Yonder Mountain String Band continues to redefine bluegrass music and is set to release a new album before their appearance at this years 42nd annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Their sixth full-length album, Black Sheep, recorded under their own Frog Pad Records, pushes the boundaries of traditional acoustic bluegrass and delves into the the sounds of rock n’ roll and improvisation.
For the first time throughout an entire album, YMSB uses the conventional five-piece bluegrass instrumental line-up of guitar , mandolin, banjo, fiddle and bass. After the recent departure of a founding member, the band consists of Adam Aijala (guitar, vocals), Dave Johnston (banjo, vocals) and Ben Kaufmann (bass, vocals). For the forthcoming album and tour the band has recruited violinist Allie Kral and mandolin virtuoso Jacob Jolliff. The result, says Kaufmann, is that, “This record sounds more like Yonder than any record we’ve ever done. I’m hoping that when people are finished listening to it, they’ll just hit play and listen to it again.”
Black Sheep was recorded mostly at Coupe Studios in Boulder, Colorado, and engineered both at home and on the road by band member Adam Aijala. The songs on the new album touch on the subjects of escapism, substance abuse, tour life and much more. The one and only cover song recorded is YMSB’s rendition of “Ever Fallen In Love,” originally by the late ’70s British punk-rock band the Buzzcocks. With the band’s roots in punk music and not even playing bluegrass until reaching their 20’s, this track will surely be a treat to hear.
YMSB is at the beginning of a new era and are moving in directions they have hesitated to go in the past. “The traditional bluegrass lineup allows us to rethink things on different levels,” says Johnston, “but at the heart of it all is the same energy and drive and a freewheeling spirit. It’s an exciting time for us because we have an invigorating sense of the future. At the end of the day, Yonder is a band with almost two decades of music under its belt, but we’re always a bit restless. We want to move the music forward to new places, which keeps us on our musical toes.”
“We’ve been growing over the years and I feel like we really don’t have any limitations,” says Aijala. “It doesn’t feel like work when you get to hang out with people that you care about and play music.”
Adds Kaufmann, “It’s not just bluegrass — it’s progressive. Everything Yonder has ever tried to do, we’re doing in this record. It’s gonna take some time for fans to get acquainted with the new Yonder. When you make a big change like we did, it’s a huge thing. But the band is a force, and the album is such a perfect example of our new direction.”
Says Johnston in conclusion, “Yonder Mountain String Band is as durable as bluegrass itself. It changes and morphs and has an open-endedness that makes anything possible.”
Their 2015 tour leading to the release of Black Sheep, and after, is stacked and includes a large list of festivals. Another highlight to their upcoming tour is a headlining spot at Red Rocks Amphitheater August 21st alongside Greensky Bluegrass and Fruition. Pre sale tickets for the event are available today so get one now!