guitars, Mitch Conrad on bass, and Michael Volpe on drums – have only been playing together for a year and a half. In this short time, these guys have been asked to play at bars and venues all around the city and, while doing so, have developed a strong following that they are hoping will grow across the country and into the west coast of the US with the upcoming release of their debut album. I've been lucky enough to connect with these guys and ask them a few questions about the band, their sound, and playing live music in Toronto:

Who would you consider your musical inspiration as a group?

We all listen to an array of artists and genres from hip-hop to metal, but the collective love for bands like Incubus, Circa Survive, Pink Floyd and Thrice is where we draw upon for our musical inspiration.

What is your favorite venue to play in Toronto?

We have played at venues all over the city in the past year and a half but our favourite has to be The Hideout. We had one of our best shows there. It’s an amazing atmosphere coupled with some fantastic sound and mixing. Definitely at the top.

I understand you are currently producing your first album. Can you tell me about it?

We tried to keep it about the music, so we chose the best 8-10 songs to record out of close to 15 written. Our songs are about our growth as musicians, and pushing ourselves musically to write progressive yet well rounded songs. Our sound, in parts, can be described as contrasting, heavy, but melodic and spacey at parts too. We all write collectively together, contributing to each others song writing process. Not one song was written by one individual. A song will stem from an idea or progression from one member and grow from there.

How has it been producing your first album all on your own? Can you tell me about the experience and its effect(s) on your sound?

Recording, producing and mixing an album yourself is definitely a challenge but has been a great experience so far. Doing it all yourself has huge benefits. We can really take our time, recording all day and all night if needed, and make sure everything is perfect without having to worry about studio time and other factors. No one knows our sound better than us, so there's no worry of compromising our vision in any way. It's a long process, but it’s definitely rewarding when it's all complete and exactly the way we all want to hear it.

You’ve been criticized by some local industry professionals for not being active or engaging enough with your fans on social media sites. Is this a conscious decision?

It is at the moment. That is something that will change with the release of our material this year. We want to make sure that when we make a big push online in social media that the potential fans we are pushing to has quality music, videos and artwork to make them visiting our pages worth their while.

One last question: What is your plan for the future? Where do you see your music taking you?

The plan for the future is to grow, travel, meet amazing people and see how far our music can take us. We want to contribute to the art form and innovate musically, to create something that can sound fresh, but accessible.

Not only are these guys some of the nicest, most down to earth group of musicians I’ve met, but also some of the most passionate. For them, it’s not about the fame or the possibility of fortune. It’s just about the music. They're in it to provide quality music that they've worked days and nights, all on their own, to bring to their fans.

Follow them on Twitter and Facebook to hear about upcoming shows and any updates on their upcoming album release.

P.S. - They're playing at The Hideout on May 24th. It's sure to be a great show, so I'll see you there!