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<\/p>\nDespite a solid foundation in bluegrass and old-time music, the Jon Stickley Trio<\/b> has never allowed itself to be boxed in by the confines of mountain music. On its latest EP, 2016’s Triangular<\/i>, its upcoming album and especially live onstage, the Asheville-based trio uses bluegrass ans a jumping-off point for its lively musical excursions. The Jon Stickley Trio previewed Maybe Believe <\/i>with a special hometown pre-release celebration at the Grey Eagle in Asheville NC on March 10.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do come out of the bluegrass background,\u201d admits flatpicking guitarist Stickley. But he says that as he and bandmates Lyndsay Pruett<\/b> and drummer Patrick Armitage<\/b> began developing their own music, the trio’s musical personality began to emerge. That personality draws from musical traditions well outside Appalachia. Armitage studied under Dave King of avant garde group The Bad Plus, and has a strong background in hip-hop. \u201cLyndsey is classically trained, and also plays jazz,\u201d Stickley notes.<\/p>\n
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But the trio displays a healthy respect for tradition, too. \u201cOne thing we really try to do is honor the fundamentals that are so important to old time and bluegrass music: the timing, the tones, the hard-driving rhythms,\u201d says Stickley. Despite the adventurousness of the trio’s arrangements, Stickley says that he still often feels the he’s \u201cplaying music that could be done around the campfire with a couple of other people who know the songs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Live onstage and in the studio, the trio aims to be \u201cclear and present, like you would at a bluegrass jam,\u201d Stickley says. If there’s a guiding principle to creating original music for the trio, Stickley suggests it might be something like this: \u201cWe try to stick to the parameters of what is right,\u201d from a music theory standpoint, \u201cand then apply it to our own original songs.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the many characteristics that sets Jon Stickley Trio apart from many of its contemporaries is the emphasis on instrumentals. \u201cThat was something that took shape over time,\u201d Stickley says, noting that both he and Pruett do sing.\u201dIn the beginning we [did] about 30% vocal material, but we were writing so much original instrumental material that we were gravitating toward that.\u201d It wasn’t until the JST started working with producer King on 2015’s Lost at Last<\/i> that the group fully embraced an instrumental approach.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted to add a couple more vocal tunes to the three that we planned on recording,\u201d recalls Stickley. \u201cBut Dave dropped a bomb on us.\u201d King convince Stickley and his band mates that their instrumentals were a big part of what made them special. \u201cThe vocal stuff was good,\u201d Stickley says, \u201cBut it didn’t have the same power and integrity as the instrumental stuff we were writing.\u201d They took their producer’s advice, and went on to play several festival sets without any vocals. \u201cIt felt so natural that we just ran with it,\u201d Stickley says.<\/p>\n
The trio continues that approach on its newest album. Maybe Believe<\/i> was scheduled for release on May 13, though advance copies were available at the JST’s Grey Eagle show on March 10. Maybe Believe<\/i> showcases uptempo numbers alongside what Stickley describes as \u201cmellow, soundscape-y kind of chill tracks.\u201d<\/p>\n
And while the new album displays the trio’s skill at evoking a wide array of emotions through original material, the band often tosses an irreverent cover tune or two into its live set. Asked if the inclusion of Nirvana’s \u201cSmells Like Teen Spirit\u201d in the trio’s set is some kind of musical statement about the irrelevance of genre classification, Stickley laughs. \u201cIt’s not to make any point at all, other than that you should have fun,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
The idea to cover a 1990s grunge tune came to Stickley one day when he was trying to write a song. \u201cWe needed material, so I started thinking: ‘What influences in my life \u2013 other than bluegrass picking \u2013 can I bring to the table?’\u201d He sought to apply what he calls his \u201cbluegrass mileage\u201d to other kinds of music he loves. \u201cWe did ‘Teen Spirit’ at a random bar gig one time \u2013 adding it on to \u201cBlackberry Blossom,’ a traditional fiddle tune \u2013 and it was so funny that we thought, ‘Well, we should probably keep doing that!’\u201d<\/p>\n
Whether it’s a left-field reinvention of a rock classic or an original composition, the Jon Stickley Trio excels at musical interplay; their live approach might be described as controlled improv. \u201cThere’s a lot of improvisation, \u201cStickley concedes, \u201cbut within a very defined structure of a tune.\u201d He says that all three players always<\/i> know what \u2013 in a general sense \u2013 is coming next. \u201cWe’re very conscious of who’s following whom, and who’s playing the melody. We’re always trying to figure out how to diversify and make [music] that’s as interesting as possible with just three people.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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