Dismiss labels, forget trying to fit into a scene, be true and play your songs; that encompasses the prevailing spirit of Let It Go, the fifth studio album from Grammy-nominated bluegrass expansionists The Infamous Stringdusters. The album, released on the band’s own High Country Recordings, finds the band on firm footing, at ease with an evolving sound that defies categorization. It’s acoustic music, sure, but not the kind you’ll hear from any other band. Roots can be traced but boundaries don’t exist.
The Infamous Stringdusters have proven they can both mine the past and look forward to the unknown, and their new album is a touchstone for a group of tightly bonded musicians completely comfortable with each other and their collective identity.
Perhaps the sentiment is best summarized through five joined voices in the mountaintop gospel-hued title track: “If it’s worry you’ve been feeling over things you can’t control, it’s time to let it go.”
The Evolution
When The Infamous Stringdusters first emerged some years ago, the band was immediately branded fast-picking Nashville wunderkinds, a new-generation super group built to revive the high lonesome sound. Then came immediate accolades—IBMA awards, a chart-topping self-titled album for Sugar Hill Records and a Grammy nomination for “Best Country Instrumental” (for "Magic No. 9" from the 2010 album Things That Fly). Incendiary chops, complete with undeniable instrumental virtuosity and heartfelt harmonies, immediately positioned the band to be longstanding bluegrass torchbearers.
But for the five members of The Stringdusters—Andy Hall (Dobro), Andy Falco (guitar), Chris Pandolfi (banjo), Jeremy Garrett (fiddle) and Travis Book (upright bass)—reverence for traditionalism has always been only part of the equation. The group has always remained intent on fostering something bigger, more original. It’s this desire—and the combined efforts of uniquely creative minds—that has brought the quintet to its current place as multi-dimensional string explorers, mixing tight song craft from a variety of musical styles with a flare for improvisation. Armed with an exhilarating, often-unpredictable live show, the open-minded approach has certainly resonated and allowed the band to easily fit on a diverse set of stages—from Telluride and Grey Fox to Bonnaroo and High Sierra—building crowds along the way that fill some of the country's best rock clubs.
The Lifestyle Experience
2014 was particularly transformative, as the band members realized there was no need to go through the formulaic motions in a shaky music industry. Bolstered by the support of a loyal and dedicated grassroots fan base, The Infamous Stringdusters are constantly looking for opportunities to create new experiences. Oftentimes it happens on stage, like the recent sit-ins from Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh or jazz guitar legend John Scofield. Other times it’s through accompanying adventures, like the band’s August 2013 trip on the Middle Fork of Idaho’s Salmon River.
Following the group’s 2013 summer American Rivers Tour, which doubled as an awareness campaign for water sustainability issues in partnership with prominent outdoor industry companies including Patagonia, Klean Kanteen and Osprey Packs, the band members and select fans and friends embarked on a six-day float trip through an unspoiled wilderness area. With instruments in tow, the band played music daily, standing on the banks of the river or sitting together in campsite circles. The inspiration of natural surroundings yielded fresh songs that landed on the new album. “Middlefork” is a newgrass instrumental that conveys the mood of being free in pristine open spaces. “Where The Rivers Run Cold” features a fast progression and introspective lyrics that peak with a bold chorus about enjoying the beauty that surrounds.
In The Studio
When it was time to record Let It Go, the band came together in the fall at White Star Sound, a secluded studio with rustic, close-knit accommodations and state-of-the-art equipment, located on a vast, historic farm outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. It’s a quiet place, accessed by a dirt road, where chickens wander freely and long pastoral views can be enjoyed in every direction. With no distractions, it was the perfect place to distill an overflowing well of ideas that had been filling since the band’s last release, 2012’s Silver Sky.
The result is easily the band’s most cohesive musical statement to date. It’s a record that respects the studio process. Dynamic picking is delivered with restrained grace, in service to song. There’s stylistic range within the context of a unified vision, as melodic reflective tunes wander between nuanced expansive folk (“I’ll Get Away”), anthemic country jams (“Colorado”), freewheelin’ acoustic rock (“Peace of Mind” and “Light & Love”) and dusty balladry (“Rainbows”).
The members of The Infamous Stringdusters now all reside in different locations. Hall and Pandolfi recently felt the calling of the mountains and both moved to Colorado. Guitar ace Falco returned to his roots in Long Island to be near family, while Garrett remains in Nashville, where he’s known as a prolific songwriter. Book dwells quietly in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, near the site of the band’s annual October festival The Festy Experience.
Occasional separation has proven to be a good thing. It’s important to remember these are five musicians with unique individual talents, but they all realize they have an undeniably special chemistry when they come together. That was apparent from day one. But now after years of growth—both personal and professional—the band has cast off labels and found an existence where music is about a greater connection. Through friendship, democracy, skill, passion and open minds, it’s a broader lifestyle filled with community and plenty of celebration.
Poor Boy's Delight
The Infamous Stringdusters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As sung by the Infamous Stringdusters
Would you dance with me, Molly?
It?s Saturday night
There?s a chill in the air
Do you think that you might?
To an old fiddle tune
Played soft like the wind
Through Virginia in June
Soft like the wind
Through Virginia in June
Would you dance with me, Molly?
Do you think it?d be wrong
If you let down your hair
Let ?em play us a song
Come and dance with me, Molly
You got nothing to lose
But to dance off the soles
Of your old dancin? shoes
Dance off the soles
Of your old dancin? shoes
Would you dance with me, Molly?
Am I doing this right
In finding you fair
You?re a poor boy?s delight
You?re from North Carolina
Or from Virginia, I see
The devil would die if you danced one with me
The devil would die if you danced one with me
Repeat Verse 1
The Infamous Stringdusters?s song Poor Boy?s Delight is a classic bluegrass tune that portrays a young and amused man trying his luck with a girl named Molly. The song starts with the young man asking the girl if she would dance with him on a chilly Saturday night. The night's ambiance is set by the sound of an old fiddle tune that plays as soft as the wind through Virginia does in June.
The young man is trying to woo the girl to let her hair down and dance with him without any inhibitions. He tempts her with the idea of dancing the soles off her old dancing shoes, and even though she may think it's wrong or may have doubts, the young man assures her that it's all right and they have nothing to lose.
As the song progresses, the young man tries to impress Molly by calling her a 'poor boy's delight.' It's unclear whether Molly is from North Carolina or Virginia, but the young man admires her grace so much that he remarks that if the devil saw them dancing together, he'd die on the spot. Overall, the song demonstrates a light-hearted mood and innocent humor that are typical of bluegrass music from the era.
Line by Line Meaning
Would you dance with me, Molly?
Asking Molly if she wants to dance together.
It?s Saturday night
Noting that it's a time when people go out to socialize and dance.
There?s a chill in the air
Describing the weather or atmosphere of the moment.
Do you think that you might?
Wondering whether Molly would want to dance.
Wanna dance with me, Molly
Reiterating the invitation to dance.
To an old fiddle tune
Suggesting a type of music to dance to.
Played soft like the wind
Describing the style of the music as gentle and flowing.
Through Virginia in June
Using the imagery of a summer night in Virginia to further set the mood.
Would you dance with me, Molly?
Another invitation to dance.
Do you think it?d be wrong
Asking whether there would be any harm in dancing together.
If you let down your hair
Encouraging Molly to let loose and have fun.
Let ?em play us a song
Requesting some music to dance to.
Come and dance with me, Molly
Another invitation to dance.
You got nothing to lose
Assuring Molly that there is no risk in dancing together.
But to dance off the soles
Playfully suggesting that they can dance so much that their shoes wear out.
Of your old dancin? shoes
Specifically referring to the type of shoes that would be worn for dancing.
Would you dance with me, Molly?
Another invitation to dance.
Am I doing this right
Asking whether the invitation to dance was appropriate.
In finding you fair
Complimenting Molly's appearance.
You?re a poor boy?s delight
Implying that Molly is someone who might be attractive to someone from a less wealthy background.
You?re from North Carolina
Acknowledging Molly's home state.
Or from Virginia, I see
Suggesting that Molly could be from either North Carolina or Virginia.
The devil would die if you danced one with me
Using a hyperbolic phrase to express how much enjoyment the singer would derive from dancing with Molly.
Repeat Verse 1
Restating the first verse of the song.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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