MILKWEED: DREAM OF AN AMERICAN FAMILY

When you have a thriving close-knit local music scene as we do here in Binghamton, everyone quickly gets to know everyone else. And anyone remotely familiar with Carousel most certainly has more than a nodding acquaintance with Milkweed. Through several incarnations, we have watched them grow and evolve. The trio of Jackie Colombo (rhythm guitar and vocals), Joe Alston, (lead guitar and vocals), and Peter Lister (upright bass and vocals) have become a force to be reckoned with, and are set to release a new album, Dream of an American Family, this month.

They are, their own words, an Americana String Band, yet Dream of an American Family goes beyond a single style, reflecting a wide variety of musical influences. What it is not is an album you can sit still to. Your toes will tap, your head will bob, and you may well find yourself dancing. From the smoothness of “Night Flowers,” to the lyrical depth of “Death,” from a bit of old-time twang, to the crispness of Jackie’s lead in “Dry Seasons,” the album is a treat for the senses.

Milkweed’s members took time out from their busy schedules to talk about performing, touring, and their new album:

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Triple Cities Carousel: Dream of an American Family has a very different sound from your first album (released in 2013). Is that a consequence merely of the changes in personnel, or does it reflect a change or evolution in your style?

Joe Alston: It definitely has something to do with the different line-up for sure. That always changes the way the music is made. Stripping down the band was a big deal for us. You would have thought it was a limiting feeling but it actually gave us a lot more room to breathe and build. Our focus for this album was live dynamics, vocal, and harmony arrangements. The songwriting and arrangement on this album is much more cohesive and shows a new direction for the band. It has a wide range of influences. The songwriting is definitely more evolved. I wrote all the songs on the album except for Dry Seasons [written by Jackie]. Pete wrote all of the harmonies for the album, as well adding immensely to the arrangements. The writing represents the direction I started to go in when I first joined Milkweed, and this batch of songs were written with the express purpose of making this album.

Jackie Colombo: We found our groove. Our sound. The past year we worked our butts off touring and practicing. We figured out what we want to sound like and this album shows you who Milkweed is.

Peter Lister: The simplicity of the trio has allowed us to really hone in on our sound, completely organic American folk music.

TCC: When you took the plunge and began touring full-time, what affect did that have on your music, style, and the group dynamics?

JA: The biggest effect of full-time touring is constantly being in the act of creating. Being in the constant mindset of music is an amazing lifestyle and encourages your brain to always be thinking on that level, deeper and deeper. The same goes for songwriting. The more you do it, the more everything in your life starts relating to it. Everyone and everything becomes an inspiration and an element of what becomes the song and the creative process. Being on tour together all the time makes us incredibly tight knit. We learn about each other in ways you can't really get in ordinary life.

JC: Taking the plunge to tour full-time was a huge step for me. I was managing Cyber Cafe West for 10 years and was very secure. I was always attracted to music, and performing was a rush I had never felt. It eventually became a passion and I longed to be playing everyday. My first tour after leaving Cyber was 3 weeks long, and I remember Joe being a little worried before we left. He wasn't sure how I would take to life on the road. I think I shocked him, and myself, with how well I did. I felt like a new person, stronger and happier. Everyday is a new adventure on the road and it’s exciting.

PL: Playing music full time has been the best thing for me. I love to travel, and it certainly does inspire and affect the song writing and performance. It's really priceless what you bring home about the people, places and things you connect with on the road.

TCC: Do you find songs coming from your experiences on the road now?

JA: “Hotel Room” is all about being on the road. It uses the road as a metaphor for the absurdity of any work. It talks about the ridiculous positions you find yourself in on the road, and how to keep yourself from going insane. It is about taking joy in the small things, embracing the romance of any work you do: the hidden delight of having a hotel room for the night, a busted van, a new friend, free ice. Using the little things for inspiration.

TCC: Several of your song titles caught my eye immediately. Obviously, one is “Drunk Fish.”

JA: This song is a love song written after a fight. I have always used fish as a symbol for metaphors and analogies. They are fluid and ghostly. Their eyes never close. There is no end to their poetic importance, especially in my life. The “drunk fish” is man in relation to woman in the setting of a relationship. That recording, as well as many of the others, is live. No overdubs. And the emotion is strong there. It is meant to pull the listener into that place in their heart where the bond of love is never broken, no matter what.

TCC: The song "Taxi Driver” was also included on the Binghamton Music V1 compilation album. Is this a life-in-Binghamton story?

JA: Sometimes songs come really fast. “Taxi Driver” came in about 10 minutes. I had a friend who was a taxi driver and I could always call him when I needed a ride. He was a poor man’s chauffeur. He was good at it. He seemed to like it. The song is about the beauty of the blue collar. Not poor. Not rich. Hard working yet happy. Binghamton is like that in a nutshell. That is what I love about it. It is genuine, honest and hardworking. Yet there is a pride here that is unique and strong. I left a world of academia and literature to swing a hammer. I talk about the jobs I have had throughout my life and how I melded being a working artist into that. How I learned to use that lifestyle to inform my artwork, instead of hindering it. The song ends with the most beautiful aspect of honest work, the moment of loss. The inevitable process of losing life, which blue collar folks understand so well because it happens so often. And that realization makes the day stronger, the life more meaningful, and the desire to live each day fully, immense.

TCC: Can you speak a bit about what went into the recording of the album?

JA: We had been on the road for many weeks. We knew we needed to record an album and had many studio offers on the table. We were at an intersection of two tiny roads in the middle of nowhere in West Virginia and finally decided to go with Mixolydion Studios in Delaware Water Gap, PA. We recorded the entire album in four days. Most of it was done live using Don’s [Sternecker, studio owner and engineer] incredible mic collection. Don is a legend in his own right, having recorded and worked with Peter Gabriel, Cindi Lauper, Mick Jagger, Railroad Earth, From Good Homes, and many more. We mastered the album with Gene Paul of G and P Audio in Union City, NJ. Gene is the son of Les Paul. Gene became a mainstay engineer at Atlantic Records in its heyday and recorded the likes of Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack, John Prine, Nora Jones, Average White Band and endless other names that make a musician’s knees quiver. Both Don and Gene have believed in our album and continue to support us. We feel blessed and inspired to have such legends back us up and encourage us to keep going.

TCC: What direction do you want to go in now as a group? What are your plans for the future?

JA: Milkweed is shooting for the moon. We are hoping to start booking more and better shows off the release of this album. We have started playing theaters and definitely want to go that route more and more. We want to continue to write more and more. We are bringing more instruments into the mix. We have already started to plan the next album and have some amazing ideas for that. We are planning a national tour. We are planning a European tour. We want to take Milkweed as far as we can. We believe strongly in the future of this band and are working very hard at it.

JC: We want to give the audience a different show every time they see us- new songs, new instruments. We have our work cut out for us.

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Every show, every release party, presents a unique opportunity to be a part of the creative heart of the Binghamton music scene. Come listen, come dance, come out of your darkened room and join the party. The Release Party for Dream of an American Family is Saturday, November 7th, at Cyber Café West. The show starts at 9pm. In addition to Milkweed, playing songs from the album as well as others, new and old, you can expect some special guests to join them on stage. Tickets are $5 at the door. CD’s will be available for $15. After the 7th, the album can be purchased at Milkweed shows, or as digital downloads online at: milkweedtheband.com. Cyber West is located at 176 Main Street in Binghamton.