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Leftover Salmon has been one of Colorado’s most beloved musical exports, picking up where bands like Little Feat, the Band and The Grateful Dead left off and distilling the music into their own potent brew of bluegrass, rock ‘n’ roll, folk, Cajun, soul, zydeco and jazz and blues. Today, the band is shared their version of “Boogie Grass Band,” a 1978 hit for Conway Twitty (Listen above). The band’s buoyant, Salmonized version starts with their stringband arrangement of the song and propels it with a bass line doubled on a vintage Moog synth. It’s one of the tracks on their upcoming album, BRAND NEW GOOD OLD DAYS, available on CD, digitally and on limited-edition blood orange vinyl, and marks the band’s return to Nashville label Compass Records.
“This old Conway Twitty song was recommended for the band by our friend Ronnie McCoury years ago,” Leftover Salmon co-founder Vince Herman says. “It speaks to where we sit on the musical spectrum. We love country, bluegrass and rock music and like to do them all at the same time! This song acknowledges that while taking it taking it in a uniquely Salmon direction.”
That direction includes contributions by all of the band members as well as covers of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun,” the album’s single, and John Hartford’s “Category Stomp.”
Speaking of grass (it’s 4/20!), Herman and banjo player Andy Thorn recently spoke to Celebstoner about using their quarantine time to tend to their cannabis plants.
Cannabis is definitely essential,” says Thorn, who joined the band in 2010 after co-founder Mark Vann passed away in 2002. “We grew more than ever this year. We even made our own infused indica coconut oil, which helps me sleep. It’s fun to go out there and play music to your pot plants.”
Members of Leftover Salmon include Herman (vocals, guitar, washboard), Emmitt (vocals, mandolin, fiddle, electric guitar), Greg Garrison (bass, vocals), who also produced the new album, Thorn (banjo electric banjo, vocals) and Alwyn Robinson (drums, vocals), all who contribute songs to the album. This line-up’s diversity and range contribute to the continuing evolution of the band.
Having collaborated with everyone from the cream of American roots artists (1999’s groundbreaking NASHVILLE SESSIONS) and indie oddballs Cracker, to more recent albums produced by Los Lobos’ Steve Berlin, the group has endured the death of a founding member and line-up changes yet managed to stay true to their fans and their sound.
