Upon hearing The Americans Stand True — the band’s latest 11-song, sophomore studio LP (out via Loose Music) — it’s evident why revered producer T Bone Burnett raved, calling them, “genius twenty-first century musicians that are reinventing American heritage music for this century. And it sounds even better this century.”
“We write our songs inside-out,” says frontman Patrick Ferris. “We grab hold of something minuscule and primitive—a simple turn of phrase or an unusual beat—and try to build a song around it. It’s inefficient, and hard to write words over, but it’s magical when it works.”
The Americans have performed at some of the biggest music festivals in the country and won over audiences with their energetic and passionate stage presence. Additionally, they appeared on The Late Show (CBS), and their music was featured in the films Texas Killing Fields, A Country Called Home, Little Glory, and the TV series, No Tomorrow. The band, known for their captivating live shows, have backed many big-name artists, including Nick Cave, Lucinda Williams, Ashley Monroe, and Devendra Banhart. They’ve also joined Ryan Bingham on national tours and worked closely with Jack White and T Bone Burnett on the PBS primetime series,American Epic, alongside Nas, Elton John, and Alabama Shakes.
Their live show, honed over many hundreds of performances, is something to behold. Ron Wray (No Depression) writes, “they’re led by lead singer, guitarist Patrick Ferris, looking like James Dean but even better…Jake Faulkner, with his dark black beard and jaunty hat, dances across stage, lifting his stand-up bass like a dancing partner.” Steve Wildsmith (Daily Times) admires their “anthemic guitar hooks and a heartland sense of urgency that’s tailor made for road trips and late-night parties beneath a field of brilliant stars.”
We caught up with The Americans, below. Dive in!
What can you share with readers about your upcoming release this Spring?
The EP is called “Strays.” One of the songs, “Land of the Free,” is about homelessness. Another song, “William,” is about the singer Leadbelly. The others are about heartache.
How does this project compare with your other projects you had in the
past?
The EP is true to how we’ve sounded in the past, but we like to think each release gets closer to the thing it is we’re aiming for.
What about this project makes you most proud?
We put a ton of work into these songs, both words and music. It’s exciting to see them this close to being released.
Was there a specific goal you were trying to accomplish with this release?
Just to get these songs out there that we’ve been sitting on for a little while. We’re anxious to finally share them.
What inspires you to create music? What motivates you to keep going?
I think part of it is never knowing what you’re gonna get. It’s part of the nature of creative work, never knowing how good or bad something will be that you’re working on, how foreign or familiar. In that sense the only way to know your own limitations is to keep at it.
If you could collaborate with anyone – dead or alive, famous or unknown
– who would it be and why? If it’s an indie/DIY artist, please include a
link so readers can check them out.
Little Richard, Howlin’ Wolf, Tom Waits, Joanna Newsom. All people whose music seems unreachable, impossibly strong.
What was the last song you listened to? Favorite all-time bands/artists?
Where is the best place to find you and stay connected?
When we all met we were really interested in pre-war blues, like Charley Patton, Robert Wilkins, Skip James. I was listening to Bukka White recently. Bob Dylan’s recent bands are a big influence on our production.
You can find us on ig and facebook at @theamericansmusic. Or at www.theamericansmusic.com.
I really appreciate your time. Is there anything you’d like to share before
we sign off?
Look out for “Strays” in May!
