Just last month, after a seven-year run in Chicago, Illinois, indie folkmaster Chaz Hearne returned home to Rochester to continue his music career in his hometown. Hearne is a folk musician that enjoys the roots but is not shy to cross genres and experiment. Although banjo is his primary axe, Hearne is a multi-instrumentalist that performs everything from finger picked acoustic tunes to all-out rock anthems on banjo, guitar, piano, and violin, adding layered vocal harmonies. Regardless of the tune, Hearne performs with passion, honesty, and fragility.
Ben Albert of NYS Music was humbled to sit down and converse with Chaz Hearne about his experience in Chicago, the message behind his conceptual songwriting, and his new politically critical concept album, Rise of Voluminous. The conversation was recorded in collaboration with Rochester Groovecast and released as a Rochester Groovecast podcast episode. Take a peek below and click the play button to listen to the episode. Scroll farther below to find a timestamp of the show.
TIMESTAMP:
00:17: Chaz Hearne- Fun in 82
05:12: Episode Intro
07:19: Interview Part One
14:11: Chaz Hearne- Spicy in The Dim Halls
17:15: Interview Part Two
39:29: Closing Comments
41:21: Raw Performance by Chaz Hearn
Buffalo rocker Jorian Holka is at it again. Not long after the release of his debut EP, EP1, he went right back at it to bring us his new single, “Loser With Ambition.” The track starts off with a pounding drum intro that immediately gets the blood flowing, and leads into a melodic swirl of fast paced, hard rock riffs from what feels like a small orchestra of distorted guitars. The lyrics are a raw reflection of what it feels like growing up differently than everyone else, and what it is like breaking away from the status quo as a youth by rejecting what is forced down your throat by society.
Holka reminds listeners that it is okay to think differently, and that doing so is often a good thing, even if others believe you are weird for it. The incredibly catchy chorus makes a statement that even if other people might not see the world the same way as us, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you are comfortable with who you are and doing the best you can, so you should not care what other people think.
While the song may provide a very positive message, that does not mean it does not rock. It does, hard. The guitar solo following the second chorus highlights Holka’s technical knowledge on guitar, reminding listeners that although he may be playing every instrument on the track, the guitar is where his true talent lies. As he creates more music, it is very clear that Holka is becoming a more proficient songwriter, instrumentalist, and producer.
In nature, flow is associated with movement, like water rippling down a current. In psychology, finding flow is associated with engaging in an activity which brings on a feeling of being energized, focused, fully aware and conscious. Rochester indie pop artists Tart Vandelay have linked these concepts in their new release, aptly entitled Flow.
The jazzy four-track-long collectionpaints a landscape filled with images of whipping whirlpool winds, relentlessly echoing rays of sunshine, midnight moonlight, and misty rain clouds. The elements of the cosmos become metaphors for emotional states, as a story unfolds about facing fear and uncertainty. Tart Vandelay isn’t just stopping to smell the roses; they’re making a mindful exploration into the cyclical rhythms in the universe and tendency for tumult to succumb to order. Songstress Katie Halligan draws from her own experiences when writing, however her words strike a chord deep within. She taps into her uncanny ability to connect what’s personal to what’s common to the human experience. “Sun, melt away by fright, tell me it’s alright,” she pleads in the song “Cloudy Doubts.”
Book ended with birdsong, the instrumentation on the album mirrors the sentiment of the songs and compliments Halligan’s crisp, sparkling vocals. Marty LoFaso’s jazzy guitar work serves as a vibrant accompaniment. The bass line provided by Pete Zamniak and percussive stylings of Christopher Dubuc-Penney intersect to form in an undulating groove that adds dimension to the soundscape. The music demonstrates restraint during the apprehensive disquietude of the first two songs “High Noon Haze” and “Lonely Girl.” Then it swells during “Cloudy Doubts,” before reaching a magnificent crest in “Drifting.”
As the sequel to last year’s debut EP Frontier Pioneer, Flow offers further proof of Tart Vandelay and their endearing ability to uplift and inspire through music. Recorded at Wicked Squid Studios in Rochester, and produced by Josh Pettinger, Flow is available on Bandcamp. You can follow Tart Vandelay on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Tucked away in the mill towns of Western Massachusetts lies the village of Millers Falls. You’d never think that in this little nook of New England is a quaint studio that puts out some amazing music. Iron Wax Studios is the dream-child of the one and only, Alan Evans and his wife, Kim. When people talk about Alan Evans, you’ll usually hear about his long list of projects and sit-ins. From his roots with his also musically-talented brother Neal Evans of Lettuce, through Soulive and Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, up until now with Brothers, his band with his brother and Oteil and Kofi Burbridge. What you might not hear about is his work behind the scenes. Alan has been interested in engineering and producing music since he was very young.
Alan Evans Playonbrother
Alan Evans: Neal and I had a band way before (Soulive), called Moon Boot Lover. I started playing when I was 11, and I’m 43 now. I started going on the road when I was 14 or 15, and I started engineering when I was 14 or 15, something like that… It was a PV 12 channel mixer, and a Harman Kardon, TD-202. I can’t believe I even remember that [Laughing]… And then I borrowed my friends ADAT, and that was kind of mind-blowing, and then I got my own. Actually, the first Soulive album was recorded on an ADAT a long time ago.
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The part I found most fascinating about this is that for everything Evans has his hands in on stage, his influence behind the scenes is bigger, much bigger. I decided I wanted to make this side of the curtain available to the world. I approached Evans with an idea: a series or featured article where NYS Music captures the behind-the-scenes life of artists and the engineers who fine tune their sound. He was incredibly excited about the idea, and allowed me to come to the studio for an interview, which basically became an incredibly fun and engaging conversation about music and life.
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Zach Culver: This is a part of the music world no one ever sees, and I especially love this. I’m not a musician, so I don’t get to see this ever. And I’m a huge fan of the artists that are coming through, and yourself, so this is something I’d love to share with people.
AE: I particularly would be into that just cause, I’ve always been a fan of non traditional… I don’t even know if you could call this a traditional recording studio. I guess it is, maybe.
ZC: Yeah, every one is different, even bigger ones, some are just huge rooms, you know, with that one spot with the best acoustics. But then, even this one is bigger than some I’ve seen, where it’s just a mixing board and a closet that people get in one at a time and play.
[Laughter]
AE: Exactly, exactly.
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When you walk into the studio, you’re taken back for a second. When you see the movies, or the giant studios that produced our favorite classics, you think of a massive mixing board with thousands buttons and channels. You see a huge room with a single mic in the center where the pop singer can swing their arms up and down as they hit that high note. Iron Wax is not that studio, and you realize immediately that that’s exactly what Alan Evans wants it to be. It feels like home.
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AE: I like to make it feel warm and…
ZC: Fun.
AE: Yeah! Exactly. I want to make it feel like it’s not a recording studio. They’re just hanging out in their living room.
ZC: Like they’re just coming in and jamming.
AE: Yeah, and then when you hit playback you’re like, “wow, that sounds great.”
ZC: Because of that kind of atmosphere, you’re going to get the best out of people… You’ve gotta catch them when they’re not paying attention, because that’s when you get their real personality.
AE: Exactly. We’ll just have a lot of fun, just hang out. My vibe, as you can see, as it’s always been, is I prefer not to have a control room.
ZC: Yeah, you wanna be with the band. And getting to connect with the band like that…
AE: Like if I’m in the room grooving, I’m feeling it. If you’re on the other side of the glass having fun and they’re over here, they don’t know what I’m thinking… I’d much rather be a part of it… It all comes down to creating a comfortable environment for people to create.
I love being a part of something that’s not about me. I love being in the room when something is being created, when something is being realized. When I hit play, and they say “that’s what we’ve been wanting,” that’s such an amazing feeling. I love being on stage and playing my music, but there’s something really special about helping someone with their thing.
ZC: How long have you been here at Iron Wax?
AE: In this spot? Almost two years. Actually, the very first session here was The Brothers, and that was February two years ago. Immediately before this, all this was at my house. That was insane, having a studio at home. I did all the [Alan Evans Trio] stuff. I mixed a bunch, and before that I was down in Hatfield [Massachusetts]. I did a bunch of stuff there… I definitely get focused when I get in here. As much as I like the idea of a big studio, and I don’t know if it has to do with the style of music I’m working on, or if it’s just my vibe, but I try to make things sound smaller, or things end up sounding smaller; not in a bad way, but just tighter. Some people really dig the explosive sound, like drums or something, but, I listen to all my favorite albums, and it’s not that at all. All this [equipment] should be in the background. You shouldn’t notice the microphones. Who cares what mic or pre-amp you use. It doesn’t matter. Really in the end, it’s about the song. I can get a lot of people in here, its kind of crazy. The biggest band I’ve had in here, are these cats from London, Crowd Company, an 8-piece group, and pretty soon I’m having a ten piece coming through, Aztec Sun, from DC. Super killer band.
ZC: I really love who’s coming through here, not only because they’re some of my favorite artists, but they’re also some of my favorite people. I’ve met a few of the guys from Harsh Armadillo. They’re so much fun, and they have a lot of personality.
AE: Those cats blew me away. Kim told me this band from New Hampshire is coming through to work with us. So I checked them out, and they sent me some demos, and stuff they wanted to record, and it was cool. And, I don’t know what happened, whether I missed something which I don’t usually do, but when they came in here, I was like, “Woah.” They were ridiculous, man. [Laughing]… There’s a reason why they wanted to come here, and man, I’m really glad they did.
ZC: What brought you to this area?
AE: Kim and I were down near Woodstock, NY and Kraz joined [Soulive] and when we got going, he said his mom had a vacation home up in Vermont, and so she said we could live there. We paid maybe fifty, a hundred dollars a month, huge house, hundred acres. We were just kickin’ it up there, so when we were starting, we could do a lot of gigs and travel a lot, and not worry about living expenses. So once we started making money, Neal and Kraz moved to Northampton and then from there down to Brooklyn, and I had no desire to go back to New York. I lived there for a long time in the early 90’s. So Kim and I were just kicking it up there in this huge house, and we found out we were gonna have our first kid, and we had to drive over an hour to get to, like, Keene to see the doctor, we were just like, this is not gonna work… we started looking for places and we looked at a place in Greenfield, and then found a place in Deerfield, and that’s where we ended up.
ZC: You just started Matador Soul Sounds. That was about a month or two ago, you did your first show.
AE: Yeah, at Brooklyn Comes Alive. That’s been a lot of fun. I was actually just talking to Eddy (New Mastersounds) earlier today. We’ve got some shows coming up in the spring, going on tour in march, right after I get back from London with Soulive, I go on tour with Matador for like three weeks. They’re some fun cats to hang out with. You know just, hanging with like minded people.
ZC: That’s easy in this industry to find that. Everyone is so welcoming… and doesn’t have a bad bone in their body.
AE: I mean that’s the really cool thing about the time we’re living in… there’s no reason to not be cool.
“Life’s too short to not be cool”
Alan at Iron Wax, Photo Credit: Kim Evans
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ZC: Back in the 90’s, you played with Oteil Burbridge a lot, which I feel like a lot of people would never know that. You just came out with Brothers, with your brother Neal (Evans), and Oteil and Kofi (Burbridge). What’s it like working with them?
AE: So Oteil and I met way back in the day with my old band Moon Boot Lover. We met in like, ’93 or ’94 when he was playing with Aquarium Rescue Unit, we used to do a bunch of shows together. We talked about actually doing something, the four of us, but its just tough. Oteil and Kofi, they’re just special dudes. you know, its crazy, when the four of us play together, its hard to describe. Because you know, Neil and I have always had like this, telepathy type s***, but with them it’s the same thing! Like we all know where each other is gonna go, and it’s just really special. They’re just the nicest people, really in tune with, just, something else.
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ZC: You’ve worked with so many people over the years. I mean, the list is never-ending. Is there anyone you wish you could work with, either A) you never got to, or B) Never could get around to?
AE: Those are always hard for me to answer, because I always find that the unexpected sit-ins or, whatever you want to call them, connections that are made, are always the best. They’re organic… but with that said, years ago we got invited to play a party at Paisley Park. Prince wanted us to come play—like some friends of ours had done it before and we were all gonna go. He had these parties, a couple a year maybe, and we just thought it was going to be amazing. And, for whatever reason, he ended up having to cancel the party, and we were saying “well, that sucks but I’m sure we’ll connect at some point,” but it never happened. And Pete Shapiro (Brooklyn Bowl) was always saying we should get Prince for Bowlive. And that really would’ve been pretty special. It could’ve gone either way… That’s definitely one cat that I would’ve loved to be around just for even ten minutes just to soak up that kind of energy.
AE: Like, Stevie Wonder sat in with us years ago. It was the end of the show and we left the stage and someone said “Stevie wants to come sit in” and I had no idea he was even at the show [Laughter]… so he comes out and Stevie is in between me and Kraz. And dude, that was the first time I’ve ever seen him live, and it was just crazy… He came out, played harmonica and just killed it. And then was feeling good and started singing, I mean he was right next to me. And to just see him—not just hear him but to see him sing. I mean he used his entire body, down to his toes. It was crazy man, crazy. I remember [Ryan] Zoidis and I went across the street to this party, and his whole vibe was all over us. It was the craziest thing. It was just this cosmic, like, aura and it rubbed off on us for a little bit.
But to answer your question, Prince.
[Laughter]
ZC: What are you looking forward to, going into 2018?
AE: Definitely the release of the Matador Soul Sounds album. We put out this little single, two songs or something. The full album is coming out, I’m doing some touring with that, and then obviously, the new Soulive thing, because it’s been a long time.
ZC: I was gonna say, looking through, I know you took a year off for Bowlive, and came back this year, and everyone was like, what was that? Are you done? Everyone had faith but, your last album was 2012?
AE: Yeah that sounds about right… we’re definitely not trying to push Soulive too much, cause we’ve been playing these tunes for a long time. We wanted to have some new s***, some new stuff to talk about. So we were just chillin’ until it came out… and all of a sudden it was like, man, we need to put something out, cause we just went to Japan, and we had a great time there… so finally we’re gonna get together and record.
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Evans is a true pioneer of the industry. He really does it all and has an influence in so many bands, and genres. Later this month Soulive will be coming to Iron Wax to start fresh on a few new tracks for the world, and Evans was gracious enough to let us return to document the occasion. This will be an inside look at how the band writes and interacts with each other, something that fans rarely get to witness.
Stay tuned for more from “Behind the Iron Wax Curtain.”
Groove-heavy americana quintet Donna The Buffalo of Trumansburg, is returning to Rochester this weekend to distribute an eclectic mash of folk, roots, country, reggae, jam and zydeco, to a devoted local crowd. Accompanied by Rochester’s own, Aaron Lipp and the Slacktones, the foot-stomping, hug-sharing, and partner-twirling will take place on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 PM at Anthology. Advanced tickets are $22.50 and the gate price is $25.
“I love playing music. I love playing the fiddle…I love to sing. I never thought too much about it. I never wondered why I play music. I’ve just always done it. There was never anything else I was gonna do instead. There has never been a question. I was drawn to music. I love listening to it. I love playing it. Music fills me up. It’s one of my languages.” -Tara Nevins of Donna the Buffalo
Nearly thirty years since their humble beginnings, Donna the Buffalo is warming into an extensive winter tour, traveling from New York, to Florida, to Texas, with many show stops in between. There is good reason Donna the Buffalo has toured extensively for the better part of thirty years. The group provides a dynamic high-energy performance that is at one moment completely fun-loving and carefree, then in the next, undoubtably heartfelt and deeply insightful. At every show, the audience experiences poetic stories about life, family, and the human condition. To top off the enthusiasm brought by their live performance, Donna The Buffalo brings improvisation and spontaneity to the table. The band doesn’t work off a set list, rather, co-leaders Jeb Puryea and Tara Nevins take turns choosing the next song in real time.
When I asked Nevins if she had any advice for a young musician with aspirations to pursue the music industry, she retorted, “Do it because you love it don’t do it because you think you’ll be famous. And enjoy the journey..” I think it is crystal clear that Tara Nevins and all of the Donna the Buffalo family do indeed play music that they love, and do indeed enjoy the journey.
If you’re in the Rochester area, check out Donna the Buffalo on Saturday, Dec. 9, and everyone, stay tuned, Donna the Buffalo is recording a new record in February.
Brandi Carlile fans are some of the luckiest fans in the world. They can see Carlile just about any time they’d like to because she always seems to be on tour. She’s performed at least once a month, almost every single month since 2014 and will continue this streak well on into 2018, making several stops in New York along the way. These shows include a three-night run at the Beacon Theatre on April 5, 6 (Sold Out) and 7, the Palace Theatre in Albany on May 6 and the State Theatre in Ithaca on May 8. Tickets for all of these shows are available now and are modestly priced. Again, the April 6 show and the Beacon Theatre is sold out.
Carlile will be touring with her five-album discography and will likely showcase some new material from her soon to be released collection, By the Way, I Forgive You. Listeners can get a taste of the new album by checking out the single, “The Joke.” It’s sentimental and a bit melancholy, which isn’t unheard of for Carlile. But taking into account this track’s tone coupled with some emotional album artwork, it raises the question, what will the rest of the album sound like? That question will be answered on February 16, 2018.
Anyone unfamiliar with Carlile’s work should give her the old college try. Her music is wholesome, moving, catchy and beaming with energy. On top of her extensive musical career, she and her bandmates, Tim and Phil Hanseroth also found the time and energy to create a nonprofit called the Looking Out Foundation. They, “band together with fans, nonprofits, and corporations to translate voices of song to voices of action,” as well as donating $1 from every concert to their efforts and related charities.
Tour Dates:
April 5 – Beacon Theatre – New York, NY April 6 – Beacon Theatre – New York, NY (SOLD OUT) April 7 – Beacon Theatre – New York, NY May 6 – Palace Theatre – Albany, NY May 8 – State Theatre – Ithaca, NY
Dana Fuchs has built a loyal following in central New York, based on her energetic performances at the New York State Blues Festival and Dinosaur Bar-B-Que over the past half decade. That made her a popular choice for a NYS Blues Festival fundraiser appearance Friday, December 1 at Funk N Waffles in downtown Syracuse.
Her most loyal fans are familiar with Fuchs’ songbook and a few of their requests were granted during the evening. This included a rarely played tune as a tribute to an unnamed member of the Syracuse music community unable to attend due to serious illness. The notion of overcoming hardship or loss is a common theme in Fuchs’ songs as well as in the title of her upcoming release, Love Lives On. Throughout the set, she revealed details about herself and her family’s lives. While doing so in the club setting, it felt as though she was connecting to both old and new fans in a manner that other performers don’t often achieve. During one intro, she spoke of her own astonishing personal loss of both parents and three siblings over a short span, and how that loss was a basis for the captivating “Calling Angels.” This song featured Craig Dreyer on saxophone, in addition to his usual keyboard duties, and was one of the highlights of a memorable night of music.
While Fuchs displayed elements of many different styles, from blues to soul to gospel and even R&B at times, she is most decidedly known for her powerful voice and commanding stage presence during dynamic rock songs. Still, perhaps her best moments this particular evening were during the somewhat quieter pieces, including a poignant duet with her longtime songwriting collaborator Jon Diamond on guitar, “Keep On Rollin,” and the heartfelt “Faithful Sinner.” She and Diamond also displayed resilience in working around some technical difficulties in order to deliver the country blues tune “Nothing On My Mind.” Fuchs will return to touring next year in support of her pending 2018 release, Love Lives On, which can be pre-ordered here.
Fuchs mentioned that the drummer, Santo Rizzolo, was playing his very first show with the band and that the bass player, Brian Gearty, was fairly new to the ensemble as well. She made a point to thank them for stepping in and stepping up in order to help keep things rolling for her and the rest of the band. And roll they did, as Fuchs closed the show with some thunderous vocals on her own “Keep On Walking” and a blistering version of The Beatles’ “Helter Skelter,” much to the appreciation of an attentive and enthusiastic crowd.
Fuchs will return to Syracuse next summer when she and her band perform at the New York State Blues Festival, held in Syracuse’s Clinton Square July 12-14, 2018. You’d be wise to make plans to see Dana Fuchs and her band, whether it be again or for the very first time.
Hard Soul returns this week with their new EP This Will Hurt. NYS Music presents an exclusive premiere of the 5 track EP, due out tomorrow and available on the group’s Bandcamp. The first single “See Me” was released this past week.
The EP features five tracks, including three brand-new songs and two new arrangements of previously-released acoustic tracks “Fairer ShorTes” and “Have To Be A Miracle,” which originally appeared on the band’s 2015 EP Fairer Shores.
Lead singer Johnny Salka says of the latest release, “The new EP is a renewed approach to that songwriting ethos which represents the last three years and next step in the musical evolution of Hard Soul. We’re absolutely stoked to share the new songs with our fans and the rest of the world.”
Canada’s finest Celtic music export, Enter the Haggis, will return to the Putnam Den this Saturday, December 9, with Albany’s Black Mountain Symphony kicking the night off. Haggis Heads will unite for an energetic night of Celtic rock as part of the group’s “Broken Arms” Tour. Trevor Lewington (guitar, mandolin, keyboard, vocals for Enter the Haggis) spoke with NYS Music this week to discuss their New York fans, the Irish connection found at shows around the state, and how their studio work remains fresh after more than 20 years.
Pete Mason: Given New York’s large Irish community spread out around the state, do you find the crowds to be different when you play in New York, or are Haggis Heads a universal fanbase?
Trevor Lewington: There’s a strong connection between the US and Ireland so just about anywhere you go in this country you’ll find people with Irish roots. That said, obviously New York has one of the largest expat Irish populations so when you play in a band with pipes and fiddle, there’s big support. Our music also blurs the lines between a number of styles and many Haggis Heads across the country have little or no connection to Ireland, which is cool too. There really is something about Irish and Celtic music in general that draws the listener in and tends to get people dancing and having a good time.
PM: How was your recent show at the Westcott Theater in Syracuse? And you’ve got shows in February in Buffalo and Rochester coming up?
TL: We’ve definitely been busy recently! Besides the Upstate shows, the last couple months have taken us to California, Texas and Ireland. The Westcott show was awesome as usual – we play a wide range of venues from seated theaters to standing rock clubs and the Westcott (and Putnam Den) are two of the most rockin’.
PM: How do you feel your music has evolved over the past few years?
TL: We started as very much a Celtic/Irish Rock band and over about 10 albums have gone in all sorts of directions. Leading up to our last couple of releases we were getting further from the Celtic sound and then had a furious swing right back to our roots as a band. I think we needed a little time away from it to get excited about Celtic Rock again. We’ve also come to realize that for whatever reason this band plays Celtic Rock music in a very natural and authentic way – it helps having a Scottish piper and a fiddle player who grew up competing on the Canadian fiddle circuit.
PM: Given that 2012’s The Modest Revolution was written based on stories found in a 2012 edition of Toronto’s The Globe and Mail, and another album was written based on letters from fans, how does giving your albums themes keep the studio experience fresh?
TL: Not only did it keep things fresh but it was a great way to engage listeners. Plus, it’s usually our songs that are based on specific stories that seem to connect with our fans. That said, we’re embarking on a new record and this time I mostly just pulled lyrics from the depths of my heart and brain… and my liver… this is starting to sound a bit like haggis.
Cait Devin will once again grace the stage of Funk ‘n Waffles Downtown on Friday, Dec. 8 from 6-8 p.m. The 16-year-old singer/songwriter from Westmoreland got her start at open mikes, like the one at Funk ‘n Waffles. Now she’s playing shows throughout the Central New York region, performing a mix of indie pop originals and classic rock covers. You can also catch Cait solo on Dec. 9 at the Villa Verona Vineyard and Bistro in Verona and with her band Triple Threat at Copper City Brewing Company in Rome on Dec. 28.
She is currently working on her first EP of original material, recording at Big Blue North Recording Studio in Utica. Follow Cait on Facebook for updates.
Holka 
The jazzy four-track-long collection paints a landscape filled with images of whipping whirlpool winds, relentlessly echoing rays of sunshine, midnight moonlight, and misty rain clouds. The elements of the cosmos become metaphors for emotional states, as a story unfolds about facing fear and uncertainty. Tart Vandelay isn’t just stopping to smell the roses; they’re making a mindful exploration into the cyclical rhythms in the universe and tendency for tumult to succumb to order. Songstress Katie Halligan draws from her own experiences when writing, however her words strike a chord deep within. She taps into her uncanny ability to connect what’s personal to what’s common to the human experience. “Sun, melt away by fright, tell me it’s alright,” she pleads in the song “Cloudy Doubts.”
