Nederland’s Elephant Revival combines an eclectic mix of influences to create a unique brand of transcendental folk music.
It’s no secret that Nederland is a breeding ground for experimental string band music. Members of Leftover Salmon, String Cheese Incident, and Yonder Mountain String Band call the tiny town home and they have put Ned on the map as a hotbed for psychedelic bluegrass. But the next band poised to break out from the funky mountain town onto the national scene is Elephant Revival, a five-piece outfit that takes a more expansive approach than its local predecessors.
Guitarist Daniel Rodriguez used to play reggae growing up in Connecticut. Multi-instrumentalist Sage Cook, who rotates between electric banjo, guitar, and mandolin, hails from Kansas and brings his background in honky tonk heavy metal to the table. Vocalist Bonnie Paine, who sounds like a cross between Natalie Merchant and Alison Krauss, grew up on Red Dirt country music in Oklahoma. Bassist Dango Rose used to play in an old-time string band, while Bridget Law honed her chops playing in fiddle contests and also studied Celtic traditions in Scotland.
“We all come from diverse backgrounds, so the music has a lot of dynamics and dimensions to it” says Law. “We’ve all come together in this bluegrass scene, because we like to play acoustic instruments. But we’re playing them with the emotions of all our influences, so we have some pretty rocking moments.”
Indeed, the quintet’s high-energy live shows have gained a reputation across Colorado and beyond. Last year, the band played 150 shows, as they toured across the country, and this year appears even more promising. They just finished a run in the Northwest with Bill Nershi of String Cheese, and this summer they’ll share the stage with the Avett Brothers in a tour of the Midwest.
This May, the group will play two shows in the Front Range: Swallow Hill in Denver on the 21st and the Fox Theatre in Boulder on the 22nd. The gigs will also serve as special CD release parties for the band’s new album, “Break in the Clouds,” which was made earlier this year in Lyons with production help from David Tiller of Taarka.
With a growing fan base and a new album on the horizon Elephant Revival is poised to spread their inventive acoustic sound for the long haul.
“We’ve developed a lot as human beings this year,” says Law. “We’re embracing the stage we’re in together as a band, and personally I’ve fallen madly in love with the music all over again. It’s creating a great ambience between us and with the crowds at shows. With that at the core, everything else seems to be falling into place.” elephantrevival.com •
On the Rocks, Again
‘Tis the season to make the annual pilgrimage to Morrison. It’s not a proper summer without at least one trip to catch your favorite band play at heels of the sandstone monoliths of Red Rocks. The sound can be shaky—depending on where you’re standing—and the $7 beers are a bummer, but it’s still hard to top a concert at the open-air amphitheatre. When night falls with a cool breeze, and a guitar solo peaks while the city lights of Denver shine behind the stage, it’s all worth it. Upcoming shows include a triple bill on June 4 with Aussie folk-rocker John Butler with State Radio and Medeski, Martin, and Wood. Later in the summer The String Cheese Incident headlines a three-night reunion on July 23-25, and on Labor Day weekend Gov’t Mule teams up with the Avett Brothers on September 4. To find out about moore shows go to redrocksonline.com.
