{"id":117572,"date":"2022-01-25T11:30:47","date_gmt":"2022-01-25T16:30:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dcmusicreview.com\/staging\/?p=117572"},"modified":"2022-01-25T11:36:58","modified_gmt":"2022-01-25T16:36:58","slug":"running-toward-the-fray-with-andy-falco-of-the-infamous-stringdusters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dcmusicreview.com\/staging\/running-toward-the-fray-with-andy-falco-of-the-infamous-stringdusters\/","title":{"rendered":"Running Toward The Fray With Andy Falco Of The Infamous Stringdusters"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Infamous Stringdusters <\/strong>are back with a new album, Toward the Fray<\/em> on February 18th<\/sup>. <\/sup>We are so excited to hear from these guys again as we anxiously await their return to DC. I had a chance to listen to the new album and a bonus of talking with songwriter and guitarist Andy Falco<\/strong> again, who took some time to reflect and share on what it took to put this all together. <\/p>\n

Ironically enough, it was actually just this past weekend, sitting at brunch with a group of likeminded, live-music loving folks, planning what shows and on whose winter tour we plan on seeing, that we touched on how excited we all are for the return of Stringdusters at my personal favorite venue in the DC area. <\/p>\n

\u201cWas it 2018 or 2019 that we saw them at 9:30 Club<\/strong>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was definitely 2019 \u2013 the Rising Sun<\/em> release show – that was epic!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo nights at The Anthem with Greensky?! Man, what a way to come back \u2013 this is gonna be amazing!\u201d<\/p>\n

My how times have changed. It\u2019s been far too long, in my opinion, but we all know the reasoning of why. Now with the new album release and two nights at The Anthem <\/strong>on the horizon, we have something to get excited about again from the grammy award winning band. <\/p>\n

Writing and recording a full-length album during the past two years with all the obstacles that everyone has had to overcome and hiccups in the normalcy we all miss, is no small feat. Being spread out miles and miles apart is different. Using Zoom meetings to brainstorm, share lyrics and give each other feedback is new to everyone. Luckily these guys had a few warm ups prior to the forthcoming release including a Bill Monroe<\/strong> tribute and a Christmas album. Coming together (in whatever form they were able to) and produce music that is so expressive and heartfelt however, is not something that a lot of bands, or even individual musicians were able to accomplish over the past twenty-four months, so cheers to you fellas.<\/p>\n

Says Falco, \u201cYeah, that’s it, it was a challenging thing. And you know, we started off with it, because we live we do live in different parts of the country. The process was a little bit different. We didn’t do really any pre-production that we would normally do over the course of many months.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a different way of making a record, but It was actually kind of cool and it had its own merit to sort of come in together in Denver in September of 2020 – that was first time since March that we’d been together. With that goal in mind, we did one or two days where now we had the songs of the demos that we had shared, so everybody had heard them and we just immediately started playing through them.<\/p>\n

In a way, it was kind of nice to not overthink arrangements and just kind of find that initial spark of the songs.  And then we went right in and cut the songs and there was something to that, I think, that was really unique to this project. So that’s how we had to do it, but we did it together and then we tracked everything in a week’s time. Then we all went home and that was that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The newest album reminds me why I love this band so much and why I\u2019m so excited to see them live onstage again. Just like when we see a live Dusters performance, the album follows suit and jumps right into it on Toward the Fray<\/em>, firing everyone up on the first track.<\/p>\n

“Hard Line” – Toward the Fray’s first track.<\/p>\n

After that, a bit of a change comes. The Stringdusters seem to embody a bit of a different sound than what they normally are known for and dive deep into a plethora of storytelling, remembering and sharing emotional journeys that we, as listeners, also share more than on prior albums. Connection to what we have collectively experienced over this last bit of time is one of the biggest strengths of the album and what I believe most listeners will come to recognize and love about it. <\/p>\n

A great example of what I just mentioned is \u201cI Didn’t Know\u201d, which personally took a bit of stamina to listen to \u2013 with the civil unrest, global pandemic and inability to connect with people the way we were so used to doing \u2013 this song hits a chord that somewhat made me fight back tears. \u201cIs history holding us in place? \u201d \u201cI didn\u2019t know that we were headed for our darkest days\u201d arguably this song could be about many a different topics \u2013 heartbreak, the Black Lives Matter Movement or pandemic and quarantine, but no matter what the context \u2013 the feeling that it invokes is undeniable. <\/p>\n

Not all bad things came out of the slow down that was forced upon us back in March of 2020 and that is one thing Andy and I agree on almost to a fault. <\/p>\n

Being a band that has talent enough to brag all members are indeed strong enough to contribute their own writing to the album allows the voices from within to be expressed, varied and most importantly heard by an audience that can\u2019t deny relating to some lyrics or another. <\/p>\n

\u201cIn this case, everybody was writing a lot, which was good. There was a lot of songs because everybody had time and a lot to write about, frankly, in 2020 and so we all kind of made our demos, you know, at home and everybody sort of contributed what they thought would be good for the band.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

I felt like, at first, when I saw the artwork, it was just a little, it was a little much for me, honestly, but now, it’s really grown on me and there were a couple iterations, a couple of adjustments that we made – but it’s pretty close to what the original art was.<\/p>\n

Andy Falco <\/span><\/strong> \/\/  On Toward the Fray’s album artwork.<\/em><\/p>\n

Being separated from people that you share very little space with for extended periods of time is different. The ability to and high of performing together in front of crowds in different cities night after night is therapeutic and a creative outlet for musicians. When that is taken away, there is a huge void to fill. Falco used the time to write \u2013 daily – and was able to sometimes write multiple songs a day.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me personally, I\u2019ve never really done that, and it was great because it allowed me, as a writer, the opportunity to really just look inside and figure out why you’re writing the song and what you’re really trying to say and if it\u2019s important and worthy of the message? A lot of people did that, whether they’re songwriters or not \u2013 they, sort of, reevaluated what they were doing and why they were doing it.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a creative outlet because a big part of our normal creative outlet is being out on the road and doing shows. When that was removed, I think that that creative energy had to go somewhere and it ended up going into the songwriting and into the studio. We all did a lot of solo projects too. I pretty much wrote and recorded my whole solo album during that time as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

The album cover itself expresses so much without a single voice heard or word said. Selecting what the album wants to represent and being able to convey it visually seemed like it should have been a very difficult task, however the band and album cover artist Mike Tallman<\/strong> of Add Noise Studios<\/strong>, seem to have hit the mark with a big fat bullseye. <\/p>\n

\u201cI felt like, at first, when I saw the artwork, it was just a little, it was a little much for me, honestly, but now, it’s really grown on me and there were a couple iterations, a couple of adjustments that we made -but it’s pretty close to what the original art was.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many of us who don\u2019t have children, may have neglected to imagine the crazy times and world that young people are growing up in right now from their point of view. The innocence of the girl on the cover holding a teddy bear compared to the scary reality of also wearing a gas mask and standing in front of a charred backdrop of a small city scape, is unexpectedly jarring and makes one reflect on the past two years of crazy life on this planet and all that we\u2019ve gone through.<\/p>\n

Let’s give the girl a back story – the teddy bear, the scene – is she the one that burned down the town? “You know, it’s funny – that little girl (on the cover) to me is just such a badass,” says Falco.  “She reminds me of my daughter, who is nine and had to do all of second grade remotely, not being able to play with friends or any of that, but she’s just been so tough and resilient through it all.  She’s had such a great attitude and I really admire her strength.  When I think of that girl on the album cover, I think of her.  There’s a video that’s coming out for that song and it’s gonna have that character in it, which is cool.”<\/p>\n

The ability of music to be a voice for people and a sign of the times has always been a necessity. I think that throughout Toward the Fray,<\/em> we hear the voices that bring a lot of the issues that shouldn\u2019t fade away with mask mandates and Covid talk, become lyrics that we will continue to repeat and hold near because we remember what we have collectively gone through and what we need to do to not have them continue to be this way. <\/p>\n

Listening to this newest album from this award winning group is one that needs to be done to from beginning to end several times over. The first time, I listened for the vibe of the album as a whole, the second time through, I tuned in for the lyrics and the third time I heard the songs, is when I was able to figure out what the album made me feel myself. When you can do all three and each time it becomes a whole new story, that is truly something that should be recognized as nothing other than pure talent and extraordinary musicianship. <\/p>\n

\u201cToward the Fray\u201d the title track to the album is the shortest song of length on the album, but certainly packs the most punch in my opinion. To say “Toward the Fray” is a powerful thought in and of itself, but adding in the sentiment behind it, and it takes to a whole nother level. Closing out the song with \u201cthere is no other way to love except to turn our tinted souls Toward the Fray\u201d as the music in the back fades, is enough to give you chills. <\/p>\n

“Toward the Fray” – Toward the Fray’s title track.<\/p>\n

Another song of note is \u201cRevolution\u201d which happens to be one of the favorites of mine from the new album.  A strong banjo intro makes me pine for the days when I\u2019ll be dancing live to this feel good band and sharing smiles that so familiar, have been missed so so dearly.  When we can all gather again and celebrate what we have in common – our love and appreciation for live music, new music and bands like this one.<\/p>\n

I’d like to thank Andy for taking the time to talk to me about the project before setting off to be back on the road again and hope we all get to share space again very soon!<\/p>\n

We are all looking forward to an exceptional weekend of music with Andy and The Infamous Stringdusters as they rock The Anthem with some exceptional music on February 4th and 5th! Ticket Information can be found below.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The Infamous Stringdusters<\/strong><\/p>\n

Toward the Fray<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Released:<\/strong> February 18, 2022 <\/p>\n

Track Listing:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Hard Line<\/p>\n

2. I’m Not Alone<\/p>\n

3. I Didn’t Know<\/p>\n

4. Means To An End<\/p>\n

5. Toward The Fray<\/p>\n

6. Pearl Of Carolina<\/p>\n

7. Down From The Mountain<\/p>\n

8. Revolution<\/p>\n

9. Spirits Wild<\/p>\n

10. When Will I Ride Again<\/p>\n

11. Til I’m Satisfied<\/p>\n

12. How Do You Know<\/p>\n

Related Interviews<\/strong><\/p>\n

Related Interviews<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Related<\/strong> Interviews<\/strong><\/p>\n

Performance Details<\/strong><\/p>\n

Performance Details<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Performance<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Details<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Friday, February 4, 2022<\/p>\n

Saturday, February 5, 2022<\/p>\n

Doors: 5:30 PM<\/strong><\/p>\n

Show: 7:00 PM<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Anthem<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.TheAnthemDC.com<\/a><\/p>\n

901 Wharf Street SW<\/p>\n

Washington, DC 20024<\/p>\n

(Google Maps Link<\/a>)<\/p>\n

901 Wharf Street NWWashington, DC 20024<\/a><\/p>\n

(202) 888-0020<\/a><\/p>\n

$45<\/strong>  – General Admission<\/p>\n

$75<\/strong>  – Super Excellent Seats<\/p>\n

$85 <\/strong>– Two-Day General Admission Pass<\/p>\n

Venue Review:<\/strong> <\/strong>Learn more about The Anthem, parking, food recommendation and more<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"health Venue COVID-19 Protocols<\/h3>\n

The Anthem is requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination to attend this event.   Please refer to venues policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Additional Resources<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Additional Resources<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Additional<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Resources<\/strong><\/h3>\n

To learn more about The Infamous Stringdusters<\/strong>, please see the following web resources:<\/p>\n