There’s no denying North Carolina bluegrass group Town Mountain is on a roll. Their new album, Southern Crescent, is the first release on the new LoHi Records, based out of Asheville, North Carolina, and has taken the Billboard Bluegrass charts by storm. With the new album sitting high on the charts, a new leg of the roll out tour starting this week with big gigs in Colorado and more, we were excited for a chance to catch up with mandolin player Phil Barker about his playing style, the band’s success and more.
Read on for our exclusive interview with Mr. Barker below:
Live For Live Music: First of all, congratulations on the strong debut on the Billboards Bluegrass chart. Were you expecting a reaction from the community like that?
Phil Barker: Definitely not. We hadn’t had any of our previous releases do anything like this, and we’re really pleased with the reception Southern Crescent is receiving. We just wanted to put our best material together and make the best package we could for our fans and the world. Seeing it do so well is not only humbling but pretty gratifying.Â
L4LM: The songs on Southern Crescent are very open, sonically, and natural sounding. Was this a conscious decision to keep the music so free of studio trickery?
PB: I’m not sure it was a conscious decision, it was more just the way things came out. Dirk (Powell) did such a great job of recording it for us. We recorded most of the material all together in a room where we could really connect and play off each other. Outside of some overdubs and the usual post stuff, we did the whole album that way, and I think the results are terrific.
L4LM: Southern Crescent was released on the new LoHi record label. How did you find your experience working with Tim Carbone and company?
PB: It’s been really enjoyable. Working with Tim Carbone [of Railroad Earth] and the guys at LoHi was rewarding. It was very nice to have someone there who has been through it from the artist side of the process. He really made it more comfortable for us, and we’ve been very fortunate to have Tim as a fan of our music. The whole process, working with them, it was focused and rewarding. I think the proof is in the music.
L4LM: The band shares the song writing duties. Do you bring each other finished songs, or is it a more collaborative process?
PB: It varies from song to song really. In the end everybody pitches in to make the music the best it can be. Everybody is respectful of where each other is coming from, and eager to pitch in to make everything better.
L4LM: There’s differing schools of thought on how to handle new material for bands that play as many shows as Town Mountain does. Some acts like to keep the songs a secret, though most like to road test and workshop the material in front of an appreciative audience. Which camp do you fall into?
PB: We’re definitely among the latter category. We like to road test the songs and get them as close to right as we can before recording them. Songs can change and evolve live, and you can find them becoming something beyond what you originally planned. Our fans have been a real help in the process. We’re making the music for ourselves, but hearing what goes over best and working through the physical complexity of playing the music live really helps us know what we need to try and capture in the studio.
Download a free track, Wildbird, from Southern Crescent, HERE
L4LM: Your instrument, the mandolin, originally served most bluegrass bands as a percussive force, though it has been pulled to the forefront of mixes. How do you see your role in the song structure?
Phil Barker: I’m definitely more interested in the rhythmic aspects of the instrument. That’s what originally drew me to it. I’m not the strongest picker, but I enjoy being the driving force in our songs. I do feel like I can make a strong contribution doing what I do. And I can pick a little…
L4LM: I understand you are also something of an artist, and that you’ve even done some of the band’s artwork. Is that right?
PB: Yeah, I’ve been known to do some graphic design work occasionally. Honestly though, it’s not something I have as much time for as I wish, but the band stuff is more important to me by far. I did just do a promo poster for us recently.
L4LM: Do you at least get a little something extra in your check for that?
PB: (Laughs) Sometimes. When I do stuff for Town Mountain, that’s just really me doing stuff for my own best interests, for my band y’know. But when I occasionally do stuff for other bands then yeah, totally!
L4LM: Off topic…You’re based in North Carolina…how disappointed were you folks with the NCAA title game?
PB: Yeah, that was rough. It’s hard to get too disappointed, because the game was so entertaining. I mean, you can’t get too mad about losing on a buzzer beater in one of the greatest finishes in NCAA history.
L4LM: Trust me, I know your pain. Anyway, thanks for taking a few minutes to chat with us. Have fun out there on the road.
PB: No problem! Happy to do it.
You can catch Town Mountain out on the road with the following tour dates, and check them out online by heading to their official website.
Town Mountain Tour Schedule
5/13 Fri – KSUT Concert Series @ Henry Strater Theatre – Durango, CO
5/14 Sat – Denver Beer Co.’s Sundrenched Music Festival – Denver, CO
5/21 Sat – The Pour House – Charleston, SC (with Peter Rowan)
5/22 Sun – Lincoln Theatre – Raleigh, NC (supporting Hard Working Americans)
5/25 Wed – Minglewood Hall – Memphis, TN (supporting Hard Working Americans)
5/27 Fri – White Squirrel Festival – Brevard, NC
5/28 Sat – Rooster Walk – Martinsville, VA
6/1 Wed – Music City Roots – Nashville, TN
6/5 Sun – Nelsonville Music Festival
6/11 Sat – Festival of the Bluegrass – Lexington, KY
6/16 Thu – Back Porch Music Series – Durham, NC
6/23 Thu – Rudyfest 16 – Grayson, KYÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
6/24 Fri – ROMP Fest – Owensboro, KY
7/23 Sat – Homegrown Music Festival – Ozark, AR