Q&A

Hey, you guys remember The Milestones, right? They played at our first-ever Block Party at 200 East all the way back in September. You came to check it out, right? Maybe? Please? No? Anyway, those dudes are coming back to town this weekend when they take the Cafe Nola stage on Saturday night along with Bishops and The B-Side Band. We recently caught up with guitarist Chris Metz to talk about how these guys got together in the first place, how long it might be until they follow up their most recent EP, “Honey,” and how pop-punk had a hand in influencing the group. The fun should begin around 10 p.m. Saturday night. Don’t be square, friends. Be there. 

So, take us back to the beginning. How did you guys initially get together in the first place?

This time four years ago, Alex and I connected at a bar at the University of Maryland – College Park. We went to the same high school, but we were both playing guitar and leading different bands. At this point, we were only writing music on our own, and weren’t performing anymore. For about a year, we spent a lot of time learning each other’s songs and writing styles. Two years of this passed, when we decided to start a band. We found two others to fill in on drums and bass who played with us for the first year as The Milestones. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to continue with the band. One of my best good friends, John, has been playing drums with me since I first picked up a guitar nearly 10 years ago. I gave him the call and for the past year, the three of us have been the foundation of The Milestones, with two great guys rotating in on bass for shows.

“Honey” is your most recent release, I believe. Do you guys have plans to get back into the studio for another release anytime soon? 

Correct. We spent a lot of time recording “Honey” at Mystery Ton Studios with local producer Kenny Eaton. That was over a year ago. We’re in the studio working on another batch of songs that we plan to release as singles at the moment. Additionally, we’re planning to get back to recording at Mystery Ton Studios come late-spring/early-summer. We’ve got plenty of material that could fill a full-length album, but like so many other bands, we lack the funds to support that cause.

Along those same lines, what does 2016 look like for The Milestones, for the rest of the way out?

We’ve been fortunate enough to play some of the great D.C./Baltimore venues with other great bands since the beginning of the year. Washington, D.C.’s DC9, Black Cat, and Baltimore’s Ottobar, Metro Gallery, and The Crown. We have and are going to continue playing festivals throughout the year (i.e. Johns Hopkins University Spring Fair on Saturday, April 16). Additionally, we’re waiting to announce the details regarding a fundraiser that we’re helping organize in our Charles Village neighborhood (in Baltimore) that has an insane lineup thus far, set for Saturday, May 28, at Peabody Heights Brewery. Finally, we’re working on finishing up our current recording situation on top of setting up the recording of music videos.

Who are some of your major influences and why?

I hate admitting this, but pop-punk got me really into playing music during my angsty teen years (Blink-182, Taking Back Sunday, etc.). Since then, I’ve gone through periods where O.A.R., Citizen Cope, Explosions In The Sky, Kings of Leon, Minus the Bear and Manchester Orchestra have been in heavy rotation in my headphones.

Can you give us names of some bands we need to check out that we maybe haven’t seen yet? Who are you listening to the most these days?

You MUST check out: Sun Club (Baltimore), The Humble (Philly), and The Districts (PA). Sun Club’s new album is exciting the whole way through. We’ve booked a few shows already this year with The Humble, and Kings of Leon is a frequent comparison for their sound. Similar to Sun Club, The Districts are relatively huge now, but if you haven’t heard of them – go do just that! Again, speaking for myself, I’ve been listening to a lot of Rayland Baxter, PWR BTTM, Future Islands, Logic, Gary Clark Jr., Chet Faker and Animal Collective lately.

What’s your perception of the local music scene here in Frederick? You guys began in Frederick, from what I understand, but you reside in or near Baltimore now? 

After college, we spent some time living at with our parents in Montgomery County, just 20 minutes from downtown Frederick. That part of “MoCo” doesn’t have much to offer in terms of night life and local/original music. We found ourselves venturing up to Frederick (Cafe Nola, Bushwaller’s, The Cellar Door, etc.) for that sort of fun on the weekends. The bars/bookers were so easy and great to work with when we were getting started. Even better, the bands based out of Frederick have so much unbelievable talent. We really dug checking out sets from Old Indian, Heavy Lights, Seaknuckle, etc. whenever they would play locally. We were lucky enough to play Frederick Playlist’s Block Party at 200 East — it was insane to see how great of a production that was, in addition to some of the events that Flying Dog and the Weinberg Center host. We plan on supporting Seaknuckle’s album release this summer. We thought it would be most advantageous move to Baltimore in order to make a name for ourselves in Charm City in the fall of 2014. Specifically, the number of larger venues and touring acts that come through — in addition to a generally larger arts community — was in our minds. I also attend school and work in the city, as John had already been prior.

Where are some of your favorite places to play in Maryland and why?

Our favorite place to play is Ottobar. We’ve only ever had great experiences there. It’s only a few blocks from where we live in Charles Village/Remington. They have great sound and create an awesome environment to see a show. It’s also nuts to think about some of the other great artists who play Ottobar when in Baltimore. Otherwise, it’s always great to play for family and local friends at Cafe Nola when we’re in Frederick.

And, of course, what can we expect from the show at Cafe Nola? 

We’re actually headlining at Cafe Nola for our fourth time since forming. We’ll be bringing the tunes, so it’s on you to bring your dancin’ shoes!

Steve Kimock. He’s played with everybody from RatDog to Bruce Hornsby to members of Phish. Jerry Garcia once called him his “favorite unknown guitar player.” He has a brand new album that came out a couple weeks ago, “Last Danger Of Frost,” and he’ll be rocking and rolling at The Opera House over in Shepherdstown tomorrow night (that’s Wednesday for those keeping score). We recently caught up with the guitar player over the phone as he was traveling between tour stops in Massachusetts to talk about when or if he thinks he’ll ever give up playing music, how much of a prankster Bruce Hornsby can be, and how he got into this music thing in the first place. Tickets are still on sale, friends. This promises to be one hell of a show.

I want to start with the beginning to try and get a sense of why you picked up a guitar, and what got you into music in the first place. 

I got into music – or aware of it at the level that it was something you could do – from family. My aunt was a folk singer in the Philly folk scene. She sang with Pete Seeger and made records and so forth. As a kid, visiting cousins down in Philly, there were guitars and cans and autoharps, and singing was something that just happened. A few years later, my cousin Kenny got out of the service, landed in town and had a real guitar – a Gold Top Les Paul, which I own today. So, it was all family.

At what point did you decide you wanted to make music your life and make a career out of it?

You know, I wasn’t hip enough as a young teen to really understand what it would mean to make a career of it. I just knew that I wanted to do it. I recall committing myself to it when I was 16. I just said, “You know, I could do this. If I don’t go anywhere, and sit here and work on this, I could get good at it.” So that’s what I tried to do. All I wanted to do was be in a good band – that was my goal. I wasn’t hip enough at the time to think I could make a lot of money off it. But along the way, I got to play with some really good bands, so I got my wish.

I wanted to ask you a little about that, too. You have an impressive line of musicians that you’ve sat in with. Is there anybody or any project that you’ve been a part of so far that stands out as your favorite? Because I know you played with RatDog and Bruce Hornsby and things like that. 

Oh, so many of them were so good and so unique. There was a long string of just getting guys together and assembling one-off gigs. Create a band, create a program and then go and play it. I think maybe the most truly unusual one, in terms of preparation, was Bruce Hornsby. He called me up and he said, “Hey, do you want to play with an orchestra?” I was like, “Yeah.” He says, “We’re going to do some gigs with these orchestras. There’s a couple of gigs up and down the East Coast with a couple symphonies and we’ll do one for the opening of the President’s Cup, the golf tournament in Washington D.C. Everybody will be there – President Clinton will be there.” I was like, “OK. I’ll come down to your house and we’ll do rehearsals down there.” He said, “No, no, no, no. Just come up and play.” I was like, “You want me to come up and play a symphony gig in front of the President of the United States of America with no rehearsals?” He was like, “Yeah, yeah. It will be fun!”

How did it go when you finally got to play?

Oh, it was awesome! It was just typical Bruce – punking everybody all the time.

I know that right now, you’re out with your son – he plays with you. What’s it like being on the road with your son as part of the band? Have you guys run into any issues or problems? Do you fight a lot?

No, I love it. I’m in super-proud mode. Because Johnny – he’s not a kid anymore. He’s 26. He’s a full-grown man and a very serious and a very talented and a very creative musician. It’s great working with him. Total no-nonsense. Just, let’s-play-some-music kind of guy.

Did he find music on his own, or when he was growing up, did you make it a point to try and teach him how to play certain instruments?

He took an interest very early. He was two or something like that, and dragging pots and pans out of the cupboard, beating on them with spoons kind-of thing. I knew enough to leave him alone and let him find his way. I was supportive and encouraging as I could be the whole time, but I didn’t personally learn anything ever by somebody sitting me down and getting old-school. So, I didn’t do that with him. I tried to give him space to find himself musically and he has. It’s fantastic.

The Shepherdstown date is the second or third to last date on the tour. You put out a record last week, on the 18th, and it’s only March. What other plans do you have for 2016 after this tour ends?

When we get done with this East Coast run, we’re going to hop, as quickly as possible, into the studio, with the band, and continue expanding in whatever direction this is we are expanding in. I have a bunch of miscellaneous, kind of mainstream rock and roll improvisational gigs. I’ve got some Electric Hot Tuna stuff coming up. And Voodoo Dead, down in New Orleans, with Johnny on drums and George Porter and Jeff Chimenti. All that stuff is fun.

Is there anybody out there now who you have not worked with yet, who you’d really love to work with?

Yeah! I always wished I was in Van Morrison’s band. I never got to work with him. I’m a big Tom Waits fan, too. There’s plenty of folks; there’s so many great musicians, but off the top of my head, those are two of my favorite.

At any point, do you think you’ll ever want to stop playing, stop going out? Or do you foresee you doing this for as long as you can go?

That’s a good question. I know a lot of folks – and good friends – who have died with their boots on, so to speak. Right up to the final breath – just boom. And all though I don’t know anybody personally who played their last note and walked away, I know that guys have done it. They put down the horn at the end of the gig and that’s it. And I do occasionally wonder if that’s going to be me. I can’t imagine it, but at the same time, I know it happens, so that’s a good question. I suspect I’ll die with my boots on, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that people put down the guitar and walk away. It really could go either way.

What can we expect from the show in Shepherdstown?

Material from the record, “Last Danger Of Frost,” that I just made. That record was entirely a solo effort. Just me playing. Whatever I could point a microphone at that I was interested in the sound of at the moment. There’s actually a bunch of stuff on the record that we’re using on the stage. There will be a little more of an acoustic element and a little more of an electronic element than you would get in a normal bar.

Oh, there’s something super exciting going down this weekend over there in this fine nation’s capital. The Breakin’ Even Fest. American Television. Brick Top. Collider. Curse Words. Iron Chic. Lilac Daze. Loud Boyz. The Mauls. Oklahoma Car Crash. Railsplitter. Rememberables. Timeshares. Slingshot Dakota. It goes down Friday and Saturday at Songbyrd in D.C. We recently caught up with Steve and Bryan, the co-organizers of the event, talk about how they picked the bands, if there will be a second installment in 2017, and, of course, what we can expect from this weekend’s event. Tickets are still on sale, for those still wondering, and they are available in both single-day form, and weekend passes. Lilac Daze will be doin’ Frederick proud. You ought to check it out. Honestly.

So, how did the idea for the Breakin’ Even Fest come about? What led to you guys to this point?

Steve: We both have played in bands and booked shows over the years. When we started playing together in American Television, we realized we had a shared passion for booking. The idea of a festival came up when we had a “what’s next” moment. We’re not a heavily touring band so we figured, why not bring what we want to be part of to us!

What are some of your primary goals with this first installment (outside of, presumably at least, breaking even)? 

Bryan: Sounds corny, but just to have a good time, and put on an awesome event for the bands. We picked all the bands, and are huge fans of all of them. I am looking forward to each set, and hope I am able to relax and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

How did the selection process go for the bands? What led to this being the lineup?

Bryan: All of the bands were invited by us. We had some bands that we asked that were unable to play. And once we started spreading the word, we did have some really great bands ask to play, but we had to turn them down due to time constraints. Hopefully, we do this again and can get some of them in. But I could not be more excited with how the final lineup looks.

How did you land on Songbyrd as a venue? Were there any other places you targeted to collaborate with?

Bryan: Honestly, just by asking around at various places around town. The Songbyrd crew has been very supportive, collaborative, and responsive since we first reached out. We could not have asked for a more appropriate venue. That said, the Friday night kick-off show was originally scheduled to be held at the CD Cellar in Arlington. They closed that location in mid-January and consolidated into a bigger Falls Church store. CD Cellar has always been an amazing resource for music performers and music lovers, they just aren’t sure about having shows at the new store yet.

I noticed that you have sponsors – how did obtaining those sponsors work out? I know it can be hard to get other businesses to believe in something for the first year, so what did you have to go through to line everyone – especially PBR – up?

Bryan: The bulk of our sponsors are local businesses, mostly related to independent music, so they got what we were trying to do right away. Mobius Records is an awesome, newer record store in Fairfax, Furnace has been manufacturing CDs and vinyl for bands large and small for years, and Tattoo Paradise is a great local shop located right across the street from Songbyrd. PBR was identified by the crew at Songbyrd as a potential sponsor based on prior relationships, but they’ve been super cool to work with as well. I think we’re going to have some cool little surprises from them at the fest.

What are some hurdles you’ve experienced? Is there anyone you have attempted to book in the past that didn’t go your way?

Steve: As Bryan mentioned, we had a different venue (two, actually!) at the start of all this. The whole thing was going to be in Virginia. So when the news of CD Cellar’s move to Falls Church broke, we decided to pull up our roots and move it to DC. That was a hurdle. Then Songbyrd’s booking director suggested making night one “bigger,” so we reached out to Loud Boyz and added them to the bill with Lilac Daze — an unlikely pairing, but both bands are amazing live, so we’re happy to have them on the same night.

Bands we wanted to book but haven’t – the list is extensive, especially when we consider shows other than Breakin’ Even, but to name a few: Cayetana, Big Eyes, Beach Slang, Bigwig, Great Cynics. I always think of it this way: Every punk rock band is trying to organize three to five people’s schedules and most bands are not particularly organized, and here we are trying to organize four bands for a bill … so that’s a possibility of 20 people’s schedules being in complete sync.

You can’t get beat up over the shows you missed; you have to revel in the ones you get to do. Luckily, we’ve got 365 days a year to try and book the bands we want to come through DC.

What would your dream Breakin’ Even Fest look like in terms of artists?

Bryan: Would probably involve a Fugazi reunion.

Steve: I’m just going to pick three bands and imagine they are playing three different venues along one street (because that’s part of the dream): The Violent Femmes, Phantom Planet reunion, and PUP.

Are there acts this year you are looking forward to seeing more than others? If so, which ones and why?

Bryan: Asking us to play favorites?! Of course, I am excited for all of the bands. We see the local bands pretty regularly, so honestly, Lilac Daze, Slingshot Dakota, and Iron Chic top my list. And the new Brick Top songs are great. You know, all the bands!

Steve: Timeshares is one of my favorite bands, so I’d be lying if I didn’t mention them.

What would it take for there to be a Breakin’ Even Fest in 2017?

Bryan: Steve and I having some fun with this one. We’ve been working really hard to get this put together, so as long as the energy is there at the end of Saturday night’s show, I think we’ll be pumped to do another. We’ve certainly already talked about it a little.

And finally, what can we expect from this year’s Breakin’ Even Fest?

Steve: First, the music. Every band on the bill is bursting with talent. Even though you can lump them all under the punk rock genre, the landscape of Breakin’ Even is covering the genre end to end.

Second, Songbyrd is a fairly new space. Many people may have never been there before. It’s eclectic – a bar/restaurant, coffee shop, record shop upstairs and a venue downstairs. So if you want to take a breather between bands, there’s plenty to do.

Third, we’ve been working with record labels to feed our mystery merch raffles, so they’ll be some cool things to win through both days. It’s a healthy amount of stuff too.

I say, just pull your friends together, drive to the show, and be part of the experience.

Saturday night – what’s up? While recovering from the second Frederick Music Showcase on Thursday – and the beginning of the Heavy Lights residency at Cafe Nola on Friday – you might just want to check out this great band coming to Nola. The Receiver, who hail from Ohio and have been featured on NPR, will bring their synth-heavy pop to Frederick, and you – yes, you! – really ought to care. We recently caught up with the duo’s drummer, Jesse Cooper, to talk about how the band got together, this super-neat Beatles-heavy side project he’s involved with, and, for all of us drum nerds, what it’s like to play to a click track. They are set to take the Cafe Nola stage at 9:30 Saturday night. You won’t want to miss it. 

Your website says you formed in 2005. It’s always been hard to keep a band together for an extended period of time, but it’s especially hard these days, when on a practical level, it might be tougher than ever to make a living through music, which in turn leads a lot of artists to call it quits. To what do you attribute your longevity thus far?  

Well, for one, Casey and I are brothers. I’m four years older so we’re close in age and we’ve also lived together for roughly the last 10 years. I think that, in itself, has helped us sustain as a band. We’re also just very dedicated to The Receiver. Being a part of a music scene, you see bands come and go all the time. We just believe so much in this music that throwing in the towel isn’t an option. My philosophy is the moment you quit is when you can guarantee yourself to no longer see any progress or success. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not easy. Figuring out how to get to the next step is always such a challenge, whether it’s getting an album done (recording, mixing, producing, mastering) or getting in front of audiences who appreciate what you’re doing.

From what I understand, you guys have put out three records. How has The Receiver evolved throughout each of those releases? Do you have favorite albums or songs? What makes them your favorite?

It’s been an ongoing learning experience for sure. With our first album, “Decades” (2006), we were dealing with our first true recording and co-producing endeavor. The process was completely new to us and listening back now, it has a really green feel, like a lot of bands’ first albums do. We’ve strayed away from a lot of the material recently, but we’re digging it all out for this tour. Fans can expect to hear songs such as “Goliath” and “In Tunnels.” With “Length Of Arms”(2009), our goal was to try and expand on our first effort. Casey was really digging into more synths and searched endlessly for tones that complimented each other. “Length Of Arms” had a lot more going on everywhere and the result was this huge wall of sound. Songs like “Visitor,” “Skin and Bone,” and “Castles In The Air” are show staples of ours. They’re all up-tempo and so fun to play. Our newest album, “All Burn” (2015), we wanted to really capture a mood and we set out to make a sort of concept album. This was our first album we completely produced ourselves from start to finish and the result was a really focused nugget of an album. We stressed trimming fat and making every second count as much as we could. This tour will focus on much of this album. Our favorite songs to play right now are “Transit,” “To Battle An Island,” “All Burn,” and “Let It Dry.” People can expect to hear a little bit of every album at any given show on this tour. We can’t wait to pull out a lot of stuff that’s been pretty much shelved for years.

You guys also received praise from NPR’s All Songs Considered last year. Did you guys see a considerable boost in exposure from all that? Have there been people who you know found your music through that feature? Also, as an aside, how cool was it to be featured by All Songs Considered?!

The NPR feature was a dream come true for us. I’ve been introduced to many artists who I still love and listen to today so it was a huge deal to us. It’s hard to say how many new fans we gained from that exposure but anything with NPR attached to it usually turns some heads, so for that we’re extremely grateful!

Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get into playing music and then how did the genesis of the band begin? I read that it started in Columbus, Ohio, but how long have you guys known each other and what finally led you two to start playing music?

Our mother stressed music to us at a very early age, starting us in piano lessons around age 5. I eventually gravitated towards percussion and ultimately, the drum set around age 11. Casey played trumpet all through grade school and high school. He eventually switched to bass and composition when he got to college. We’ve been playing music together in some sort of capacity for almost 20 years. The Receiver itself spawned from Casey’s senior thesis at Ohio State University in 2004. A handful of ideas/songs came from that 23-minute piece he composed at OSU’s School of Music. Once Casey graduated, we both decided to dive in head first and three albums later, here we are.

What’s it like to play drums in a band like this? Have you ever played in projects that focus on other genres and if so, do you find a specific other genre that you enjoy playing the most? Why?

This project is unique in that there’s only two of us up there playing. There’s a lot of sequencing with synth lines and pads so most of it is me playing to a click track. This is the first project I’ve had to use the click. Any drummer will tell you it’s the devil when you’re first introduced to the concept of playing to one. The best advice I’ve had when addressing the click was from my friend, Jerome Dillon, who played in Nine Inch Nails (1999-2006). He told me to try and not look at it as a machine, but imagine your favorite drummer standing next to you hitting a cowbell, pulling you along to the tempo. I’ll never forget that and it helped me to adjust to and accept it in my playing. I honestly prefer to play to one now!

I’ve played in numerous projects over the years, from my first band out of high school, Lucid’s Dream, which was psychedelic rock, to Lollipop Factory which was glam-super-hero-rock (ala Queen, Sweet, and Iron Maiden). Currently, I play in a couple side projects. One, is The Beatles Marathon, which is held in Columbus, Ohio, every year during holiday season. It’s a complete performance of all 215 Beatles songs in chronological order by a core group of musicians. It’s a 12-hour show and there’s a lot of preparation that goes into it. So that definitely keeps me in shape and on my toes. I also play in The Liner Notes where we cover a classic album every couple of months from start to finish. Some of the shows have featured Radiohead’s “OK Computer,” Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here,” and Elliott Smith’s “Figure 8.” I tend to gravitate to the classic ’70s feel in anything I play. It’s what I’m best at.

Who are some of your major influences and why?

I personally come from the school of classic rock. My immediate influences are from bands like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Yes, and Queen. That’s the stuff that I fell in love with as a teenager and what helped me develop drumming chops. I think any drummer should really dig into players like John Bonham, Bill Bruford, and Nick Mason. They taught me less is more in a lot of situations and playing in the pocket is so much more important than showing off.

Can you give us names of some bands we need to check out that we maybe haven’t seen yet? Who are you listening to the most these days?

We’re huge fans of artists like Pink Floyd, Blonde Redhead, Rufus Wainwright, and Air. You really can’t go wrong with any of that. As of late, Casey has turned me onto a lot of ambient/electronic stuff like Nils Frahm, Rival Consoles, and Darkside. None of these artists use real drums but it has pushed me to approach the drumset differently and stretch out with new patterns/beats.

Have you guys been to Frederick before? If so, what are you looking forward to the most? If not, are there things you’re looking forward to checking out?

I’ve only been through Frederick before so we’re definitely excited to hang out and take in the town. I’ve attended a few shows at Merriweather Post Pavilion which is fairly close by. Such an amazing venue with a rich history dating back to the late ’60s.

There’s going to be a hell of a show at Cafe Nola on Friday night, this much we know for sure. Rhin is set to rock your face. Middle Kid is set to rock your face. And a local band with more momentum than an Olympic sprinter, Cheshi, is going to perform as well. We recently caught up with the band’s namesake, Ashli Cheshi, to talk about what it’s like to be one of the buzziest bands around, the amount of depth that goes into her band’s songwriting, and how she got into writing music in the first place. The fun kicks off at 9:30 Friday night. If there’s one thing to fight through the snow for this weekend, it will be this. Trust us. 

You guys are one of the buzziest bands around. We keep hearing how quickly you’ve ascended through the Frederick music scene to be one of the best acts to see live. To what do you attribute that quick rise in popularity? Have you felt that same surge internally or is that not something you pay much attention to?

I do pay attention to the buzz. This is my passion and it’s great to see it being well received, more and more. I think part of why we have had a successful start is because we are all dedicated musicians, and very passionate about what we do. The other band members, Evan, Matt, and Trevor, have a lot of experience in music and have been in other successful local bands. So, they definitely bring a lot of knowledge and skill to the table. For me, that’s perfect because this is my first full band project.

Your bio on Facebook says that you “bring light to controversial ideas in hopes of sparking a catalyst for change.” Can you talk a little about some of those ideas about which you are most passionate? Are there issues you guys have consciously sought out to address in song? Why those in particular?

In life, and as a songwriter, I seek to understand a deeper part of the individual “self”’ in connection with the world as a whole. I seek to understand the way that we, as humans, desecrate or enhance the world and ourselves. I’m regularly questioning the connection humans have with god, and through music, I sort of delve into spiritual experiences I have had. My songs don’t try to answer anything, though. My goal would be that the audience would be inspired and motivated to question more about their own habitualized American lifestyles. Other topics I have written about include the feelings of coming out; mother nature and our destruction of her; and the effect that “following without questioning” can have on someone. I’m working on a song right now about a soldier that unknowingly kills the second coming of Christ.

Tell us a little about yourself. Being the band’s namesake and all, when did you first start to play music? Then subsequently, when did you first start to write music? Also, how did the decision to form a band come about?

I grew up in a rural town, in central West Virginia, where there weren’t many youth outlets. I was always drawn to music and art as a source of expression, because I didn’t have to depend on anyone but myself to create something. I took piano lessons for a very short time, taught myself how to play guitar on a broken acoustic with three strings, and from there I started to sing. At first, my mom and I would sit on our porch swing, learning covers together. By around the age of 15 or 16, I started writing. A lot of my friends at the time were musicians in bands in the area, and I was inspired by them. The kinetic need to express myself at that young age didn’t need much thought or intent. I created to create.

After getting my BFA in Shepherdstown, I moved to Frederick with my girlfriend. I was playing music here and there, but it was strictly acoustic. After a while, though, something changed. I wanted a fuller sound as well as something that could be dynamic and intense. I felt that alone, I didn’t have the power I wanted to get out of my songs. So, finding a band was the logical next step for me.

Who are some of your major influences and why?

Patti Smith, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Nico, Sharon Van Etten; they all have this awareness as songwriters that I look up to immensely. They don’t just cruise through the songs, they feel their words. I respect that more than anything.

In your opinion, what are some of the best venues in and around Frederick to play at? Do you have any memorable shows so far that stick out to you? Which ones?

The Halloween Show at Blue Side was pretty cool. I’ve had some of my most well received shows at Guido’s. We have played at Cafe Nola a few times and the atmosphere and reception is always great. The FNP building is also a cool venue. Hopefully we will be playing there in the future. But there is a definite lack of venue opportunities in the Frederick area that aren’t bars. With that in mind, DIY venues, house shows, and all ages shows are crucial to a local music scene. This is especially true in Frederick where venue options are limited.

Where do you see the band Cheshi in, say, five years? 

To the cosmos! Cheshi will be in a giant tree house somewhere after their world tour!

Who are some of your favorite local artists and why? Can you give us names of some bands we need to check out that we haven’t seen yet? 

My favorite up and coming Frederick bands are Middle Kid, who we will be playing with on January 22, at Cafe Nola! Luna, who is just about to release an album. They are great. Also Heavy Lights, who have been such a supportive inspiration, both musically and as friends. Adrienne Smith, who has always been super encouraging of my music. I look up to all of them. Lilac Daze, my drummer’s band, are a force to be reckoned with for sure. There are so many creative and amazing local artists.

What’s your perception of the music scene in Frederick? What are some differences between here and other places, like, say, even Baltimore? Do you see it growing?

I think that there is an energy here that has yet to be fully utilized. I think that can only happen when there are more venues that exist for the music, first and foremost. Like I said earlier, I would love to be involved with more all ages events and DIY kind of shows. Projects like the (Frederick Playlist/Flying Dog) Frederick compilation, and the Frederick MusicShowcase are wonderful and I fully stand behind them. It’s important to be inclusive as a music scene. We are all in this together, as Frederick artists and musicians!  

What are your plans for 2016?

Cheshi has a big year ahead. We plan on getting our first EP recorded (maybe even a full album) and taking our first tour. Get ready world.

And, of course, what can we expect from the show at Cafe Nola? 

Tons of energy and noise! 

The second week of 2016 has kicked off with a bang. First, an official event page for our second Frederick Music Showcase at the Weinberg Center next month is now live (invite your friends!). And second … well, second, the Brooklyn band Roosevelt Dime will be taking the Cafe Nola stage on Friday. We recently caught up with Andrew Green, the band’s banjoist and occasional singer, to talk about what we should expect from Friday’s show, how New Orleans plays into the band’s style, and what they expect from their first trip to Frederick. The fun starts at 9:30 p.m. and it’s only four days away. You’ll check it out, right? Right. 

First, have you guys been to Frederick before? If so, what’s your take on it? If not, what are you looking forward to the most about coming here? 

This will be our first time performing in Frederick, though we’ve performed nearby in Germantown at the Black Rock Center for the Arts, and we’ve played in D.C. a whole lot over the years. We’ve always had Cafe Nola on our radar as a venue that attracts some really great touring bands, so we’re excited to finally get there. We always look forward to our first time in an area, and particularly in smaller towns where you can really tap into the scene more easily than in a larger city.

I watched your video for “Oh To Be” and it had you on vocals. I then watched a couple live performances online and saw that Eben does most of the singing. What was it like to take the lead on that song, and why did you guys decide to have you sing it?

We used to split the lead singing duties more evenly, but as we’ve refined the sound of the band more recently, we’ve really settled on a direction that features Eben’s vocals up front which allows me to delve into the banjo playing more. That combination of soulful vocals with boogie woogie inspired banjo playing over a syncopated New Orleans style rhythm section and blues guitar has really become our trademark sound. And so now on the handful of songs that I do sing lead on, it’s a really nice variation in the course of a live show since the band can shift gears a bit.

You guys are from Brooklyn but cite New Orleans as a major influence when it comes to your sound. What drew you to New Orleans ethos within your songwriting?

In the early days of the band, we did a lot of busking, or street performing. There’s a long tradition of that in New Orleans, and we were actually playing a lot of that classic dixieland repertoire, and we featured clarinet and trumpet as well. So we took that New Orleans style and tradition, but filtered it through the streets of NYC where we were playing, and the whole pace and volume of the city streets really informed our sound and led us in some directions that a band on Royal Street may not have went. Even though we’re not playing on the street anymore, that experience of drawing people in still influences our approach to performing and writing. 

Who are some of your major influences and why?

We all have our own individual influences that inform our own styles, but as a band, it’s important to have some shared influences that can serve as a kind of reference point when we’re working on new music. So we can say “Let’s try that Taj Mahal feel here,” or “What kind of bridge would Tom Waits write here?” Some of our biggest shared influences are New Orleans artists like Dr. John and Professor Longhair for the swagger and groove. The Band is a big one for us, as they combined elements of rock, blues and folk into their own sound, and also featured multiple lead singers and a lot of great harmony singing. John Hartford is also right up there since he really pushed the boundaries of string band music, and particularly the banjo, and his songwriting could be really beautiful, quirky, earnest, and irreverent all at once.

Where are some of your favorite places to play, in terms of cities and venues, and why?

We always love our hometown shows in NYC since there are so many old friends and familiar faces that come through, and we’ve got a network of great musicians who will sit in. And though the band is still based there, a few of us have since relocated, so New Haven and Charlottesville have become home bases that show us lots of love. We’ve also got incredible fan bases in places like D.C., Boston and Portland. When we’ve travled further afield to places like Colorado and California, it’s been interesting to see how they differ from the east coast fans. And generally, any city that has some good late night food is always a favorite of ours so that we can grab a post-show meal.

Are there any lesser-known artists that you’ve encountered that we should be checking out? Who are you listening to the most these days?

Some artists that we’ve been digging lately are The Wood Brothers, The California Honeydrops, Darlingside, The Stray Birds, Front Country, Water Seed, Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds.

It’s 2016. I see that you guys have been at this for a long time, relatively speaking. What’s the next step in the evolution for Roosevelt Dime?

We reformed the band in the spring of 2014, so even though we’ve been around for about seven years, it feels like we’re just hitting our stride now with the current format and it’s sounding better than ever. We feel it’s a really unique style, so now it’s all about continuing to define and develop that sound. It’s an exciting time to be a songwriter because I think a lot of people are looking to the arts to get relief and an alternative view from all the apathy and distrust that we’re bombarded with. So we try to make feel good music that speaks to the times in which we live, and offer some hope and optimism in our music even when we’re touching on subjects like inequality or injustice. We aim to really make music for the mind, body and soul.

Along those same lines, what are your plans for 2016?

We’ve been writing and arranging new material that really showcases our style and sound, and we’ll be releasing some of that material this summer. In the meantime, we’ll be touring nationwide and trying to spread some joy and inspire people every time we take the stage.

What are some of your career’s biggest highlights so far and why?

Our first trip to Colorado in 2015 was a big highlight since there’s such a great music culture there, and it’s just such a stunning location that I had never personally visited before. Anytime we get to perform for a good festival crowd is pretty unbeatable, so places like Falcon Ridge Folk Fest, John Hartford Memorial Fest, and the Philly Folk Fest have been really great moments for us.

And finally, what can we expect from your show at Cafe Nola? 

You can expect a really high energy performance that you can just open up and dance to, or you can really focus in on the message of the song. There’s so much hard work that goes in behind the scenes with the travel, logistics, rehearsing, etc., that when we finally take the stage, it’s such a joyful and cathartic experience for us, and we try to pass that feeling on to our fans.