Strung Out on Acoustic Music
Few musicians manage to draw simplicity from complexity in a truly stylish manner. Inside Out Strings accomplish that very feat. Simultaneously they approach compositions with thought-provoking perplexity reminiscent of Monk, Metheny, Scofield, or (not just because they have a mandolin) the Jazz Mandolin Project. They leave no interval unexplored, no tone unturned. There is seldom a trio so versatile, let alone an acoustic one, that can create a sheer saturation of sound—traversing both soul and psyche.
Songs like “Octopi and the Spaniard” (named for its heavy use of the octatonic and Spanish scales) and “Affinity for Infinity” demonstrate the high-brow, psychologically provocative side of their style. On the other end of the spectrum, they perform a number of old bluegrass traditionals, folk songs and other roots tunes. Filling the gap between these polar extremes is a comprehensive blend of the two.
The group began in 2007 with bassist Ross Cameron and guitarist Nate Pitcher tossing around random musical thoughts and experiments between friends. Already equipped with an ear for the unusual, they eventually incorporated Steve Burket on mandolin into the mix.
“It was probably two years ago,” Cameron said, “when Nate and I, we had a couple instrumental songs put together, and we just decided that Steve should come jam with us on mandolin. He has this jazz background playing guitar, but he was playing mandolin for the [Johnson] Family Band and we thought, ‘I’ll bet he’d be an awesome mandolin player to have in a group like we have.’”
In retrospect, their assumptions about Burket seem well justified. Aside from the obvious contribution of bringing to light an instrument that dwells in the subconscious of mainstream music (the timbre so beautifully peculiar as it resonates from its miniature hollow body), Burket’s voice is a worthy attribute unto itself. Burket and Pitcher account for most of the songwriting and vocals, and the contrast between their voices makes for good harmonization. Pitcher’s voice tends to be more on the raspy, bluesy side, while Burket utilizes more of a smooth, angelic approach. The combined product is well-blended, yet far from boring or redundant. The word “appropriate” comes to mind.
From their initial conception came what is now a more formal union of musicians. Since that fateful night, Inside Out Strings has evolved and improved by leaps and bounds. Even the band name has undergone an evolution of its own. From The Inside Out String Band to The Inside Out Trio to Inside Out Strings, the name still eludes many venue promoters, leaving confusion in its wake to this day.
According to Burket, “At the HoDo we’re The Inside Out String Trio, at the Nestor we’re Inside Out String Band…” Cameron added, “I kind of like that. It doesn’t really matter… everybody knows the Inside Out part. It’s all the same band.”
Regardless of what you choose to call them, their rise in ability and innovation remains steadfast and unwavering. In the short timespan it took to develop the working identity they now grasp, they’ve gained recognition and acclaim at an astonishing rate throughout the FM community, and are now beginning to get their feet wet in the greater Midwest musical community as well. They’ve begun to venture out into the surrounding areas, and are likely to grow their radius exponentially henceforth.
Just a couple months ago, they released their first album. The self-titled debut, released under MSUM’s Dragon Studios, showcases the incredible skill and quality of education taking place at the university. Burket is an MSUM graduate, while Cameron and Pitcher are students. Studio recording is an art form. To capture the essence of a group with well-balanced crystal clear quality is no easy enterprise, yet what Dragon Studios produces is nothing short of triumphant. Student audio engineer Dustin DeTar did professional grade work on Inside Out’s debut album, along with all the other parties involved.
Rumors have been floating around about the financial state of affairs at MSUM, and how it might affect its music department. Professor Ryan Jackson, who helped develop Dragon Studios, believes the rumors to be “just that… rumors.” He continued, “We are at a point in our recording program where we are rivaling many schools in many other metropolitan areas right now, so I’m not really concerned. Our future is very very bright. If they pull some funding from us, we’re still going to be okay.”
MSUM was home to Inside Out Strings’ initial and more formal CD release, but the real celebration will be at the Sidestreet Bar & Grill, Saturday, May 30 at 9:30 p.m. Sidestreet seems a fitting venue for the trio, since they’ve been doing gigs and open mics there almost religiously for some time now. Their dedication to the open mic scene even earned them recognition in HPR’s Open Mic Heroes article (hpr1.com/feature/article/behold_the_wonders_of_open_mic_nights/).
It’s always a delight for HPR to notice a band right as they are spreading their wings. This summer they will be touring through Minneapolis and some of the surrounding areas, and hopefully some festivals as well.
“Hopefully we’ll just continue to build up,” Burket said. “It seems like after playing those first few shows, we’ve put ourselves out there, and people are starting to hear about us, and we’re getting all sorts of offers for shows now. We’ve definitely built up a little head of steam.”
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