Over the course of a scant five years the three piece collective known as Underhill Rose have become one of the most respected and creative voices in the Asheville music scene.
Proudly steeped in the Appalachian traditions of our mountain culture the three sirens that comprise the band—Salley Williamson, Eleanor Underhill, and Molly Rose—each bring a distinctive set of influences and vocal component to the band.
Adjectives to describe music are often temporal and elusive, but their own self-description of “heartfelt country soul” seems as good as any. Armed with banjo and harmonica, guitar, and upright bass, Underhill Rose is as known for their engaging stage presence as they are for narratives, songs that aren’t afraid to detail the trials of life and love with a bit of sass and irreverence.
Since forming in 2009, Underhill Rose has played live regionally and across the country including numerous festivals and our own Warren Haynes Christmas Jam. They’ve shared the stage with the likes of Jim Lauderdale, Kevn Kinney, and Larry Keel; in doing so they’ve steadily gained a faithful following and continue to build upon their reputation as North Carolina’s “preeminent female trio.”
The 2013 album Something Real spent over 20 weeks in the Americana Music Association Airplay charts and was a top 100 pick for the year. In anticipation of a spate of upcoming shows, bass player/vocalist Salley Williamson graciously took the time to chat.
James Cassara: To readers that might be unfamiliar with the band can you give a brief summation as to how Underhill Rose came together?
Salley Williamson: Molly and Eleanor met and began playing music together at Warren Wilson College and haven’t stopped since. I met Molly at a dance class several years later, and Underhill Rose called me when they had an opening for a bass player. The timing worked out perfectly, and we’ve been an all-female trio since I joined in the fall of 2011.
JC: The three of you obviously mix on a musical level but going out on the road, and having to deal with all the logistics of being in and maintaining a band can be pretty challenging. How do you manage to juggle all those demands and maintain some sense of sanity?
SW: All three of us have a great home base here in Asheville. We find a lot of solace at our homes between times on the road. In between shows, we do our best to get lots of sleep and to exercise regularly. And while we’re on the road, we try to see the sights and do fun things in the towns where we perform. Making the most of our down time helps to balance out the hectic pace of life on the road touring.
JC: You’ve now made three albums so I assume you’re becoming more comfortable with that process. Can you talk a bit about the band’s artistic evaluation?
SW: Well, to clarify a bit, Underhill Rose has actually recorded two albums and a holiday single. The first self-titled album was created by Molly and Eleanor and released in May 2011. I wasn’t part of that project. But to answer your question all three of us contributed songs to our latest album, Something Real, and critics pointed out that combining the perspectives of three writers contributed to the strength of the album.
Along with three perspectives, our sound also prominently features the combination of three unique voices in harmony. The band’s overall process involves bringing songs to the group and then working together to shape the song through adding the voice of our respective instrument and our harmony.
JC: How would you describe the contributions of producer Cruz Contreras? Years ago I knew him when he was in Robinella and the CC String Band but I’d lost track of what he’d been up to.
SW: Underhill Rose was the first band that Cruz Contreras produced outside of his own projects with Robinella and the CC String Band and his current group, The Black Lillies. Cruz did a great job of taking all three of our opinions into account while adding his own spin to the music.
We spent several days and nights on preproduction, and Cruz’s suggestions for the arrangements of our songs added a fresh perspective to the music. He is also featured on guitar and keys for some of the tracks on the album.
JC: You have a number of local shows coming up, and from what I’ve gathered it looks like a busy summer schedule. What can your fans expect, and any plans to record this year?
SW: We are thrilled with the momentum that we created in 2013 and are looking to go full steam ahead this year. We recently filmed a new music video for the song “Helpless Wanderer,” which we will unveil on March 22.
We will also launch a Kickstarter campaign at that time to fund the recording of a new album. We are completely grateful to our fans for the success of Something Real and are looking to go above and beyond with our next recording, which we hope to release in the fall.
For more information visit the band’s website at www.underhillrose.com