The band has always played music by its own set of rules. Bending bluegrass, rock and countless other influences that the band cites, Yonder has pioneered a sound of their own. With their traditional lineup of instruments, the band may look like a traditional bluegrass band at first glance but they’ve created their own music that transcends any genre. Dave Johnston points out “What could be more pure than making your own music.” Yonder’s sound cannot be classified purely as “bluegrass” or “string music” but rather it’s an original sound created from “looking at music from [their] own experiences and doing the best job possible.” The band continues to play by their own rules on their new record The Show.
The Colorado-based foursome has crisscrossed the country over the past eleven years playing such varied settings as festivals, rock clubs, Red Rocks Amphitheater in the band’s home state, and recently the Democratic National Convention in Denver at Mile High Stadium opening for Barack Obama. Their loyal fanbase has been built from this diverse setting of music venues as fans latched on to their genre-defying original sound.
In between tours the band spent time this last year working on its fifth studio album. Set for a September 1 release on the band’s own label, The Show is the second album with rock producer Tom Rothrock (Beck, Elliott Smith, Foo Fighters). While some might scratch their heads as to why a string band would want a rock producer, this decision was a natural choice for the band. “We don’t have a lot of nostalgia for the past,” says banjo player Dave Johnston. “You shouldn’t try to recreate the 1940s. I like to think of us as informed by the past and all the great performers before us. But we also want to look forward rather than give people something that has already been perfected.”
The Show has the similar acoustic instrumentation (Adam Aijala on guitar, Johnston on banjo, Jeff Austin on mandolin and Ben Kaufman on bass with all four singing) as many of its classic bluegrass forefathers. Though once again drums are present (as with the self-titled fourth album) with the great Pete Thomas of Elvis Costello’s bands adding a rhythmic backdrop to Yonder’s still-acoustic sound on six of the tracks. The record consists of thirteen songs all written by Yonder.
The band has long cited such varied influences as the bluegrass of Del McCoury, Johnson Mountain Boys, Jimmy Martin, Bill Monroe, Osborne Brothers as well as the punk rock of Bad Religion, Black Flag and the Dead Kennedys. Somewhere in between these two tent poles are early 20th Century composers and alternative rock bands like Grandaddy and Postal Service. It’s all funneled through the band’s unique chemistry, honed since they first met at an informal club performance in 1998. With band members writing individually, in different pairings and as a collective, the album proves that this group is a collection of creative peers and you can hear it in the rich tapestry of music that makes up The Show.
Here Yonder offers such traditional bluegrass sounding fare as “Out Of The Blue” and “Casualty.” The band has explored its country roots in the past and does so again this time on “Steep Grade, Sharp Curves,” a song that describes the roads around its home base in Nederland as well as a particularly dangerous femme fatale. A little further from the roots is the impressionistic “Isolate” with its simple but ominous bass line and minimal arrangement. There is also a bevy of rockers like “Complicated,” “Fingerprints” and “Belle Parker,” a gem of a song about a hard-hearted woman. The band even finds some excellent middle ground between bluegrass and rock on “Fine Excuses” thanks in part to a scorching guitar solo from Adam Aijala. There is also the extended “Honestly” -- at eight-minutes, the longest song on the album, with a middle section that is an excellent platform for lengthier live excursions that are as improvisatory as any electric band on the live music circuit.
The band is a regular at bluegrass festivals like the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the band's own Northwest String Summit as well as massive multi-stage events like Austin City Limits Festival, Bonnaroo and Rothbury. Fans are no doubt drawn to Yonder’s anything goes attitude, its humor and passion about music, and the band’s ability to stretch out live. “We love that people come to see us,” Johnston points out. “Everyone appreciates good music. Some people want to go to a recital and some people want to party.”
But as its fans know, Yonder Mountain String Band does something a little different, more than just a musical party. The Show is the band’s most varied and versatile album to date, and the summation of the journey that these guys are on together. It’s bluegrass for the masses, acoustic tunes filled with dazzling chops, and it’s fun to boot. The humble Johnston sounds as surprised as anyone by the band’s success, but knows that it all boiled down to chemistry, which has never changed. “Somewhere down there we all kind of recognized that we had something unique,” he explains. “But there is no way I could have imagined the amount of success that the band has had.”
Darkness And Light
Yonder Mountain String Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There was a battle, in that far country, to that dark land was that old soldier bound
He held his true love, he kissed her softly, said ?Darlin? fear not, I?ll come back around?
From a rear window, the lover watching?watching as her tears fell to the ground
The nights grew cold, her heart grew lonely, along the streets she would walk and she?cry
Her heart was tender, her thoughts went yonder, she?d gently kiss the ring she?d wear upon her finger
Distance makes the heart grow fonder
Loneliness and Confusion
Darkness and Light
One night while dreamin', she saw her true love, by the old rock he sat a-weepin'
His eyes were shinin', his head turned skyward, asking God above, how could this be??
She jumped up from her bed, her heart was pounding?she went out to calm herself in the cool night air
She started roamin', by the edge of town, while the lover watched her go all alone
She soon grew weary, her body tired, by an old rock wall she settled down
Her lover approaching, approaching gently, lonely love was his favorite hunting ground
The very next morning, the lady rising, she felt confusion, like never before
She awoke in her own bed with a tender feeling thought she heard the sound of her sweet soldier aproachin
A knock came upon the door, she jumped up running, only to see a strange soldier with medals a-shinin'
He said Sad lady, sad news I bring you... Your soldier died last night while the bullets were flyin
'No, no, no, this can't be....for just last evening, my soldier sang to me love's true song'
Wracked with confusion, she fell a-weepin', while the lover, from his window watched all along
The lyrics to Yonder Mountain String Band's song "Darkness and Light" tell the story of a soldier who goes off to fight in a war, leaving behind his lover. The lady's heart grows lonely and tender as she anxiously waits for her soldier to return. She roams alone at night, feeling the confusion and loneliness that comes with being separated from one's love. But the soldier also experiences his own distress in the midst of battle. He weeps and looks up to God above for guidance. In the end, the lady receives the devastating news that the soldier she loved has died in battle, leaving her wracked with confusion and despair.
The lyrics convey multiple themes such as love, separation, loneliness, and the complexity of emotions that accompany them. The chorus, "Distance makes the heart grow fonder, but passion makes the fire bright, loneliness and confusion, darkness and light," suggests that even in the darkest of times, there can be a glimmer of hope and light. The lyrics also highlight the fragility of human life and the emotional toll it takes on those left behind. It is a poignant and emotional story that is told through the beautiful harmonies and lyrics of this song.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a soldier, there was a lady, there was a lover, who live in town
This is a story that took place in a small town which had three important characters: a soldier, a lady, and a lover.
There was a battle, in that far country, to that dark land was that old soldier bound
The soldier had to go to a distant and dark place where a battle was taking place.
He held his true love, he kissed her softly, said ?Darlin? fear not, I?ll come back around?
Before leaving, the soldier kissed his lady love and assured her that he would return safely.
From a rear window, the lover watching?watching as her tears fell to the ground
The lover was watching the lady crying from a distance, looking at her through a rear window.
The nights grew cold, her heart grew lonely, along the streets she would walk and she?cry
The nights became cold and the lady felt lonely while walking on the streets, crying for her lover.
Her heart was tender, her thoughts went yonder, she?d gently kiss the ring she?d wear upon her finger
The lady's heart was tender and she often thought about her lover. She would kiss the ring on her finger with love and longing.
One night while dreamin', she saw her true love, by the old rock he sat a-weepin'
The lady dreamt of her lover sitting near an old rock, weeping.
His eyes were shinin', his head turned skyward, asking God above, how could this be??
In her dream, the lady saw her lover with shining eyes looking towards the sky and asking God how the war could be happening.
She jumped up from her bed, her heart was pounding?she went out to calm herself in the cool night air
The lady woke up from her dream with a pounding heart and went out to get some fresh air to calm herself.
She started roamin', by the edge of town, while the lover watched her go all alone
The lady wandered near the town's edge, while the lover watched her from a distance, all alone.
She soon grew weary, her body tired, by an old rock wall she settled down
The lady became tired and eventually settled down near an old rock wall.
Her lover approaching, approaching gently, lonely love was his favorite hunting ground
The lover approached the lady gently, as he knew that she was longing for love and companionship.
The very next morning, the lady rising, she felt confusion, like never before
The next morning, the lady woke up feeling extremely confused.
She awoke in her own bed with a tender feeling thought she heard the sound of her sweet soldier aproachin
The lady woke up in her own bed with a distinct feeling that her soldier was approaching her.
A knock came upon the door, she jumped up running, only to see a strange soldier with medals a-shinin'
When someone knocked on the door, the lady rushed to open it, only to see a strange soldier standing there with shiny medals.
He said Sad lady, sad news I bring you... Your soldier died last night while the bullets were flyin
The stranger notified the lady about the death of her soldier while he was involved in the war.
'No, no, no, this can't be....for just last evening, my soldier sang to me love's true song'
The lady was in disbelief and could not accept the news of her soldier's death, as he had just sung a love song to her the previous evening.
Wracked with confusion, she fell a-weepin', while the lover, from his window watched all along
The lady became confused and started crying, while the lover watched her from his window, feeling sad for her.
Distance makes the heart grow fonder
But passion makes the fire bright
Loneliness and Confusion
Darkness and Light
This song is about the complicated emotions that arise from being away from loved ones for extended periods of time. While distance may make the heart grow fonder, passion is what keeps a relationship strong. However, it can also lead to feelings of loneliness and confusion, which can be both dark and light at the same time.
Contributed by Julia D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.