Driftwood
Anyone familiar with the Americana music scene knows this Upstate, New York-based band hascut their teeth on a killer live show. With a never-ending tour schedule and a steady buzz, theyhave built a very solid underground fan base. “The gamehas been live shows and nose to theground since the beginning,” says guitarist/songwriter Dan Forsyth.As well as a devout following and a sizable discography, the band’s hard work has also been ahuge part of the inspiration for their music. The songs and arrangements have grown out oftime spent on the road, growing closer, learning with and from each other and weathering theup’s and down’s of the journey together.”We have a truly special bond creatively andpersonally. It’s the driving force behind the music,” violinist/songwriter Claire Byrne adds.It is with this bond, patience, determination and undying mutual love and respect for music, theroad, and their friendship, they have approached their latest offering, ‘Tree of Shade.'”I’m struck by the gratitude that making music with my best friends/my other family brings,”says guitarist/songwriter Joe Kollar. “Even our producer (Simone Felice) and the engineer (PeteHanlon) became brothers in this process. Laying out some of your most intimate moments andshowing the rawest version of yourself is both scary and exhilarating but more importantly, itreminds you why you chose music as the vehicle. It’s the ’66 Corvette that will always take meback to the beauty and power of a group of people setting out to make something together.”Their first album with a major producer, ‘Tree of Shade’ is a testament to the essence of a song.Working alongside Felice, the band found themselves stripping things back way more than theynormally would. “Simonewas all about finding the essence of the song and doing our best tobring it out without distorting it or taking the arrangement too far.”The first single off of the Spring 2019 release is ‘Lay Like You Do,’ a stripped downheartbreaker.“This was oneof those songs that came out faster than I could write it down andseemed sort of like plucking an apple off a tree,” admits Forsyth. “The melody and chorus cameout of a dream and when I woke up, I wrote the rest real fast.”With the addition of drummer Will Sigel in April 2018, Driftwood feels like a new band. “Willhas elevated our sound without changing the intimate dynamic that is Driftwood,” observesbassist Joey Arcuri. With this added momentum and a new album, a nationwide tour is set insupportof ‘Tree of Shade