{"id":17040,"date":"2019-09-08T05:30:23","date_gmt":"2019-09-08T09:30:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=17040"},"modified":"2019-09-08T08:19:53","modified_gmt":"2019-09-08T12:19:53","slug":"backlines-traditional-roots-meet-a-modern-sound","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2019\/09\/08\/backlines-traditional-roots-meet-a-modern-sound\/","title":{"rendered":"Backline\u2019s Traditional Roots Meet a Modern Sound"},"content":{"rendered":"

Five-piece bluegrass band Backline came together in 2016, playing a style of the mountain music that bridges the gap between traditional and modern. The group\u2019s rich vocal harmonies are a highlight; all five members sing. Based in Spartanburg, S.C., Backline has released two album: 2016\u2019s Carolina<\/i> and a brand-new collection, A Thousand Wishes<\/i>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your favorite thing about performing in front of an audience? <\/b><\/p>\n

Travis Tucker (dobro): <\/b>We play 90% or so original material, and to have the crowd love the music that we\u2019ve created and to cheer us on \u2014 that connection with the crowd \u2014 is probably our favorite thing.<\/p>\n

How does your experience with other styles of music inform and color the music you make with Backline? <\/b><\/p>\n

I started out playing piano when I was 9 years old. Just like any other kid who took piano lessons, you learn classical pieces to perform them at recitals. Learning piano first has played a huge role in helping me understand theory, which in turn, has molded me into the dobro player that I am today.<\/p>\n

What are some of the modern elements in Backline\u2019s music?<\/b><\/p>\n

We think outside the box. Not every song has to be a banjo kick and sound just like something straight off a Flatt and Scruggs album. Now, don\u2019t get me wrong: we love that stuff. But we have our own sound; that\u2019s what we enjoy playing and what people enjoy hearing. We mainly play original songs, but Bryan Adams\u2019 ballad \u201cStraight From the Heart,\u201d is one song that we cover.<\/span><\/p>\n

You come from a solid bluegrass foundation rooted in musical tradition. How do you write songs that are true to that tradition yet expressive of your own thoughts and emotions? <\/b><\/p>\n

Katelyn Ingardia (guitar)<\/b>: I try not to force material, because I want to write the best piece of music I can. I can be inspired by a melody or a thought I have, or a line I hear. To find that inspiration, I have to watch, listen and just wait.<\/p>\n

Banjoist Al Osteen was an important part of the upstate bluegrass community. How does his influence manifest itself in Backline\u2019s music?<\/b><\/p>\n

As a band, we\u2019ve definitely benefited from several of Al\u2019s key lessons, going way beyond just how to play \u201cCripple Creek.\u201d He had a unique way of presenting dynamics, and how a band can work together to create a unified sound.<\/p>\n

You played electric bass before moving to the upright bass fiddle. Is the acoustic a more expressive instrument?<\/b><\/p>\n

Jason Belue (bass):<\/b> There are characteristics I love about both of them. The distinctive sound of an upright bass better fits our style; that\u2019s the main reason I made the transition. The upright also wins the race in versatility. Having a curved fingerboard, no frets, and a big wooden body opens up the options for bowing and a little percussion.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the role of the mandolin in Backline\u2019s music? <\/b><\/p>\n

Louis Hughes (mandolin)<\/b>: It provides the percussion off-beat to the downbeat of the bass. I accent Katelyn with the fills around the singing, and I have a blast playing the solos. And transitioning to more progressive sounds with the mandolin is extremely fun.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Five-piece bluegrass band Backline came together in 2016, playing a style of the mountain music that bridges the gap between traditional and modern. The group\u2019s rich vocal harmonies are a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17041,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,41],"tags":[3895],"class_list":["post-17040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-americana","category-interview","tag-backline","cat-6-id","cat-41-id","has_thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17040"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17040\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17042,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17040\/revisions\/17042"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}