Susquehanna Folk is thrilled to have award-winning bluegrass band, The Slocan Ramblers, performing in the current concert series. The Slocan Ramblers will be performing at The Abbey Bar (upstairs in Appalachian Brewing Company) in Harrisburg, PA on Sunday, November 20th at 7:30 p.m. More information can be found on the Susquehanna Folk Music Society website. Tickets for the concert are $24 General Admission, $20 for SFMS members, and $10 for students. Tickets for this concert can be purchased on the Susquehanna Folk Music Society website.
The Slocan Ramblers is Canada’s bluegrass band to watch. Rooted in tradition, fearlessly creative and possessing a bold, dynamic sound, The Slocans have become a leading light of today’s acoustic music scene. Members Frank Evans, Adrian Gross, and Darryl Poulsen make up this talented group. With a reputation for energetic live shows, impeccable musicianship and an uncanny ability to convert anyone within earshot into a lifelong fan, The Slocans have been winning over audiences from Merlefest to RockyGrass and everywhere in between. They’re the 2020 IBMA Momentum Band of the Year Award Winner and a 2019 Juno Award Nominee.
SFMS staff writer, Mary-Grace A. Lee, had the opportunity to interview Darryl Poulsen about their latest album Up the Hill and Through the Fog, the hardship of Covid, and touring music.
How did the Slocan Ramblers come about?
Adrian and I (Darryl) were jamming a lot and really getting into playing fiddle tunes. We played a few duo shows together around Toronto. Adrian was roommates with Alastair at the time. The three of us started jamming a little bit and one day Alastair said “my buddy at work plays the banjo” so we had a jam with the four of us and it was great. We played a few gigs in Toronto and eventually got a weekly gig at a pub called “The Cloak and Dagger.” It all snowballed from there into a full time touring band!
Your sound is bold and dynamic yet heavily rooted in the Bluegrass tradition. How do you balance staying true to the tradition of Bluegrass music while creating a specific sound that makes you the Slocan Ramblers?
Our bluegrass influences are probably the same as most people who love the music. Bill Monroe, Stanley Brothers, Flatt and Scruggs, Tony Rice etc… but we all grew up listening to lots of different music and playing different styles (jazz, blues, rock etc). [I] think that adds a lot to our sound, and our sound has developed a lot over the years as well. I don’t think we could sound like anything but the Slocan ramblers. It’s just what comes out when we play. There is a fine line between honoring the tradition of bluegrass and trying to push the envelope.
You released your latest album Up the Hill and Through the Fog earlier this year. What was it like creating an album during the pandemic? Did the pandemic change the way you approach recording or creating an album? If so, how?
The pandemic made it tricky to get together in person to rehearse (we did get together but it wasn’t easy) so we did a lot of pre-production at our own homes. I would record a guitar part and send it to the bass player. He would add bass and I would send it to the mandolin and then banjo. We would essentially build and arrange the songs that way so everyone knew the songs and had time to work on their own parts. Once we were in the studio, it was pretty smooth sailing.
Up the Hill and Through the Fog encompasses the past two years of pandemic upheaval and personal loss. Yet, you take these sorrows and turn them into a joyous collection of songs on the album. Could you talk about the creative process of this album?
We all went through a lot of change in life during 2020 so there were no shortages of song content. Bluegrass songs can sound joyous but if you listen to the lyrics there are sometimes/most times about loss, heartbreak etc. It also gave us time to sit down and work on writing or finishing off ideas we had. Once a song is written, we send it to each other and start adding parts and think of cool arrangement ideas (could be a tenor vocal part, a cool bass idea, a cool banjo tuning) and the song starts to come to life.
Susquehanna Folk is excited to be a part of your tour! What are some things you are excited to see and experience while traveling?
Every tour we have done is different from the last. You never know who you are going to meet or what any of the shows will be like. You meet a lot of awesome, amazing people too. Last week we played at the station inn and one of our favorite guitar players, David Grier, came up on stage and played a few tunes with us. We always try to find a record store in town and a good spot to eat!
The Slocan Ramblers will be performing at The Abbey Bar (upstairs in Appalachian Brewing Company) in Harrisburg, PA on Sunday, November 20th at 7:30 p.m. More information can be found on the Susquehanna Folk Music Society website. Tickets for the concert are $24 General Admission, $20 for SFMS members, and $10 for students. Tickets for this concert can be purchased on the Susquehanna Folk Music Society website.
Mary-Grace A. Lee is a Harrisburg area musician. You can find her on Facebook and Instagram @thatdulcimergirl her youtube channel, and her official site. Mary-Grace also plays with the Celtic group, Seasons.
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