Interview: Scott Moore of 23 String Band

37: So you guys have a new album since the last time you talked to us, Catch 23, when did that come out, how’s it being received?

Scott: It came out in Fall 2011, it’s been received really well. Really positive reviews, it’s been played on the radio all over the world, it debuted at number nine, I think, on the U.S. Folk charts. We’ve sold a lot of them. People seem to like it.

37: I gotta’ say, I’ve heard a lot of Bluegrass bands in my day, but one thing that I think is really special about your sound is that you guys have some intangible element of really hard rock n’ roll that’s kinda’ hidden in the works, How do you pull that off? Where does that come from?

Scott: Oh man. Part of it’s just the music that we all enjoy. Obviously, we all listen to really different kinds of music. To answer your question, I grew up listening to a lot of 60’s and 70’s rock n’ roll, that’s what my dad would have on the radio and I always loved that music. I grew up with that even more than Bluegrass and Folk, even though I play in a bluegrass band.

I think that’s kind of true with all the guys. Several of us have played in rock n’ roll bands over the years and we’ve all come to bluegrass in our own way. On the one hand, we’re all from Kentucky and we all love the traditional music of the region, but on the other hand we have a lot of different influences. We’re all younger guys who came of age in the 90’s and I think almost everybody who came of age in that time gets excited about rock n’ roll.

            But also from a technical perspective, we have a lot of focus on energy. Early on we’d go out to shows and play, and the one word that keeps coming back to us throughout the years no matter who we’re playing to is “energy.” So we’ve always tried to put on a good show and known that that was one of our strong suits. We like to be a little edgy, which is similar to rock n’ roll.

37: This is a really big month for you guys. You’ve got Forecastle coming up, you’ve got the Grey Fox and Bowery Electric all in the next couple weeks. Are you excited for that?

Scott: *laughs* Is Bowery Electric still on our website? We actually had to cancel that show but we are gonna’ be in New York for the first time, so that’s exciting. We’ve got a couple shows there. We’re playing at the Living Room and the Jalopy Theatre in addition to the Grey Fox Festival which is a little bit north of the city. Kinda’ upstate. So yeah, it’s exciting. We’ve had the opportunity to travel the mid-south and over to the Rockies and we usually do about two or three trips a year where we’ll take a week or two and go out on the road.

            We’ve got three guys in the band with full-time day jobs that they’ve had for a long time, a lot longer than they’ve been in this band, and another guy who’s going back to school so that makes it hard to get out on the road for any length of time. Any time we get to travel, I consider myself fortunate and I’m pretty sure everyone in the band does. Going to New York is going to be a lot of fun. I grew up outside of the city and our Bass player got his Master’s Degree in the city. So it’ll be a little bit of a homecoming for me and Marty, and none of the other guys have ever been. It’ll be exciting for everybody for different reasons, I think.

            Forecastle is obviously gonna’ be a lot of fun. I’m stoked about all the other bands on the bill. I’m stoked about all the bands that I do know and excited to see a lot of the bands that I’ve never heard of. Hopefully, I’ll come away with some new favorites.

37: That brings me right into my next question. What bands are you specifically looking forward to seeing at Forecastle?

Scott: I don’t have the bill right in front of me, but I know I’m excited about someone everyone else in the universe is excited about, which is The Black Keys. These days, they’re killin’ it. I’m looking forward to that, because I’ve never seen them before.

            Dawes is another band that I’ve never seen live, but I fell in love with their first album. I’m not as familiar with their stuff since then, I’ve heard some of it on the radio. But I’m a really big fan of their harmonies and their sound and their songwriting.

            My girlfriend turned me on to Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. I’m a fan of their lyrics and songwriting

            I’m also excited to see Old Crow Medicine Show. Obviously everybody in a sting band would be interested to see their performance, I think. They’ve helped open a lot of doors with this younger generation with this gradual movement that all of a sudden string band music and Appalachian music and just Folk music in general has kinda’ become cool. It was always cool, but people have been able to find out about it because of groups like Old Crow Medicine Show. The genre in general has benefitted from them and it’s fun to see their songs.

            Flaming Lips are always killer. I saw them when we played Forecastle 2010 and that’s when Wayne Coyne went out into the audience in that giant balloon and they had a crazy light show and all that stuff. I’ve not heard their new album, but I understand that it’s kinda’ stripped down a little bit more. Just kinda’ old fashioned rock n’ roll… as old fashioned as The Flaming Lips get. I’m really looking foreward to see what they can do without all the bells and whistles. Although that was a lot of fun too.

37: Yeah I’m really excited for them too. I’ve been a fan ever since I was an angry teenager and still haven’t got to see them yet.

Scott: Oh! I played on Jim James’ record and I got to see him and his band when they played at the Brown Theatre in Louisville and I’m looking forward to seeing how their sound has evolved. That was one of the first shows on their tour. I think they’ve come together a little bit more since then.

37: When’re you guys going on?

Scott: We will be playing at 3:30 on Saturday. 3:30 PM on the WFPK stage and we might be able to wiggle into a slightly earlier time slot and just play for longer. We’ll definitely be playing by 3:30 and it’s possible that we might start playing before then.  So I’d suggest getting there a little early and finding a nice spot in the grass to cheer us on. We’d definitely appreciate it.

37: For people coming into the city for the festival, what is your favorite place in Louisville to get a bite to eat?

Scott: Wow. Man, that’s a tough question. I’m a foodie. I love cooking and eating good food, and Louisville is… it’s almost a cliché to say it at this point, but Louisville is a great food town. Especially for its size, it’s got so many good places to eat.

            Man, that’s a tough one. That’s way tougher than any musical question you could ask me.

37: Well what’s a really good meal to have in Louisville?

Scott: I mean, you can’t go wrong with… um… can I give you three?

37: Yeah that’s fine, give me three.

Scott: I’ll just stick with downtown ‘cause Forecastle is downtown. Mayan Café… Fuck. I’ve got a soft spot for Harvest because I used to work for the owner. I worked on his organic farm for a year. Then I worked for his company called Grasshopper which helps grow good, natural food and sell it to restaurants in Louisville and elsewhere. It’s great food, great food, and a great… cause is the wrong word, but I think it’s important.

            I hate to go Latin again, but I’m a big fan of El Mundo, ‘cause they’ve got killer margaritas and the food is really good. It’s a fun vibe. It’s one of my favorite places.

37: So Mayan Café, El Mundo, and Harvest?

Scott: Sure, I’ll go with those. I could give you ten more in a heartbeat. *laughs*

                                       Note: Scott emailed me later to add: 

We partnered with Rye on Market last year and came up with the Back Porch Sessions, a four-month residency. It was a blast, and we had a great time collaborating with some very special guests too. The food was amazing. Thought Rye should probably be on that list too. (Holy Grale, Silver Dollar, Roots, Queen of Sheba, Kashmir...I could go on...)

Let me know if you need anything else. See you at Forecastle!

Cheers,

Scott

Editor's Note: Logan Nichols is an English Major at Berea College joining 37Flood for this year's coverage of the Forecastle Festival. He is very excited about this. If you see him around this weekend, feel free to say hello. He likes strangers. and most likely beer too.

Review: The Late Seating on 10/22/10

 Last Friday was The Last THE LASTE SEATING AT ACTOR'S of the year, and unfortunately my first.. if you haven't been, it is a really unique idea mixing art, music, interviews, and performance in an intimate setting. This time included a performance a of Linda & Kirk & The Mouse Incident by Brian Walker, music by Joe Manning and Joan Shelley, art and music by Saredren Wells, an interview with the Young Schemels, and Graham Shelby. 
The Late Seating is in it's 5th season, and personally i think it's a wonderful idea, and with some tweaking could be a terrific series. Featured Artists have about 20 minutes to perform and interact with a host, and are generally booked through a submission process. there doesn't seem to be much cohesion between the acts in this manner, and could see a curator of sorts helping make this process stronger. The crowd this time seemed to be mostly friends and family with plenty of seats available. i could see the series on a more of set schedule to help attendance. 
 i did enjoy the intimacy of the event, and getting to know the artists more through the Q&A periods. but most of the questions are pretty uniform and asked by the host. I remember seeing Shellac play maybe a decade ago, where they opened the floor up for Q&A and getting some very interesting questions and incredibly insightful answers.. and could see this series becoming more audience guided. Perhaps let the audience submit artists they would like to see and let them interact with their favorite Artists.  But honestly i do like this series idea, and can't wait to see many more in the upcoming year.

 Saredren Wells starts off the night with music, original photos and video, and of corse a discussion..

Scott Moore poses in the Actor's Parking garage.. sort of symbolizing his performance that night for The Late Seating, as well as his future performance next weekend with Wax Fang at the Yum! Bucket (behind him in the window) during the MMJ show.

The Young Schemels (Jason Noble, Christian Frederickson, Amber Estes) discuss the new album "The Tempest" that was originally written for an Actor's Production of the Shakespeare play.

Joe Manning and Joan Shelley absolutely crush every heart in the room during this, their first bill together. several songs were written by them both just for the 2 to duet each other in front of us. if any of this becomes a recording for sale, you'd better jump at it. Manning is famous for his small run, hard to find self releases, such as the newest "clever Bird" and classic "Chapel of the Bear".

Mr. King poses perfectly for a metromix photo.. and was on hand with Louisville is for lovers releases (5 records given away, zero purchased). Thanks for the Pic Marty Pearl!

Last photo of the night... 12:30 am

Interview: Scott Moore of 23 String Band

37 FLOOD EXCLUSIVE: John King talks to Scott Moore about playing the fiddle with 23 string band, Wax Fang, Saredren Wells & Arnett Hollow, as well as new Albums, collaborations, and Zebras. 

John: Are You there?

Scott: yessir

John: my niece got online to look at animals, and it kicked me off line for a second...

Scott: haha it happens. is this a good time?

John: well, she is mad because she has a report on zebras to work on, but I told her that I am bigger than her and that she will have to wait..

But, I told her this shouldn't take too long, although she is puppy dog eyeing Me right now..

Scott: Ha! Thanks for doing this.

John: Thank you so much for Taking with Me!

Scott: Right On! What do You want to talk about? I was just reading the comments from that last post. hopefully nobody goes off on you this time! Nice to see positive feedback about the band though. we had a great show the other night.

John: i've never had as many readers comment on show announcements as they do for 23 string! they love you guys! i know you have your hand (or bow) in a lot of pies..

let's hear about 23 string band. how long have you been playing with them?

Scott: I've been playing with the 23 String Band for a little over two years now -- since summer 2008.

I do have my hand in a lot of pies, but right now this is the sweetest and biggest of the pies...

John: Good news then! How much of the creative process are you invloved in with them?

Scott: You know, one of the great things about this band is how well everyone gets along, personally but also musically and creatively. It's really a 100% group effort, whether you're talking about writing songs, coming up with arrangements, booking shows, posting flyers, or whatever. I'd say I have a pretty strong role in the band's creative process -- I write songs, contribute to arrangements, and do a lot of the booking and business stuff; but everybody has an equal stake, which is cool.

 I am working on a couple of tunes right now that I think have some real potential. Curtis and I have a songwriting team thing going on that's pretty cool.

  

John: Which is rare in music, it seems most bands have trouble getting members to stay involved or help out in the managment side.. i know i have had  that problem..

Scott: Yeah, I can't say enough how great it is to be in a band with my best friends, and both of those things stay steady.

John: It's a combo you don't find everyday.. How long has the band been together?

Scott: The band has been around with its current instrumentation (fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar, bass) for something like 3 years.

John: is there any recording or album making on the horizen?

  

Scott: Yeah. So the band does have an album, and I think it sounds really good -- and I can say that, because it was made before I joined the group! But we're overdue for a second album, and we're working through a bunch of new material right now, figuring out what works and what doesn't, tweaking arrangements, etc. We're hoping to get in the studio early in 2011 -- probably in February -- and have the album ready by the time the festival season starts next year.

John: any idea where you might record?

Scott: Not yet. Still weighing options. I think that'll depend somewhat on what kind of album we decide to make. We've also toyed with the idea of doing a live EP. Our live show is our bread and butter, it's what really gets folks excited about the band. -That would be a live EP in addition to a studio full-length, by the way..

John: Right! It's good to give the fans something while waiting on a new album. especially since it's been a couple years..

Scott: Yeah. Our fans are awesome! It's crazy, we kind of kicked it into another gear in 2010, and the feedback from fans and from folks in the business has been mind-blowing. It's been so much fun, and it's always so rewarding when someone says how they love the band, or you see someone singing along at a show. I've been a professional musician since I was six years old, and that kind of connection is the ultimate reward. And again, I consider myself lucky to be in a band that can make that kind of connection, show after show.

John: Speaking of live shows, when is 23 string's next outing?

Scott: Well, we're kind of winding things down a little for the rest of the year, so we can concentrate on laying the groundwork for an even bigger year in 2011. We do have a few things coming up, though. We're playing this Saturday, Oct 23, at UofL for the Bluegrass Bioneers event. 9-11pm. We have a few other dates as well, which are all on our calendar at www.the23stringband.com

John: speaking of professional, i heard from a few people that the second you started at U of L, you took over 2 nd chair?

Scott: Yeah, what's up with that? I was really gunning for first.

John: but, that's pretty amazing!

Scott: I've done a lot of different things, and been fortunate to have had good teachers and a supportive family growing up. And I've worked my ass off. I don't really do the classical thing as much anymore, although I love the music. I just think it's more fun and rewarding to have a creative role in the music that I'm playing, rather than just reproducing.

 I think that goes hand in hand with what I was saying about connecting with the audience.

John: and speaking of working your ass off, you play with other groups on a regular basis, as well as your solo work.. You play with Sardren Wells a lot, will you be there at Actor's on the 22nd?

Scott: Yeah, I've kind of fallen into the role of the go-to fiddle/violin/whatever guy. I play a lot of different styles and I've spent a lot of time working on those styles, so I like being able to apply that versatility and putting myself in situations where I'm constantly facing a different challenge, because that's how you learn and become a stronger and more complete artist. I am playing with Saredren Wells this Friday night, the 22nd. I'll be playing Sunday with members of Bourbon Baroque and the UofL Early Music faculty, for the Monteverdi Vespers (string and choir music from the 1600s!) I've played quite a bit with Arnett Hollow, and had a great time with them at the Glassworks a few weeks ago. I've played with Ben Sollee in the past. I was thrilled to be asked to record a little bit on the new Waxfang record, and will be playing with them next weekend. The list goes on and on....

And I'm working on a solo album of all original material. Singing, playing electric guitar, doing some alternate style fiddle rhythm playing, it's kind of a post-rock type thing, with a lot of 60s rock influences. No timetable on that, though. I should also mention Andrea Davidson -- going to California in November to play shows with her out there. Love her voice and songwriting!

John: it amazing to hear someone so pasionate about playing with many different people and styles. i know so many classicly trained musicians who feel most comfortable staying with in the teaching relm and playing the same music that has been played for hundreds of years..

Scott: That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid :) I do love that music, though.

John: did you work on the wax fang 17 minute "the astronaut pt.1" that was released this week?

Scott: That's it. Speaking of classical music -- that's like the Wax Fang symphony! I love it. Theremin has never rocked so hard. Cheyenne and I did a pretty small little session on one part of the song, but I think I'll be doing a little more for the live show downtown.

 John: Wow, You have ton of shows coming up with a lot of different types of bands, i don't know when you find time for yourself, but we are greatly appreciative! I personally can't wait to see a release of your solo work, but understand that it may take awhile.

Scott: I love what I do, and I'm happy that it's something other people enjoy as well! I'm always just trying to get better and have fun. And get that Stones gig. Thanks John, I appreciate that. I've been fairly broke lately, and finding the time and money to go into the studio and finish that album has been a challenge, with so much else going on...

John: -i am broooke as well, and it never fails that just when i have an album's worth of material, i have no money to record it..

Scott: the life of a musician! 

John: well, thanks so much for talking with Me! I guess I should let my neice get back to the zebra report..

Scott: Sounds good. Thank you! Good luck with the report.

John: yeah, i think that report is probably gonna end up 'a john king production'.  Kids always convenintly fall asleep just when it's time to make a report for skool..

Scott: haha word. well, good luck, and have a great night. see you at actor's tomorrow night, maybe. i'm gonna go fill my belly. can't wait to see this online! And thank YOU for everything you do for the louisville music scene.

John: THANK YOU scott!! i will definatley see you at Actors if not at some of your other shows coming up!

Scott: peace

www.the23stringband.com

writers note: My niece Coco's report ended up being on the Congolese Mammal, the Okapi. It looks like a donkey with Zebra stripped appendages, and an elongated bat's face, but is actually related to the Giraffe. You can read more about the okapi here.