Nashville – When someone says, “Hey, you have to check out this band! They’re from California,” one of several incarnations of California music may come to mind. There’s the iconic Beach Boys, LA’s The Doors, San Francisco’s The Grateful Dead. . . the list goes on. When someone asks you to associate music with California, it’s unlikely you think country. But, as The Easy Leaves explained to an intimate crowd on Friday night at Kimbro’s in Nashville, “The whole state is country, except for a few rough patches around LA and San Fran!”
The duo, consisting of Kevin Carducci on bass and Sage Fifield on guitar rolled back into Nashville for a late set. These two play all original country songs that pay tribute to the greats like George Jones and also push the envelope of modern country, western and Americana. They have one foot in the camp of modern string bands like Old Crow Medicine Show and The Avett Brothers, while the other is firmly planted in the camp of a rich musical history that is quickly being left behind as “New Country” continues its rapid spread across genres.
Fifield and Carducci, clad in jeans, western shirts and oversized belt buckles, look like they might be from Texas or maybe Oklahoma. California is a bit of a stretch. Fifield strums with an easy hand. He cranes his neck with his eyes closed, telling stories of lawmen, truckers, farmers, good ol’ boys and pretty girls. Carducci has a hypnotic right hand that keeps the band’s easy pace while his left hand effortlessly finds position on his white upright bass. He easily harmonizes with his musical partner, the two producing natural lyrical layers.
Their set was of 90 minutes’ worth of music written exclusively by the boys in The Easy Leaves. Drawing from 2009’s The Easy Leaves, 2012’s American Times, and a cache of new songs written in the last 2 years, the band barely stopped to speak (except to ask for a few beers as the night turned to early morning). Songs like “Devil in the Deep” and “Crack Another Bottle” allow folks to sit back and tap along effortlessly. Meanwhile ballads like “Worried Mind” and “Hard Times & Trouble” tell stories that apply just as much to folks today as they did in the heyday of George Jones or Gene Autry.
As the clock nudged closer to 1am and the crowd thinned out, The Easy Leaves did not let up. Even as folks started drinking too much and trying to shout over the music, these guys kept their cool and delivered the blend of country and western for which they’ve chosen to bear the torch.
The Easy Leaves are as traditional a country act as they are a fresh sound unlike much else that’s in the shuffle these days. American Times should probably be the soundtrack for any road trip you take in the next lifetime.
The Easy Leaves are touring in the south for a little while longer, then they head back to their native CA for a string of shows to close out 2014.
Kevin Ott
Latest posts by Kevin Ott (see all)
- Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas Get The Basement Crowd Thumping - October 31, 2014
- A Whirlwind Named Savannah Lynne - October 28, 2014
- The Easy Leaves: Traditional Meets Modern Country In Music City - October 27, 2014
