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Fireside Collective album release at the Salvage Station in Asheville, NC (8/5/22) – photo by Bryce Lafoon
Bryce Lafoon with Lightshifter Studios was on hand last Friday for Fireside Collective’s album release show at the Salvage Station in Asheville, NC. The band was celebrating the drop date for their new album on the Mountain Home Music label, Across The Divide.
Here’s a sampling of the images he captured.
Mountain Home Music has a new single today for Fireside Collective, from their album Across The Divide, due to hit tomorrow.
For this last pre-release single, they have chosen a nice, mid-tempo number written by guitarist Joe Cicero called Running Wild Again. The Collective takes it at an easy lope as Joe sings about some of the lessons most young folks need to learn on their way to wisdom.
Or as he puts it…
“It’s a tune that shines a light on some of the lows that come with living the high life. There’s an introspection about why we end up running toward things that we know, in the end, aren’t good for us. The lucky ones break the cycle. The rest of us just end up ”Running Wild Again.'”
He is supported by regular bandmates Jesse Iaquinto on mandolin, Alex Genova on banjo, Tommy Maher on reso-guitar, and Carson White on bass.
Check out Running Wild Again…
The new album is a result of Fireside Collective’s response to the pandemic, when things looked quite bleak for musical artists worldwide. Iaquinto says that the COVID restrictions of 2020 ended up having a powerful impact on how Across The Divide took shape.
“When the world shut down and the music industry came to a halt, we decided to head to a cabin in the Smoky Mountains. We didn’t know when we’d be back on the road, or what touring would look like, but we knew if we kept creating music, it would be the best way to ensure we could return to playing music. Over the course of three days, we began arranging the songs that would become a part of our fourth studio album.
It’s a celebration of the journey from the familiar world into the unknown, and back into recognizable territory, but with new understanding. The songs speak of love, loss, fear and the comfort of home. The days in the studio were as much an outpouring of emotions as they were a recording project. We crossed over lines and explored new territory, while never forgetting the road that led us to where we are today.”
Across The Divide releases on August 5 when it will be available from popular download and streaming services online. Pre-saves and adds are enabled now online.
Radio programmers will find the tracks at AirPlay Direct.
Mountain Home Music will release a new single on February 25 from Fireside Collective, and are offering our readers an early listen to the track this afternoon.
This young quintet, yet another talented and creative band from Asheville, NC, has been rapidly growing a fanbase since winning the MerleFest Band Contest in 2016. Their music veers along the line between contemporary bluegrass and the burgeoning jamgrass movement. Appealing to both sides of that divide isn’t a simple task, but the Collective has been up to the task, brining in new original materiel along the way.
Consisting of Joe Cicero on guitar, Alex Genova on banjo, Jesse Iaquinto on mandolin, Tommy Maher on resonator guitar, and Carson White on bass, these guys have found a home at festivals and shows featuring more modern music, while still appealing to lovers of good old fashioned grass. They will be touring this spring with Yonder Mountain String Band, taking their sound all over the US.
The new single, Blue Is My Condition, was written by Maher with Mountain Home producer Jon Weisberger, about a feeling we all have been through at times, and turned into a driving bluegrass song.
Tommy shared a bit about how this one came to be.
“We all get the blues and experience sadness, but it can be taboo to talk about, especially when most of what we see on social media are happy people with smiling faces. This song came to me at a dark time and is about embracing that darkness and not being ashamed of showing your pain to the world. It’s a sad song with no happy ending.”
Have a listen…
Blue Is My Condition will be available on Friday, February 25, from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers can get the track now from AirPlay Direct.
Mountain Home Music has released a new single from Fireside Collective, taken from their upcoming album, Elements.
It’s a song written by the reso-guitarist, Tommy Maher, called Back To Caroline, which plays on the fact that Caroline is both a woman’s name and the nickname of a pair of states.
He says that he set out to mix the happy sound of grass with the sadness of separation.
“Everyone at some point will miss someone while they’re away, and that’s just what this tune is about. I tried to incorporate the storytelling aspect of some of my favorite bluegrass songs and put an old-time mountain bounce around it, which the banjo and mandolin captured very well on the recording. It’s supposed to leave you feeling upbeat about a sad feeling we all know; loneliness and longing for home.”
Back To Caroline is available now wherever you stream or download music online, and to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct.
Another bluegrass baby – from western North Carolina!
Jesse Iaquinto, mandolinist with Fireside Collective, and his wife Cara are celebrating the birth of their first child, Rose Fiona, born on Friday, June 12. She came into the world at 8:25 a.m., weighing in at 7 pounds 14 ounces and stretching to 20 inches long.
Jesse says that Cara is doing well and feeling great, and that Rose was born with a full head of hair.
He also offered gratitude to family and friends for their help.
“Thank you all for your support throughout the past 9 months; we can’t wait for you to meet our little girl. For now we will just be busy staring into her eyes and wondering how anything cuter could possibly exist.”
Congratulations Cara and Jesse, and a big Bluegrass Today welcome to little Rose!
Asheville’s Fireside Collective continues their run blending contemporary bluegrass with rock and folk music overtones on Elements, a new project for Mountain Home Music, due this Friday.
The Collective has been on a roll since winning the MerleFest band competition in 2016, followed by a band album a year later. They spend most of their time on the road, and have developed a very loyal following playing clubs and small theaters all over the US, in addition to stops at major festivals.
To mark the album drop, they have offered to share a third track from the record with our readers at Bluegrass Today, one called Winding Road written by mandolinist, Jesse Iaquinto. It manages to combine a west coast ’70s rock vibe with a bluegrass beat, which reso-guitarist Tommy Maher says fits their style just right.
“I remember when Jesse showed me this tune I loved the way it bounced like an old truck rolling down the road. The music is carefree and danceable but the subject matter is quite heavy. Putting your all into what you do requires a lot of faith and perseverance and the journey is hardly ever easy… but we keep on keeping on through it all. To me, that’s what this song is all about.”
Joe Cicero, who plays guitar agrees, saying that it was their unanimous choice to lead off Elements.
“When we were coming up with the track order for the album, I think this tune was the clear opener for everyone. It has such a groovy rhythm and the harmonies in the chorus really make it get stuck in your head. Plus the end has a sick jam that makes an appearance at the end of the album, making it the perfect bookend.”
Fireside Collective is completed by Alex Genova on banjo, and Carson White on bass.
Pre-orders for Elements are available wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can find the tracks at AirPlay Direct.
Asheville, NC’s Fireside Collective is known for their habit of blending musical influences from the blues into their contemporary bluegrass music. And like many other young grass ensembles, they delight in playing it for audiences open to a variety of styles.
We hear that in their latest single from Mountain Home Music, Don’t Stop Lovin’ Me, where the banjo and reso-guitar drive the beat against a story of a man who is pleading with his love to hold on to him, despite all the reasons why she shouldn’t.
Or as singer, guitarist and songwriter, Joe Cicero, puts it…
“I love to draw from personal experiences, and from those of people I’ve known, so as to highlight the human condition. I want listeners to realize that the characters have emotions, conflicts, and flaws just like everyone else, and wherever they are in their own lives will determine their personal connection to and interpretation of Don’t Stop Lovin’ Me. That’s my favorite part of sharing my songs.”
Along with Cicero, Fireside Collective is Alex Genova on banjo, Jesse Iaquinto on mandolin, Tommy Maher on resonator guitar, and Carson White on bass. They have been on a steady upward trend since winning the MerleFest band competition in 2016, appealing to both old school grassers and the urban jamgrass enthusiasts at the same time.
According to Iaquinto, they embrace the dichotomy.
“Depending on where you come from and your experience with folk music, you may think we’re very traditional, or on the other hand, consider us a progressive act. We appreciate both ends of the spectrum and may lie on a different end on any given night.”
Don’t Stop Lovin’ Me goes into wide release tomorrow, December 6, when it will be available on all major streaming and download platforms. Radio programmers can get the track now at AirPlay Direct.
Urban grassers Fireside Collective have signed with Mountain Home Music Company for their next recording. Both the band and their new label call North Carolina’s Asheville region their home.
The quintet has been on a roll since taking first place in the MerleFest band competition in 2016, quickly followed by a Momentum Award nomination from the IBMA. They have been touring aggressively this past few years, winning praise from festival and club audiences across the southeast. With two prior albums to their credit, they are eager to get to work on another with their new label partners.
Banjo player Alex Genova says…
“I could not be more excited to be working with Mountain Home. When I was growing up, listening to bluegrass music as a teenager in Wisconsin, much of my experience with great, authentic, bluegrass came from my collection of CDs. A great number of the albums that inspired me then and continue to inspire me today have the Mountain Home logo on them. It is an honor to get to work with their amazing team and to be a part of their incredible roster of artists.”
Along with Alex, Fireside Collective is Jesse Iaquinto on mandolin, Tommy Maher on reso-guitar, Carson White on bass, and Joe Cicero on guitar. They make a point to honor the boundaries of the bluegrass style mainly in the breach, using the traditional instruments to perform original music that draws heavily on folk, blues, and pop influences in their acoustic sound.
Ty Gilpin with Mountain Home says that they have had they eye on Fireside Collective for some time.
“We have watched as this fine group has moved from the backyard, to local Asheville sensation, to one of the most sought after new national touring bands in roots music! We are excited to be part of their growing success and to help take them to the next level.”
Here are a couple of videos of the guys on stage doing their thing…
A debut single from the first Mountain Home project is due early next month, with a complete album to follow in 2020.
This review of Life Between The Lines is a guest contribution from Lisa Brewer, Executive Director of the Carolina Bible Camp Bluegrass Festival, held the second Saturday in September in Mocksville, NC. She is a legal assistant at Brewer Brewer & Sorel in Wilkesboro, NC.
The fire is burning brightly in Life Between the Lines, the second album by the Asheville-based Fireside Collective.
The work is a true and total gem, without a single disappointment.
All twelve songs are originals: nine are penned by lead vocalist and mandolin player Jesse Iaquinto, two are contributed by dobro master Tommy Maher, and one comes from acoustic guitarist Joe Cicero. Bassist Carson White keeps the rhythm going strong and steady throughout, and he’s not afraid to throw in a bass solo that dares you to say you saw that coming when in fact no, you did not.
The album’s danceable exuberance is that of a live performance, but the musicianship is the tightly crafted, perfect product of a well-focused studio project. No detail is overlooked.
As the refreshingly sparse liner notes state, the album is “a testament to the time spent driving down that long lonesome road. It also explores the lines of bluegrass, newgrass, and beyond. Those same lines that define what’s already been done, pave the way for the lines which will guide us where we go.”
Fireside Collective approaches their traditional bluegrass heritage with respect and affection as well as innovation and sheer joy. This impressive collection features the haunting old-time sweetness of Cabin Song, the darkly comic funk of By the Look of It, and the unforgettable Drivin’ Through the Rain. The solos are sizzling on the instrumental Burnin’ At Both Ends.
Cicero’s By the Time will quickly become a favorite within the “goodbye, good riddance” genre. The positive energy and wholesome harmonies of Maher’s Like a River will live with listeners long after the song is finished.
Each band member is a strong instrumentalist. Fans will check the group’s tour schedule, hoping that live performances will provide opportunities for longer lasting solo innovations. Their vocal harmonies may well draw favorable comparisons to the Eagles, especially on the upbeat Dreams of California.
Fireside Collective was the winner of the 2016 MerleFest band competition. They are a showcase band in the 2017 International Bluegrass Music Association Bluegrass Ramble during the World of Bluegrass event in Raleigh, NC – one of only 30 bands honored from more than 160 submissions.
“Depending on where you come from and your experience with folk music, you may think we’re very traditional, or on the other hand, consider us a progressive act,” Jesse Iaquinto wrote on the band’s website. “We appreciate both ends of the spectrum and may lie on a different end on any given night.”
The album’s subject matter may cover life between the lines, but the work is neither boxed in nor limited. No doubt about it: Fireside Collective is headed in the right direction, and the boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places.
