It wasn’t too many years ago that the concept of a “band” began to change from simplistic to more complicated definitions. In fact, at the turn of the last century, many individuals would have considered the act of two people playing together (most commonly fiddle and banjo) as a band performance. However, our present definition of a “band” is much different.
For at least one group though, an older definition seems to apply. Currently the three-piece, Pacific Northwest based group Tiller’s Folly are releasing their latest project entitled Go the Road.
With a set of back to back album release shows scheduled for March 29th and 30th in White Rock, British Columbia, the Tiller’s Folly gang is proud to announce the release of their 8th project in some 16 years of performing together as a group. According to band member Bruce Coughlan these shows will be filmed for promotional purposes and released on DVD shortly afterward.
Previously, the band had performed music based on their Celtic influences. In fact, their website describes their sound by calling them “Celtic influenced Canadian Americana Newgrass,” but with Go the Road, the band seems to be headed in a different direction. Coughlan says the band is excited to embark upon a new musical journey, which sounds closer to mainstream Newgrass music.
While the principle members of Tiller’s Folly are singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Bruce Coughlan, Nolan Murray (multi-instrumentalist), and Laurence Knight (bass, vocals, and producer) they are often joined by other musicians to fill out their sets on stage. For instance, on this album they are joined by a host of wonderful musicians. Coughlan stated that a portion of their album guests will also be accompanying them at upcoming concerts. Guest artists on Go the Road include John Cowan, Ronnie McCoury, Josh Shilling, Sam Bush, Cia Cherryholmes, Scott Vestal, and Randy Kohrs.
The band recently returned to the west coast from a short tour of the southeast, including stops in Nashville for Music City Roots, Memphis for the Folk Alliance Conference, and Valle Crucis, NC at the Mast Farm Inn. In the upcoming weeks, they will be playing across the northwest, with shows taking place in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. This summer, they’ll embark on a tour of the United Kingdom, visiting several festivals of traditional and Celtic music.
Go the Road is available as of March 1, and can be purchased from iTunes, CDBaby or the Tiller’s Folly website. For more information on the new album, the band, or their upcoming tour dates, visit www.tillersfolly.com.
