An interview with award-winning Virginia bluegrass band Jackass Flats
Stacey Zering
Posted On September 18, 2011
There are moments when the Virginia-based band Jackass Flats sound like a throwback, but not to the folk and bluegrass staples that are an integral part of their musical roots. Instead, they radiate a somewhat quirky vibe that echoes the clash of classic country and world music once peddled by college-radio kings Camper Van Beethoven in the ’80s. On their latest album Rusty Feeling, Jackass Flats are simultaneously faithful to their bluegrass while subscribing to an indie aesthetic which allows them to reel in both the young and old.
Jackass Flats have been receiving regional acclaim for nearly 10 years now. Given the current industry buzz over Americana music, Jackass Flats just might be on the verge of landing the national stage. Guitarist Stephen Kuester discusses the past, present, and future of a group that has been percolating in the underground for a decade.
Q: Jackass Flats has received its share of regional accolades, such as winning Virginia State Champion Bluegrass Band in 2002; Best Country/Bluegrass Band by Richmond.com a year later; and Best Americana Jam Band by the Virginia Music Awards in 2004. How long was the group together before receiving such impressive recognition?
A: The band was started by Travis Rinehart and I in 1999. We’d been playing music together since before we could drive. Jackass Flats started as a loose, informal, acoustic string band. We quickly became focused on the Bill Monroe model of bluegrass music. It was total immersion. Picking as fast as we could and singing as high as we could. Before long we got our line-up together–fiddle, banjo, mandolin, standup bass, guitar and we made an intense study of bluegrass music.
Q: How did the band members become interested in bluegrass and Americana music?
A: For Travis and I there had always been exposure to it. As a teen I had two choices: play rock by myself or ride my bike a couple miles down a country road every Friday night to a mechanics garage, where they would hold an informal jam session. They drank whiskey and beer and played country and bluegrass music. Here I was in my mid-teens, totally affected by the rock that I was listening to (the Replacements, the Pixies, the Beatles, etc, etc.) but I was playing Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, and George Jones. It was around that time that Travis and I met and joined my uncle’s country band.
Q: Beyond bluegrass, it’s apparent that Jackass Flats were influenced by other styles as well. How did the group’s distinct sound evolve?
A: From the beginning, we wanted to write our own songs. Steadily, we transformed from a bluegrass band who sprinkled their sets with original songs into a band that played original music and sprinkled their sets with bluegrass tunes. We focused our attention on original music and realized we couldn’t just write bluegrass tunes. Our songwriting was informed by everything. Also, the band kept changing. After our second album, we dropped the string band format. Presently, we have acoustic guitar, banjo, keys, pedal steel, drums, fiddle, standup bass, and harp.
Q: The group has a fairly busy gig schedule in the next few months. How often do you guys play live in a year?
A: I’d say about 100 shows this year. Next year we plan on being out as much as possible.
Q: Is Virginia particular supportive of bluegrass music? Or is it more of a niche market?
A: You can find it all in Virginia. There’s a great bluegrass scene out here with festivals going on just about every weekend in the summer time. There are a lot of great players, too.
Q: There’s a growing audience for American roots music these with bands such as Mumford & Sons and Fleet Foxes unexpectedly making waves on the pop charts. How do you feel about this sudden interest in vintage country styles and folk-influenced artists generating interest among today’s youth? Do you sense that it’s a trend that will continue or quickly fade away?
A: You see these waves come and go. A band will come along and capture the public’s attention with the vintage sounds. But Americana music, at its best, has never needed the pop charts to legitimize its existence. The best Americana music of the last 20 or so years has mostly been underground. As long as there has been American popular music, Americana music has been a part of it. As long as it continues to grow and evolve it will always exist, whether it’s selling millions or thousands.
