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.
Tragic Life
The Infamous Stringdusters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm a long way from home
I don't know where I'll go
I a'int slept in days
And the water's running low
Got a posse at my back
Lord I gotta keep on movin'
Find a good place to hide
Well they tried to take me in
For shootin' down a man
He got what he deserved
They'll have to catch me if they can
I feel my blood runnin' colder every day
I know that soon this old body be layin' beneath the clay
I came home from the range
And the moon was shining bright
Saw two shadows moving
Like demons in the night
I felt my body tremble
As I saw them lyin' there
A stranger with my wife
I drew the pistol that I wear
Oh, and I feel my blood runnin' colder every day
And I know that soon this old body be layin' 'neath the clay
I shot him in the back
As he was makin' for the door
I stood over a man
That I knew I'd seen before
His hand was on his chest
And I knew I'd gone too far
When I opened up his vest
And I saw that silver star
(break)
Oh, and I feel my blood flowin' colder every day
And I know that soon this old body be layin' 'neath the clay
Oh, and I feel my blood flowin' colder every day
Tragic Life by The Infamous Stringdusters is a gripping tale of a man living a life on the run. The singer is a fugitive who has just shot a man he found with his wife. The song opens with him on the run, a long way from home with no idea where he is going. He hasn't slept in days, and his water is running low. He has a posse chasing him and a bullet in his side, but he needs to keep moving to find a good place to hide. The singer is in a desperate situation, and his fear and urgency are palpable.
The second verse flashes back to the night when the singer found his wife with another man. He felt his body tremble as he saw the two shadows moving, and when he saw the man lying there, he shot him in the back. He soon realizes he may have gone too far when he opens the man’s vest and sees the silver star--he has killed a lawman. The final verse returns to the present and spells out the consequences of his actions. The author’s emphasis on the man’s mortality, with lines like “I feel my blood runnin' colder every day" and “I know that soon this old body be layin' beneath the clay,” makes it clear he knows his time is running out.
The song is a haunting portrayal of a man caught up in circumstances beyond his control, and the consequences of his desperation. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the man's struggle and his fear of never being able to go back home. The mournful melody, combined with powerful harmonies and instrumentation, adds to the overall feeling of despair and hopelessness. Tragic Life is a raw, emotional look into the life of a man who has lost everything and is just trying to survive.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a long way from home
I'm far from where I grew up
I don't know where I'll go
I'm unsure of my future
I a'int slept in days
I've been sleep deprived
And the water's running low
I'm running low on resources
Got a posse at my back
I have a group of people with me
And bullet in my side
I'm injured
Lord I gotta keep on movin'
I have to keep moving forward
Find a good place to hide
I need to find a safe place to go
Well they tried to take me in
Authorities tried to capture me
For shootin' down a man
I killed someone
He got what he deserved
I believe he deserved to be killed
They'll have to catch me if they can
I'm evading capture
I feel my blood runnin' colder every day
I'm becoming more numb to the violence I've committed
I know that soon this old body be layin' beneath the clay
I know I'll die soon
I came home from the range
I returned from a shooting practice
And the moon was shining bright
The moon was illuminating the night sky
Saw two shadows moving
I saw two people moving in the darkness
Like demons in the night
They appeared sinister and evil
I felt my body tremble
I was scared and shaken
As I saw them lyin' there
I found my wife in bed with a stranger
A stranger with my wife
I didn't know the man my wife was with
I drew the pistol that I wear
I pulled out my gun
I shot him in the back
I killed the man
As he was makin' for the door
As he was trying to escape
I stood over a man
I was standing over the dead body
That I knew I'd seen before
I recognized him from somewhere
His hand was on his chest
He was touching his chest
And I knew I'd gone too far
I realized I had crossed a line
When I opened up his vest
I opened his jacket
And I saw that silver star
I saw that he was a lawman
(break)
Instrumental break
Oh, and I feel my blood flowin' colder every day
I'm gradually becoming more numb to the violence I've committed
And I know that soon this old body be layin' 'neath the clay
I know I'll die soon
Oh, and I feel my blood flowin' colder every day
I'm gradually becoming more numb to the violence I've committed
Contributed by Brody C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Skresge024
This song rips!!! One of so many of their songs that just get STUCK in my head!!
Jeff Lynch II
this song gives me chill bumps!
Zack Chapman
same
Anna Greene
I'm a long way from home I don't know where I'll go I a'int slept in days And the water's running low
Got a posse at my back And bullet in my side Lord I gotta keep on movin' Find a good place to hide
Well they tried to take me in For shootin' down a man He got what he deserved They'll have to catch me if they can
I feel my blood runnin' colder every day I know that soon this old body be layin' beneath the clay
I came home from the range And the moon was shining bright Saw two shadows moving Like demons in the night
I felt my body tremble As I saw them lyin' there A stranger with my wife I drew the pistol that I wear
Oh, and I feel my blood runnin' colder every day And I know that soon this old body be layin' 'neath the clay
I shot him in the back As he was makin' for the door I stood over a man That I knew I'd seen before
His hand was on his chest And I knew I'd gone too far When I opened up his vest And I saw that silver star
(break)
Oh, and I feel my blood flowin' colder every day And I know that soon this old body be layin' 'neath the clay Oh, and I feel my blood flowin' colder every day And I know that soon this old body be layin' 'neath the clay
SludgeSlinger
Great song!
Cassandra Bowman
I don't listen to a lot country music, but I can listen to this one any time.
Tiro Williams
@Derek Costen Its subgenre of country music :)
Derek Costen
It's bluegrass, not country
geneland
Some damn good picking and singing, kinda like The Steel Drivers only better.
chad Michael
awesome