“If you’re smiling, you know you’re listening to the sounds of The Big City Folk Band. With their bluegrass inspired grooves, they can inspire you to tap your feet and sing along. Sounding something like a front porch jam with The Punch Brothers, Allison Kraus and The Lumineers, their acoustic lineup of guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, bass, and rich vocal harmonies is sure to delight the listener whether at an outdoor picnic, a concert hall, or a crowded bar.”
In this interview we talk with Matthew Clinkenbeard of Big City Folk Band and get to know the band and their music
How long have you been making music? Have you been performing or sharing it with the public all that time?
For about a year and a half. We’ve probably been playing in public since a few months after we first formed.
Who or what influences your writing and performance?
I’d say we all bring in some different influences within the realm of folk and bluegrass music. Personally, I’ve always been a big fan of classics like Flatt and Scruggs and guitarists like Bryan Sutton and Tony Rice, and all of us are pretty big into Chris Thile’s projects (Punch Brothers, Nickel Creek, duo with Michael Daves, etc.) and Alison Krauss. Katherine (Evans) has a certain R&B influence, and Sam (Feinstein) has played with all kinds of ska bands, so it keeps things interesting to bring some other genre into the mix. I’m more of a jazz guitarist by trade, although I’ve always dabbled in a lot of stuff, so I’m not much of a purist when it comes to this music either.
It seems all creative people go through rough patches or writer’s block of some sort. What motivates you to keep going?
This band has always had contributions coming from each member, so between all of us there hasn’t really ever been any shortage of material. Katherine and I have both helped Sam turn an idea he had a few months back into a song that will probably be finished this weekend, which would might be our first band co-write, so it will be interesting to see how that turns out.
Were you trying to accomplish something different or specific with this project – creatively or otherwise?
These were four of our first songs as a band, and we thought they all would have a nice flow together. We have some more material that is maybe a little more creatively adventurous but we’re not quite ready to get it all committed to tape just yet.
What was the last song you listened to?
“Odd End,” by Nels Cline and Julian Lage
Do you prefer a certain medium for listening – vinyl, CDs, mp3, reel-to-reel, Pono,(lol sort of)?
Personally, I can’t say I have a reel-to-reel tape machine handy (and I’m not too familiar with Pono) but otherwise I use all of the above.
If you had to choose one place to host your music, would you prefer Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, or … ?
Our generation seems to prefer Spotify so we’d probably have to put it there if we wanted anyone to listen to it. But obviously, we’d prefer multiple platforms.
Do you ever feel as if your tunes are lost in a sea of music? What are one or two of the biggest challenges you face when trying to attract new listeners?
Some venues expect you to bring in your own audience, which are great if you want to play for all of your friends, but venues that have a regular crowd can be great for gaining some new fans, so lately we’ve been attempting to book shows at some of those to try to get our name out there.
Are you playing on live stages, clubs, bars, the local town picnic, festivals?
Yes! No festivals quite yet but we’ve been playing some shows around Miami and have also done some in Nashville, Tampa, and Orlando.
Do you ever stream your performances over the net? Where can music lovers see you perform?
We’ve streamed some of our Facebook shows live if I’m remembering correctly. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for some future ones if you can’t make it out to an actual gig.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and/or discover more of your music?
We probably check our Facebook page the most, so that’d be a good place to send us a message or check for updates on whatever else we have going on. And it has links to all of our other social media and to our EP.
Can you share an anecdote or tale of woe or inspiration like a story about an out-of-touch club manager, your favorite fan interaction, broken busses, or you know… just some experience in your musical journey you’ll never forget?
A few months back, we had an interaction with a fan who turned out to be a poet, and then spent about an hour after we finished playing reading us his writings, which were… A little odd, to say the very least. But he gave us $100 and bought us dinner, so we couldn’t complain!
Lightning Round
What’s your favorite ice cream?
I can’t have real ice cream anymore but lately I’ve had some of that Rice Dream stuff. It’s pretty good.
Dream vehicle?
Anything that can hold lots of musical gear!
Sailing yacht, catamaran, bass boat, or kayak?
Yacht. Yachts are legit.
Place on Earth you must visit some day
Liverpool, UK. I’m a Beatles fan.
Batman or Spiderman?
Batman.
James Bond or Jason Borne?
James Bond.
Bugs Bunny or Anime?
Bugs Bunny.
Favorite beer or beverage of pleasure?
I’m more of a milk drinker.
Movie or book quote you are liable to drop at the wrong moment?
Anything from Airplane! “And don’t call me Shirley,” is always a favorite.
Left with a choice of one instrument, which would you keep?
Guitar.
