We’re only in Day 3 of the countdown to the EP Release, and already there’s so much going on that I’m not really sure where to start. I guess it’s a good thing, but if our degree of sleep deprivation keeps up its current trajectory, we’ll probably be playing zombie accordion death metal by the time the record comes out.
Yesterday, LA-based roots blog, The Bluegrass Situation, premiered the title track from the EP. “The life of a musician,” wrote Brittney McKenna, “isn't an easy one, with long strings of late nights and cheap food wearing on you after a while. New York City quartet Silver City Bound is all too familiar with that specific brand of exhaustion, channeling the feeling into the title track from their upcoming Take My Picture EP, which releases March 4. "Take My Picture" is a surprisingly ebullient tune, one that has shades of Wilco, the Felice Brothers, and '70s classic rock.”
To read the full write-up and listen to the first track from Take My Picture go here!
After sitting on these recordings for so many months, the prospect of suddenly having it available for streaming is exciting and totally terrifying. Even though you know it’s almost definitely not going to happen, a part of you secretly hopes your song is going to become an overnight viral sensation leading to millions of downloads and streams. Then when they put it up online, and a couple hundred people listen to it, the realization sets in that like everything else in life, this is going to be a long, slow process.
Our song is certainly not going to have the viral success of say Robin Thicke or Drake (unless during the Democratic debate tonight, socialist aliens secretly hack into Americans’ minds and hypnotize them into believing that the accordion is an indicator of superhuman sexual prowess). (Anything is possible.)
But even though it may not go viral, we would love it if as many people as possible shared “Take My Picture” to help us reach a wider audience. And while Brittney’s post on the Bluegrass Situation may not vault us into internet stardom, I think it’s an interesting and surprisingly pertinent reflection of exactly what we’re trying to do in releasing this EP and writing this blog: tell an honest story about what it’s like to be an independent musician in 2016, A.D.
That story is one of flexibility and willingness to participate in lots of different types of musical situations.
Last night, we had a show at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center. It was a double bill with our friends, Sammy Miller and the Congregation, who bring an inspiring level of creativity, humor and sheer energy to their music. The night was a really beautiful pairing of our Americana/folk repertoire and the Congregations’ “joyful jazz.”
Photo by Richard Velasco
In addition to being a sweet night of music, the show also sort of helped us to clarify our relationship to the jazz world. We are an Americana band through and through. We play music drawing on a diverse range of American roots styles (and global genres that have always been in direct conversation with American music). While we don’t perform traditional jazz repertoire what can make us appealing to a jazz audience is that we are adaptable, using improvisation and instruments outside of the typical guitar-bass-drums format to tell new stories based on old traditions. And, whenever we need a horn section, we can call on our network of talented jazz musician friends!
In the next few days we’ll be playing at our favorite Hudson Valley venue, “The Falcon,” receiving our CDs in the mail, and signing distribution and licensing agreements. A lot to do and a lot to think about.
For the time being let’s just try to stay as far away as possible from a zombie accordion death metal band and guys like this...