Indie roots band The Pines bringing darkly uplifting music to Chicago

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

On its latest album, "Dark So Gold," Minneapolis-based indie roots band The Pines presents songs that are darkly atmospheric but uplifting.

Comprised of Iowa natives David Huckfelt and Benson Ramsey, The Pines, www.thepinesmusic.com, will perform May 18 at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. The show starts at 9 p.m., and tickets are $18, available at www.schubas.com. 

I had the chance to talk to Ramsey about the band's current activities, which include making a new album.

Q - Great to talk to you again. Of course, you guys are touring in support of your latest album, "Dark So Gold." I understand that you came up with the album's title before you even wrote the songs for the album. How did that happen and do you think that helped in the creative process of making the album?

We did a tour of England the winter before we recorded "Dark So Gold." I think we were in Scotland when the phrase appeared. It was a heavy winter up there and it was very pretty and lonesome.  

We were never for sure it would be the title. It's rare that little ideas as that sticks around for very long, because we try to stay in the moment, whatever that means.  

But I do think it helped the creative process. It was sort of a guiding light. The phrase holds a feeling and I think it resonates through the record. 

Q - In sitting down to make "Dark So Gold," what were your goals and do you think you achieved them? 

The goal for us is always songs, but there is always this other thing that is hard to name that we have been wanting to capture, a landscape. I think "Dark So Gold" brought us closer to that place. 

Q - Your previous album, 2009's "Tremolo," received rave reviews. Did you feel pressure in following up the album? 

"Tremolo" got some great reviews and was a great record for us, there was a little pressure to hold the bar up for us but not as much as the pressure we put on ourselves to create a record that we are proud of. 

I think for us, since we started, we knew it was going to take awhile to be able to make the record we are wanting to make, and each one i think gets us closer. 

What do you see as the main themes on the album?

I think for me if there is a main theme, it's coping with modern times, the space between cities, the light pollution, the way technology seems to be connecting us but underneath is really separating us on a profound level.

I think these songs are meditations on that. 

Q - Even though the both of you are from Iowa, I understand you guys met in Arizona, where you both lived in a Mexican barrio. Was there a strong musical chemistry right from the start?

Our immediate connection were Iowa songwriters like Dave Moore, Joe Price, Greg Brown, Dave Zollo, etc. And blues music. The Delta blues and the Chicago blues were our foundation from the start and still is our foundation. 

Even though our songs might not seem like blues music, the blues is very mush at the core of what we do.

Q - Some people might think of your songs as being dark or bleak. How do you view your songs?

I think there is a light and dark to the songs. I think there is a darkness but it has to be dark to see the stars - with "Dark So Gold," we did try to explore the pretty, peaceful side of dark.

Q - Alex Ramsey is also part of the band. How is that working? Do you ever worry that sibling rivalries will cause a rift in the band?

Having Alex as a full time member has been nothing but great. He adds another dimension, in his playing and just his spirit. 

I'm so blessed to get to work with him. 

Q - The band opened for Loudon Wainwright last year at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. What does the band learn from sharing the stage with musicians of such caliber?

We have opened and shared stages with so many great artist of our time. It is always interesting to see how the guide their ship. There is a lot to be learned from the ones that have been doing it for a long time, from their shows to the way they treat people around them.  

We did a couple of shows with Mavis Staples, and we were just in awe at her spirit and her ability to be fully present and in the moment. The music didn't feel like it was just be performed but being created right there. 

Q - What are the band's short term and long term goals? 

In the short term, we are writing and getting ready to record a new record and hope to have it out later this year. 

Our long term goals are to continue to grow as artists.

Chicago band Brighton MA playing hometown show

Photo by Stephanie Bassos

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

Despite its name, Brighton MA is a Chicago band through and through.

The band, www.brightonma.net,  formed in 2006 after Scotland Yard Gospel Choir co-founder Matt Kerstein and drummer Sam Koentopp left that band and started collaborating with arranger/guitarist Jim Tuerk. Brighton MA also includes guitarist Joe Darnaby and bassist Jon Ozaksut.

Brighton MA is touring in support of its new album, "Oh Lost," and will perform May 2 at The Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, Chicago. Stolen Silver also is on the bill.

The show starts at 9 p.m., and tickets are $10, available at www.ticketfly.com.

I had the chance to talk to Tuerk about the new album.


Q - Great to talk to you. Of course, you are touring in support of the new album,"Oh Lost." What goals did you have for the album and do you think you achieved them?

We wanted to make a cohesive rock album in a very short time - none of this recording a record for two years sort of business. We had the tunes, and benefited from a three-week block in Engine Studios which recently moved - I think we were one of the last sessions.  

But with the album now in the bag, we're concentrating on bringing the music across the country. We've been playing a lot of shows with a horn trio (the upcoming Hideout show included), which lends itself to a celebratory vibe, and we have a lot to celebrate.

 
Q - The album was produced by Brian Deck, who has worked with the likes of Iron & Wine and Modest Mouse. How did you hook up with him and what did he bring to the table?

After we finished the last EP, ("Billboard Sun"), our manager hooked us up with Brian to do this record. He was instrumental in making it.  

Every one in the band has strong ideas about how to shape a tune, so what we needed really was a No-man—someone who could we could trust to sift through all of our collective ideas. Brian was that guy for this record, and we hope to bring him back in on our next. Hilariously funny dude, too.

Q - Does the band's name cause confusion at sometimes, with people thinking you should be a Massachusetts band rather than a band from Chicago? Or is it just another way for people to discover the band?

You know, it does cause a little confusion, but we wanted a band name that had some meaning and depth behind it. Matt carries very warm feelings for it as a place, so we thought that was a nice sort of thing to name a band after. 

Almost hoping that if you were into us and our music, then we could be that sort of a place for you to go to. Plus we think it has a nice ring to it. 

So although it is a bit confusing, it's also proved to be inclusive. People come up all the time and talk about how it caught their eye because they lived in Brighton for a time or how they love Boston and such.

 
Q - Matt and Sam left The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir to form Brighton MA. Was the time just right for you to go off on your own? What was your vision for the band?

The SYGC was a blast, but with two songwriters, it couldn't sustain itself, so yeah, it was just the right time to go.  That said, it was amicable and we're still good friends with those guys - Mark Yoshizumi recorded our last EP and helped with "Oh Lost." 

But as Matt started to write more with Jim Tuerk who had done some string arrangements for the Choir, the idea of BMA started and we built up songs that were largely in reference to the formative years in Matt's childhood. We've grown up a lot since then.  

And after a couple personnel changes, we have a pretty tight knit group of guys who are all invested in what we do. 

Q - The band continues to gain more fans. How have experiences like playing at SXSW and with bands like Spoon and The Arcade Fire helped the band to grow?

I think every band would concur that playing more shows makes you a better band.  SXSW is such a crazy time: a million bands in 30-45 minute increments everywhere. 

It's a challenge for sure—the 1-2-3-go! immediacy. We look at playing with bigger bands as a huge opportunity to learn from them musically and to connect with their audience. 

Right after SXSW, we did some dates with Tim Kasher and it immediately gained us some fans because his fan base is filled with genuine music lovers who were willing to give us a shot. Plus, you just get better by being around people like Tim and his musicians on the road. Total pros.

Q - How do you think the Chicago music scene compares to other music scenes? Do you have a favorite place to play in Chicago?

We love it here. There are so many great bands with great people in them.  

I mentioned us playing with horns - that's something that you could do in any city of course, but we have a vibrant jazz scene here with some unique players. 

It seems like everyone here is open-minded and generally open to anything that's good music. And that type of support from the musician community is nice to lean on when you need it.

 
Q - The  band has gained comparisons to The Walkmen, The Flaming Lips and Bob Dylan. Do you consider them influences? How would you describe your music?

Sure! Glad to be considered in that great company!  

Our music is all over the rock & roll map. It has elements of folk, noise, pop, classic, grunge and new wave. But while we draw from all these sources, we keep the focus on what serves the individual song with an unyielding priority given to lyrical content. 

We hear The Walkmen referenced a fair amount, and yeah, a couple of us guys are really into what they do.  But we bring a lot of different influences in - our drummer is a jazz guy, our guitarist Joe is kind of a metal head, Boston's the Dylan scholar, and so on.  

That's always been a big value to this band: all the disparate influences we bring informing our collective love of what we're trying to make.

Atlanta band Drivin N Cryin coming to Chicago with new songs in tow

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

More than 20 years after opening for R.E.M., the members of Atlanta band Drivin N Cryin are proving they have plenty more to say.

The band, www.drivinncryin.com,  just released "Songs From The Psychedelic Time Clock," the third of four EPs the band plans to release over a 12 month period. Each EP shows off a different facet of the band. 

Drivin N Cryin is sure to play songs from the new EP when it performs May 30 at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave., Chicago.

Miles Nielsen & The Rusted Hearts are also on the bill. The show starts at 9 p.m. and tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at the door, available at www.schubas.com.

I had the chance to talk to Drivin N Cryin frontman Kevin Kinney about the band's current activities.

 
Q - Great to talk to you. Of course, the band has released three of its four planned EPs so far. Is it easier to make and release music this way rather than concentrating on a full record? What do you see as the benefits?

It's a lot more challenging in some ways, but also somewhat freeing in others. The EP lets me focus on a certain style or head space I'm in at the time.

What usually happens, and what most people hear is a collection of the 20 or so songs I've released this year. We sit in the studio every few years and pick the 11 that would be presented as an album, which usually leads to confusion and criticism about how many different styles we are projecting.

I don't want that any more. I would rather everyone get the EPs and make their own 'mix tape.'

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Q - Which EP have you enjoyed working on the most? Can you provide any clues as to what people should expect on the next EP?

Well, as always the one we are working on now is my favorite. It is I guess, best described, as Bad Company meets Grand Funk at Jimmy Page's house and sits around playing 45's sitting on the shag carpet, loud as hell, until Jimmy's mom flashes the hallway light and screams, 'Turn that bloody racket down!!!' Does that give you a clue?

Q - Kevin, you are originally from Milwaukee. What made you want to move to Atlanta and what did you think of Atlanta's music scene when you arrived there?
  
I moved for the jobs. I worked as a laborer at the sewage plant for a couple of years.

The music scene was not that different than anywhere else in America's big cities, but I really got turned on to the 'Kudzu Circuit ' bands !!!  It was a whole scene from the southern states, bands like R.E.M., the dB's and Fetchin Bones loosely based on the psychedelic movement of California, i.e., The Byrds, the Beau Brummels and The Velvet Underground .

The Milwaukee sound was a little more factory industrial aggression sounding.

Q - The band's album "Scarred But Smarter" was well-received and helped the band land a contract with Island Records. Were things happening faster than you expected?

When the band opened for R.E.M. and sold out the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, did you think Drivin N Cryin had finally made it? What kind of lessons did the band learn in opening for R.E.M.?

R.E.M. taught us mostly about trying to be a democratic entity, they all had a say in the way the band worked. We tried that, but decided later not all bands can work that way.

I am far to aggressive in where I wanted to see Drivin N Cryin go. I wanted a balance between making it and not making it.

When our most popular record, "Fly Me Courageous,"  was released, that was a difficult year for me and I didn't think Drivin should try to sustain an approach of trying to sustain mass recognition. I don't want you to own all my records and see every show, but if you could just buy a couple records and come to see me once in a while, I'd be great with that.

Q - It appears that Island Records didn't really know how to market the band. What was the problem and do you think it is easier for a band these days to get its music heard? Is the fact that Drivin N Cryin is releasing these four EPs on its own record label an ideal situation?

I think the EPs are a great way to be heard and it's not a commitment on the band or the listener. I can't listen to 12 new songs of any artist in a row.I love the digital convenience coupled with the up and coming hunger for vinyl.

We will be releasing the fourth one on vinyl, "Songs For A Turntable."

Q- You also have released several solo albums. How do you view your solo projects? Are they songs that you feel don't quite fit on a Drivin N Cryin project? Anybody that you still want to collaborate with?

I would love to work with Neil Diamond. I'm not joking!!!

I have taken a break from the solo career for a bit. That being said, I just released a new record I recorded in one sitting at Chris Griffins house after a 20- hour drive called, "Songs For A Late Night Morning."

Q - After the four EPs are released, what will Drivin N Cryin do next? Four more EPs?

Stay Tuned!!!!

Chicago musician Elizabeth Chidester bringing talents to scene

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

The Chicago music scene is richer as a result of Virginia native Elizabeth Chidester deciding to call Chicago home.

The multi-talented Chidester, www.elizabethchidester.com, who also is an actress, is keeping busy these days. At 8 p.m. April 20, she will perform jazz standards accompanied by guitarist Jarvis Raymond at Via Gelato, 1853 Tower Drive, Glenview.

In addition, at 10:30 p.m. May 4 and 25, Chidester will perform as part of the Chicago Beast Cabaret Spring Series at The Greenhouse Theatre, 2257N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. More information is at www.beastwomenproductions.com.

Then from May 10 to June 2,  Chidester will take on the role of  Glinda in the New American Folk Theatre's production of "The Marvelous Land of Oz," the second book in the original Oz series by L. Frank Baum, at The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave. Chicago. Tickets are available at www.landofoz.brownpapertickets.com.

I had the chance to talk to her about her latest projects.



Q - Great to talk to you. You're originally from Virginia. What made you want to move from Virginia to Chicago? Has the city lived up to your expectations?

I love Virginia, and will always love Virginia. I will go back there someday when I find nature and having a family to be more important than meeting people, making music, and having adventures.

I worked on cruise ships as a lounge singer for two years, and between my contracts, I wanted to visit different cities in the U.S. I moved to NYC right after college before working on cruise ships, and I wanted to see if I liked any city better than NYC. 

I loved Austin, where my brother lives, and I loved Toronto. I also loved San Fran and New Orleans, but for tourist reasons. 

I visited Chicago last, and I found that the work/play energy was balanced, I would be near water, there was an ample community supporting the arts, reasonably cheap cost of living, and great public transit. 

My friends that were living here seemed happy. I also felt a strange feeling in my body around the 5th day of my visit that this was were I needed to be.

Q - You're working on an EP that is set to be released this fall. What should people expect from the EP? What are your goals for the EP?

The EP will be around six to seven of the songs I feel are the strongest that I've written since graduating school. I would like for there to be various percussion elements, mostly acoustic based sounds. 

I like for it to make people feel, think, dance, something to meditate to, or to have on in the background of their commutes to work. I'd like for it to be an introduction of myself to the Chicago community, as well as tour with it in some surrounding cities, perhaps take it back home to the east coast as well.

Q - You are also an actress. Which do you prefer, performing as a musician or performing as an actress? Or do you need both in your life?

I have always considered myself to be more of a musical theatre actress. I have relied on music to be on stage in that capacity, so I would definitely consider myself to be more of a musician. 

However, I do enjoy being in an ensemble and telling good stories, and developing a character is really interesting to me. I'd say I'd like to be in two productions a year if possible. 

Right now, I'm Glinda in The New American Folk Theatre's "The Marvelous Land of Oz," the second book in the Oz series.

Q - You seem comfortable in any music genre. Is there a particular genre you prefer and why?

I really love "American" music. Music that is based in the blues, jazz, folk, bluegrass. I have a love for funk and Motown as well, some prog rock. I also love what England has done with "American" music. They actually do it better in some cases.

Q - You recently teamed up with fellow Chicago musician Jeff Brown for his song, "To The Ends of the Earth." What do you think of the Chicago music scene and how do you think you fit in it?

Jeff is a wonderful guy and musician. He's been so helpful and encouraging, and I'm happy to know him.

I think that the Chicago music scene has a lot to offer in terms of people with the desire and talent to perform. I know that this city is very big on theatre, improv comedy, and sports, but the music scene seems to be in a reemergence. 

I don't see Chicago becoming Austin, with live music in every bar, but I think the music scene could equal in prevalence to the other performing art forms.

I suppose the most daunting thing about gathering an audience in Chicago seems to be getting people to have time, or desire, to see your show over other kinds of entertainment in the city. Performers are too busy performing to see other performers at times. 

We need to reach the people who aren't aware that there is entertainment outside of what they are advertised on the internet or television, outside of the name brand. All the same, the internet is an invaluable tool for the local musician.

Q - Do you have any dream projects, either as a musician or actress?

I would love to tour the nation someday, and I'd love to perform at SXSW and all the various summer festivals. I've also put together a female old time/soul trio called "The Cherry Trio" with a couple girlfriends. 

We have a show at Uncommon Ground on Clark on July 6th. I'm very excited about that. 

I'm also looking forward to performing jazz standards in various restaurants in the spring and summertime with jazz guitarist Jarvis Raymond.