Pleasantly Aggressive

That’s how folk duo Nervous But Excited describes their music. I swear. They do. Funny, right?  This self-aware folksiness is one reason, I think, they are doing so well on the folk musician’s tour de force they are currently living.  They have also dubbed themselves “road warriors to the core” because they travel all the time, seemingly, everywhere. In case you are new to them, Michigan-based  folk duo Kate Peterson & Sarah Cleaver offer ”dead-on harmony: two songwriters, two singers, three guitars, a mandolin, a violin, a few harmonicas, some vaguely choreographed dancing and a lot of laughter.” They have a new record out this month (one with zero carbon footprint at that), a social network to rival a much more seasoned act, and lots to share about life on the road. I so appreciated them answering a few questions for me.

BB: I’d love to hear the story of how you two started playing music together.  Are you both originally from Michigan, and have you made the conscious decision to stay based there? I’ve heard at least one of your long-distance love songs, so…any plans to change locations in the future?

NBE: Way to dig deep right off the bat! Sarah was raised in Eastern PA and moved here via North Carolina in 2003, and I am a born and raised Michigander.  We began playing together in 2005 after we were introduced by the owner of Goldenrod Music, Terry Grant. Over the years we have played with the idea of taking NBE elsewhere – Brooklyn, Philly – but the Michigan mitten has her soft wooly paws wrapped pretty tight around us.  Touring has allowed us feed our need for a change of scenery, it’s also allowed us to meet amazing people in a lot of different places, which is what led to those long-distance love songs you speak of. Both of our respective partners hail from the east coast, and lived there when we met, so undoubtedly we will always have roots in many places. We’ll just have to see where that takes us.

BB: Amy Ray has called your music “organic and rich like good soil.” That’s a review I’m sure most touring musicians would love to have. The Indigo Girls are definitely of the generation of women musicians that sought support from and garnered a fan base -not only from traditional folk communities-  but specifically from women’s music festivals. I spent considerable time as a teenager with my cassette tape player relishing the lyrics of Meg Christian, Cris Williamson and other Olivia artists who started out in the festival circuit. I’ve also attended festivals and was struck by the camaraderie of musicians and fans, standing in lines together, sharing space. Compared to a traditional performance venue, how does a women’s festival feel to a performer?

NBE: Impressively different. At least thus far in our careers. It has felt like the audiences at Womyn’s festivals, in our experience, want to us succeed from the get go. There is much less of the feeling of needing to prove yourself as there is at other venues,  because the community vibe is so strong between us and the crowd. Not that we don’t play our hardest even still, it just makes the set that much more magical. Surely, part of that connection is how we’ve been present within the community for so many years and have opened ourselves to making friends out of fans and vice versa.

BB: Speaking of Olivia Records, and artists like Amy Ray who have their own labels, you are signed to Riot Grrrl Ink, which might be considered the postmodern version of Olivia. It’s a groundbreaking label, with a unique business model.  What informed your decision to sign on?

NBE:  We’ve had a great relationship with Gina Mamone, the head of Riot Grrrl, from the get go. When she approached us, we were very open to what she had to offer and excited about new adventures. From the beginning, she has always been one of our largest supporters and has helped us whatever ways the record label can.  We were excited to join the roster with so many other talent artists that continue to pound the pavement in similar ways. Read the rest of this entry »