By James Cassara

As they move into their 17th year as a fully fledged unit, the ever evolving entourage known as The Yonder Mountain String Band remains a paradox of sorts. 

On the one hand the band’s line up, which now includes guitarist Adam Aijala, banjoist Dave Johnston, Ben Kaufmann on bass and relative newcomers Allie Kral on violin and Jacob Jollif on mandolin (the five share vocal duties) has weathered the loss of founding member Jeff Austin and the addition of Kral and Jollif both of whom have added substantially to the band’s on stage presence. On the other hand, few bands have sustained and nurtured such a loyal following, and fewer still have maintained a touring schedule that matches that of YMSB.

The band’s history is well known but a brief recap might be in order.The essence of YMSB goes back to Urbana, Illinois when Johnston asked Austin to sing with Johnston’s band The Bluegrassholes. While at the time Austin didn’t yet play an instrument he did own a mandolin, which Johnston encouraged him to “play anything, just play fast and loud.”

After the Bluegrassholes parted ways Johnston moved to Boulder, Colorado. Coincidentally Austin had moved to nearby Nederland and the two reconnected. In 1998 the two joined forces with Kaufmann and Aijala and YMSB was born.

The next year their debut album Elevation was released on Frog Pad Records, an independent record label run by the band, and they began their march towards world domination. Well not quite, but through an insane touring schedule, tape friendly shows that bring to mind The Grateful Dead, YMSB have amassed the sort of loyal following rarely seen. Along the way they’ve released a number of live albums and a steady stream of studio recordings. The last of which, Black Sheep, was released in mid 2015.

It was the first album to be produced by the band itself and the first to showcase the new line up. In many ways it was the most genuine album the band had yet made.

“The record sounds more like Yonder than any record we’ve ever done,” declared Johnston. “I’m hoping that when people are finished listening to it, they’ll just hit play and listen to it again.”

The record featured but one cover tune (“Ever Fallen In Love,” originally recorded by ’70s British punk-rock band the Buzzcocks) and was the first of their albums to employ the traditional arsenal of 1940’s bluegrass: guitar, mandolin, banjo, fiddle and bass. In celebration of the summer, always their busiest time, YMSB have again hit the road, including their annual appearance at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and a stop here in our area.

In anticipation of their July 8 appearance at Pisgah Brewing Company in Black Mountain (a stage with which they are familiar) vocalist/banjoist Dave Johnston graciously agreed to answer a few of my queries.

Rapid River Magazine: I’m curious as to how the band approaches each knew touring season. With your back catalog expanding how do you decide which of your songs to continue playing and which get set aside? How much voice does each band member have in making those decisions?

Dave Johnson: We tend to not approach touring with too many specifics.  There is a lot of material and potential material banging around right now, so it’s good to keep an open mind about what there is to work with, so, at any time, a song we used to play might be more fun or relevant to play than it was in the past, and vice versa with songs in heavy rotation. Right now it feels like everyone has an equal amount of input on those types of decisions.

RRM: On a related note YMSB have a deserved reputation as a band that embraces a lot of different songs by a lot of different artists. Having seen the band five or six times I’m always amazed at the variety of cover tunes that get tossed into the mix. Some are reworked more than others but you guys have a real knack for preserving the integrity of the original version while putting your own imprint on it. Does each band member bring a few suggestions to the table?

DJ: Feels like every band member, and our crew too, has valuable input about those decisions.

RRM: Allie and Jacob are now firmly ensconced as members of the band. Has that addition changed the dynamics of your stage shows?DJ: There are many more possibilities about where we can go with musical parts as well as jam sections.

RRM: I don’t want to dwell too much on the shows but it seems YMSB are considered more a touring than recording band. Still, in terms of studio albums I thought Black Sheep was a real step forward, as if the band was coming into its own and making an album that stood on its merits, whether the songs were played live or not. 

DJ: I think the biggest step forward was getting to produce and engineer the record ourselves. Adam did a lot of engineering as well as editing and mixing and it was a great experience knowing we have the capability to complete these sorts of projects.

RRM: Let’s talk about your fans. They seem in some ways to be an extension of the band itself. Their devotion is amazing. The last time I saw you in Asheville I met a couple who’d driven up from Atlanta specifically in the hopes of getting tickets. Maybe not the most well thought out plan but I think it speaks well to the sort of symbiotic relationship YMSB has with its audience. 

DJ: The fans are a huge part of what happens and in that respect they occupy a very important place with us because without them it’s only half the experience at best.

RRM: You’ve played the Asheville area several times and the Pisgah Brewing Company at least once that I know. Do you see many new faces in the crowd? It seems after 17 years YMSB is still attracting newcomers. That’s an enviable position to be in and one not many bands have been able to sustain. 

DJ: I think there is always room for newcomers and the Asheville area in general is sort of a magical spot to begin with.

RRM: Any surprises in store for the upcoming shows? How much new material might we expect to hear?

DJ: There are surprises, but they are so secret, i don’t even know them myself. New material is always a possibility, as well new improvisations and avenues.

RRM: Anything else you’d care to add? I appreciate you taking the time to catch our readers up to date.

DJ: Thank you too, looking forward to getting up to Pisgah again and enjoying some good times.

Yonder Mountain String Band at The Pisgah Brewing Company on Friday, July 8, with opening band Jon Stickley Trio. Outdoor Stage show, gates open at 6pm / Show: 7pm. Tickets $25 in advance, $30 Day of Show and $55 Hopster VIP seats. More information can be found at: www.pisgahbrewing.com/events/