INTERVIEW: The String Cheese Incident co-founder Invoice Nershi and bandmates rejoice 30 years collectively; SCI coming to OLG Stage Sept. 21

Over the past three a long time, The String Cheese Incident has constructed a faithful following on the energy of its kaleidoscopic musicality and dedication to leaving audiences awestruck. Recognized for an immersive dwell present that regularly pushes into sudden terrain, the Colorado-bred six-piece handles all the things from bluegrass to dubstep to psychedelia with equal elements abandon and ingenuity—a feat that’s discovered them sharing levels with such wide-ranging artists as Lauryn Hill, Skrillex, James Brown, Billy Strings, Perry Farrell, Sheryl Crow, Zac Brown Band, and extra. However in a departure for the band—Invoice Nershi (guitar, vocals), Michael Kang (guitar, mandolin, violin, vocals), Keith Moseley (bass, vocals), Michael Travis (drums, vocals), Kyle Hollingsworth (keys, vocals), and Jason Hann (percussion, programming)—SCI’s eighth studio album trades all that genre-hopping for a stripped-back type of folk-rock. Arriving because the band will get set to rejoice its 30^th anniversary, Lend Me A Hand showcases the complete depth and character of their songwriting like by no means earlier than, in the end delivering a few of their most intimate and emotionally potent materials to this point.

SCI’s first studio album in over six years, Lend Me A Hand (launched on Sept. 8) serves because the follow-up to Consider, a daringly eclectic LP that marked their second outing with Jerry Harrison of Speaking Heads. This time round, the band joined forces with Brad Cook dinner (Bon Iver, Hiss Golden Messenger, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Evening Sweats, Waxahatchee), a producer whose distinct imaginative and prescient helped SCI to totally embrace the album’s rootsy simplicity.

The String Cheese Incident is at the moment touring as a part of Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Competition Tour. They are going to be on their very own for his or her solely Canadian cease on this leg of the tour on Sept. 21 in Niagara Falls at OLG Stage at Fallsview On line casino.

Music Life Journal caught up with String Cheese Incident co-founder Invoice Nershi final week to speak in regards to the band, its music, tour, and extra.

Thanks a lot on your time and congratulations on the brand new file, “Lend Me A Hand”. That is your eighth studio album with The String Cheese Incident and the primary one in six years. Why the hole?

Why the hole? Hmm. That’s an fascinating query. We’ve had new materials. We launched some particular person recordings throughout that time frame. Simply not an album. After which with the pandemic, we weren’t getting collectively as a lot. And, you understand, I suppose time flies. After which it was then we felt prefer it was time to do one other (file). And we had lots of materials constructed up and we had been able to go.

Did you guys got down to do something totally different with this new file than with earlier data?

What, so far as how we make the most of the album?

With the music. Did you attempt to take a distinct method?

Nicely, you understand, we’ve had totally different producers on each single album that we put out. We select the producers, you understand, to get as a result of we really feel like we’re going to get a sure factor from the producer. And for this one we had Brad Cook dinner produce it and he’s very song-oriented and we simply wished to place out an album that’s extra in regards to the songs and somewhat bit much less of all the opposite dressings across the tunes. This, I believe, actually simply emphasizes lyrics, melodies, and issues like that. And so we’re actually proud of the best way it turned out.

You guys are often known as a jam band. So with the brand new materials, have you ever been capable of incorporate the brand new songs simply into your dwell units, and the way has the response been to date?

Nicely, we simply put out our fourth track off the album final week, so we haven’t introduced all our materials out. And I believe it’s gonna be on a form of a song-to-song foundation to see which songs would lend themselves to stretching out in dwell materials, in dwell settings, and which songs are gonna be greatest saved punchy and quick. I do like that in regards to the album is that it’s simply this track, track retains coming and it’s very punchy, you understand? So I believe we’re studying issues. We, in fact, nonetheless do loads of exploring throughout our dwell exhibits, and musical exploring. So we’ll simply see as we proceed to roll these new songs out, which of them are gonna lend themselves to jams and which of them we simply need to form of get on the market and nail them.

The track that’s out proper now could be One Extra Time. The video got here out the identical day the file got here out. And it’s a tribute to your supervisor who handed away. My condolences to you. Was this a track you had written? And what are you able to inform me about this track?

It is a track that Kyle wrote, Kyle Hollingsworth. We had been all fairly devastated by the premature dying of Jesse Aratow our supervisor, certainly one of our administration workforce. We actually beloved him. He was a terrific man. Issues like that occur in your life. And yeah, generally writing a track is the easiest way to take care of it and course of it. And Kyle wrote a very nice tune that was impressed.

Do you guys all contribute to the songwriting?

All people is writing. And generally we work collectively. On this specific album, Brad additionally contributed to serving to with lyrics or melodies and the songs or simply being there to say, “I like this, possibly not that, possibly we (can) go (in) this path.” It’s open lyrically to something that folks can add to the tune. Normally, the songs are introduced in by an individual, not less than the beginning thought, after which labored on from there.

Do you may have a favourite track on the brand new file?

There are lots of actually good ones. I can simply say I don’t know. I’m sorry. It’s onerous for me to select (laughs). They’re all good. That is my favourite album in a very long time. Presumably my favourite album that the band’s carried out. We had an fascinating expertise the opposite evening once we had been enjoying on the Outlaw live performance, and one of many bands on the Outlaw live performance is Los Lobos. And we performed in North Carolina – Raleigh – is the place we began the tour. And so North Carolina is the place Brad Cook dinner lives. And Steve Berlin was additionally there with Los Lobos. And Steve Berlin produced our album Outdoors Inside. And I received to introduce Steve to Brad Cook dinner and informed them that, you understand, the albums that these two guys produced are my favourite two albums, that String Cheese has carried out, Outdoors and Inside and Lend Me A Hand. So, it was cool to have the ability to introduce these guys that had by no means met one another and get them speaking, put their producer hats on, and discuss in regards to the data and stuff.

Superior. This 12 months marks the band’s thirtieth anniversary. Wanting again, did you ever assume you’d final so long as you may have to date? Was this one thing you hoped could be long-term? What goes by means of your thoughts considering again 30 years as a result of lots of bands don’t final so long as you guys have?

I suppose I didn’t give it some thought. You form of give it some thought on a year-to-year foundation the place you’re similar to, “That was an excellent 12 months. I hope this 12 months is pretty much as good as final 12 months” or “I hope it will get higher,” you understand? Or no matter you’re considering. I didn’t actually consider it as “I hope we’re enjoying 30 years down the highway” or “Will we be enjoying 30 years down the highway?” And now that we’re right here, it seems like, “Yeah, in fact, we’re going to play for 30 years,” You may’t actually plan since you don’t know what’s going to occur. Issues occur to individuals. Something can occur. Folks can simply have a change of their lives the place they determine they don’t need to play music anymore. I’m form of amazed that we’ve gotten thus far. It’s actually nice. And it feels actually good, it’s like having an anniversary in a wedding. We’ve been by means of ups and downs and all types of issues, and we labored all the things out. And right here we’re. Issues are nonetheless going effectively.

Who really began the band? I do know you’re one of many co-founders. And who else began with you that’s nonetheless with you in the present day?

When it began, we didn’t even realize it was a band. It wasn’t like anyone had the thought, “We’re gonna begin a band and we’re gonna tour and we’re gonna do that and that and the opposite factor.” It was extra like, all of us lived on this ski city, Crested Butte. I had moved from Telluride. And what I did in Telluride was I at all times performed in duos, trios and form of had glad hour exhibits and apres ski exhibits. And I’d prepare dinner at evening. And I’d ski throughout the day or journey my bike or go climb or no matter it was. I deliberate on doing the identical factor in Crested Butte, you understand, ski, choose up some extra cash, get some free meals. The man that I knew on the town was Keith Moseley. And I had met him at festivals, bluegrass festivals primarily, and had performed some music with him, you understand, similar to choosing and choosing circles and issues like that. So I knew him, however I received a gig with Mike enjoying apres ski. I requested round who’s an excellent individual to play music with round right here. And other people pointed me in Mike Kang’s path and we received a gig and on the similar time, there have been lots of bluegrass exhibits occurring and it will be like pickup gigs. Oh, these 4 individuals are going to play. “Oh, we’re enjoying a present. Invoice, do you need to play guitar with us on Friday evening?” And I’d play with Keith and totally different individuals on the town after which on the similar time, I used to be doing apres ski. After which we requested Keith if he would be part of us for the apres ski gig. And we received him enjoying with us. After which we had a gig the place it was a four-piece factor that was going to be me, Keith, Mike, and Bruce Hayes, who was an excellent participant on the town there in Crested Butte. And Bruce couldn’t make it. And we had been form of considering, “Nicely, what can we do now?” And people guys stated, “Nicely, this man Travis is coming again to city. He performs percussion. We will get him to play.” I had by no means met him. I had by no means met Travis. However I used to be like, “Nicely, okay, in case you guys assume he’s good and also you need to do the gig with him, let’s do it.” And that was in December of 1993. It was the primary time the 4 of us performed a present collectively. And the response was fairly overwhelming. Folks had been asking me, “How lengthy have you ever guys been enjoying? That is nice!” And I stated, “Nicely, what time is it? We’ve been enjoying collectively for about six hours now.” (laughs) The response was actually good. So we picked up one other gig like that after which I introduced the fellows to Telluride as a result of I knew lots of people in Telluride. I had been residing there for a very long time and we began enjoying in Telluride the place there’s an enormous music viewers with festivals and all. In order that’s form of the best way issues received began, you understand. Kyle joined, it appeared like a very long time after at that time. However I believe we began enjoying with him possibly late 95 or 96, he joined the band after which Jason joined in 2005, I believe. That’s the best way issues received began. It took a short time earlier than we determined we had been going to really make a run of it as a band after which we did some gentle touring across the mountain cities and out to Moab and issues like that. Wherever we may ski or journey or climb or something like that, you understand? These had been the priorities then and now it’s 30 years later. What?!

Are there any plans on your 30-year anniversary? Like every particular releases, any particular exhibits, excursions? 

Nicely, it’s beginning out effectively with the Outlaw tour and having the brand new album out. We’ve, over time, one of many issues we do is we do lots of collaborative issues with different musicians. We’ll again different musicians like we did with John Fogerty not too long ago at Pink Rocks and have incidents with totally different gamers. And at this level in our careers, there are lots of actually nice musicians that we performed with. So we’re going to attempt to put some issues collectively the place we rejoice that and get to get to play some exhibits with musicians that we now have performed exhibits with over the past 30 years. There’s individuals like Warren Haynes and Del McCoury and John Fogerty. We might love to do this once more. We performed with Zac Brown. The listing goes on and on. So it will be nice to rejoice our 30 years by enjoying some extra music with these of us that we’ve had some nice collaborations with.

You’re coming to Canada subsequent week, September twenty first, you’re enjoying the OLG Stage in Niagara Falls. You’re going to like the venue. It’s just about model new. Not even a 12 months outdated but because it opened. And talking of John Fogerty, he was there not too long ago. Do you guys come to Canada a lot? When was the final time you had been right here? 

Nicely, lots of occasions, we might go as much as just like the Vancouver facet. The British Columbia facet. We’ve gone up and we’ve skied Whistler Blackcomb and performed up there. I keep in mind going to a present, form of not too long ago and I do know the present received canceled due to the unbelievable electrical storm that got here up. However I keep in mind going as much as Toronto and enjoying, having some enjoyable exhibits over there. I don’t keep in mind when and the place all of this stuff occurred, to be sincere. However I do know we now have an excellent time once we rise up there for certain. We’ve had nice gigs in Toronto. We’ve had nice gigs out in Vancouver and searching ahead to Niagara Falls.

Taking a look at your tour schedule proper now. Niagara Falls is the one Canadian date you may have to date. Are you going to increase on that for extra Canadian dates down the highway?

Nicely, we go up there occasionally and there’s no plan in place. However we’ll get again as much as Canada for certain.

I’m wanting ahead to seeing you guys for the primary time. I will likely be there subsequent week. I’ll be doing photographs and hopefully staying for the present afterward. I hear lots of nice issues about you and String Cheese Incident. It’s a 5000-seat theatre. It sounds prefer it’s promoting fairly effectively proper now. 

Okay.

Is there something you want to add at this level?

Not likely. Simply that it to date has been unbelievable.  We’re simply glad to be again up in Canada. We’ve had some nice exhibits up there, and after enjoying our one-hour units throughout the Outlaw tour, we’re going to be prepared to tear for a full String Cheese present once we rise up there.

How lengthy do you guys go on stage for usually by yourselves? 

We normally do two hour-and-a-half units and an encore.

Superior. All proper. Nicely, thanks a lot on your time and might’t wait to see you subsequent week and need you guys all the very best.

Thanks, Joel. Recognize it.

Thanks a lot! Take care.

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