Yonder Mountain String Band is not a bluegrass band. And they’re the first to say it.
‘We’re not trying to sound like anybody,’ said Adam Aijala, who plays guitar and vocals. ‘We wanted to be a bluegrass band, but we quickly realized that no matter what, we’re not going to sound like a traditional sounding, if you will, rootsy bluegrass band.’
Ben Kaufmann, bass and vocals, explained further.
‘We play bluegrass songs. And I think, in that respect, we are a really good bluegrass band,’ said Kaufmann. But when looking at Yonder’s musical influences, their improv tendencies on stage, and their lyrics, which are mostly based off their own lives, Kaufmann explained that Yonder Mountain String Band doesn’t fit the picture of an authentic bluegrass band.
‘We never really fit in with that bluegrass,’ Kaufmann said. ‘We fit in, but we fit in on an extreme end of it.’
Moonshine Ink caught up with Kaufmann and Aijala for an interview over the phone one March afternoon. Kaufmann and Aijala called in from Boulder, Colo., where they’d been spending the past few weeks at home with their families trying to tap into some creative energy to start producing new material. The band, which also includes Jeff Austin (mandolin, vocals) and Dave Johnston (banjo, vocals), has some work to do, including finding a new producer, but another new record is in the band’s near future.
‘I anticipate this record will be a bit more acoustic,’ Kaufmann said. ‘But you never know how it’s going to turn out once you get into the studio.’
Soon after our conversation, Yonder Mountain was scheduled to embark on another tour, with a planned stop in Tahoe.
‘The crowd’s awesome there,’ said Aijala, who spent a winter working at Homewood and Squaw Valley in 1996 before Yonder Mountain was formed. ‘I’m looking forward to coming back.’
Yonder’s shows are always foot-stomping and dancing madness. Tahoe is no exception; their local shows have sold out in the past. Yonder, which formed 12 years ago, still sees their success on a grassroots level, but that’s hard to believe considering the band is selling out Red Rocks Amphitheater, scheduling tour dates with Dave Matthews, and opened up for President Obama at the Democratic National Convention in 2008.
‘We’ve accomplished so much more than I thought,’ Aijala said. ‘Where we can go is yet to be determined. We’ve never put a limit on anything.’ ~ Julie Brown
Info: Doors 8 p.m., show 9 p.m., tickets $23/advance, $28/door, MontBleu Resort, Stateline, (888) 829-7630, montbleuresort.com
