By Eric Koeppel:
Duluth, Minn. based folk and bluegrass band The Nothing Evers will take the stage for a free show at the Acoustic Café at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20.
The band consists of three members: Skyler on banjo and harmonica, Saba on the washboard and bells and Gavin St. Clair on guitar. All three members sing.
“The band actually began as a road trip shared between three best friends during the summer of 2012,” St. Clair said. “We set out with a tent, some instruments and nowhere to be for a few weeks. We had always jammed together in basements and on porches, but for the first time, we played a show on this trip in North Dakota and made so many tips that we decided to fund the rest of the trip with impromptu shows.”
After going their separate ways for a brief time, the band reunited this past summer in Duluth and started writing original songs and booking shows.
“Duluth has a booming folk and bluegrass scene,” St. Clair said. “With Charlie Parr setting the tone for old-timey experience and bands like Tranpled by Turtles exploring newer takes on the old bluegrass vibe, we fit in and stand out in a perfect way. We keep you guessing with a very Duluth-esque instrumentation and a unique mix of folky pickin’ and progressive songwriting.”
The band seldom plays shows away from Duluth, but they did recently embark on their first cross-country tour from Minnesota to California. Their show at the Acoustic Café will be their first time playing Menomonie, and they are excited to play to a college crowd.
“A lot of our songs are very personal, so someone our age who has been in or is in college could relate to a lot of themes in our music,” St. Clair said. “We really love playing for the young, hip demographic.”
Aside from traditional folk and bluegrass music, the band is influenced by indie groups like Dr. Dog and Fleet Foxes as well as classical composers like Beethoven and contemporary songwriters like Ben Gibbard.
“It’s funny: the band started as three friends playing covers for gas money,” St. Clair added. “These days, we’ve got enough original material to fill a 90-minute set, but we’ll usually throw in a couple covers including The Smiths, Radiohead and ancient folk tunes.”
To listen to The Nothing Evers’ music, visit soundcloud.com/thenothingevers or like them on Facebook for more information and show dates.