Interviewer: Willow Knight for Mirth Films

Fireside Collective is a Jam Funk collective with Bluegrass roots. This band fits into no particular box. I have seen them at festivals, Poolside in Vagas and in a number of theaters and music clubs up and down the east coast. Including the Capital District’s very own Cohoes Music Hall and Lark Hall. These guys are powerhouses of their instruments. They keep a crowd on their feet and dancing. Our first chance to see Fireside Collective this year will be next week, March 19th at the Bardavon 1869 Opera House in Poughkipsie N.Y. in support of Infamous Stringdusters. Get your tickets today!

The Interview-

Mirth: Tell me about your songwriting process and how you flesh out songs as a band… 

Jesse – We have a few songwriters in the band and we all have slightly different processes. For me personally, it’s a relatively cyclical process. I typically start with a period of time where I’m mostly gathering ideas and recording them in notebooks, voice memos or random pieces of paper that happen to be laying around. After I feel like enough ideas have built up, I start sifting through everything and seeing if any lyrics or melodies really stand out. Once I feel like I have a few good foundational pieces, I go to work refining them. The process isn’t very strict and I like it to flow organically.

As a band, we typically schedule multi-day sessions where we get together and share material we’ve been working on. Band members typically bring the framework for a song and allow everyone else to collaborate and help shape it into a fully arranged song. We have a healthy balance between individual contributions and group collaboration. 

Mirth: Setlist preparations / choices… What goes into a show?

Jesse – We spend a lot of time chatting about show flow when we’re driving down the highway, usually after a show when it’s fresh on our minds. Recently, we’ve been talking a lot about approaching the show like a multi-act play that develops and flows dynamically. We try to vary the rhythms from song to song and switch out vocalists to add variation throughout the show. We aim to have roughly 80% or more be original music and add a few traditional songs and some fun covers to spice up the set and keep it fun. I usually try to have a setlist ready before soundcheck so we can work out some stuff before the show. Of course we always keep the option on the table to swap songs out in the moment and allow for spontaneity and freedom. 

Mirth- How does a crowd shape a show?

Joe – When there’s a great crowd and they’re giving us energy it causes us to react and give it back to them, and that cycle repeats and grows into something beautiful and positive that washes over everyone there. In that way, the crowd absolutely has the ability to shape the energy and flow of the show with what they put out and that’s one of my favorite things about music in the jam world. The shows are more interactive and less performative, which makes every show unique and special. Seeing people vibing out and enjoying our music makes it feel like we’re all creating it together. That positivity makes us feel like we can really be ourselves on stage and I think that translates into the crowd feeling like they can really be themselves too. It’s a beautiful thing!

Mirth- How do you stay focused on wellness and keeping healthy while touring?

Joe – Touring can be very dynamic, challenging, and rewarding all at the same time. There can be aspects that are easy and enjoyable for some and difficult for others, so everyone deals with it all in their own way. Over the years, I’ve found that I feel the most peaceful and centered when I can maintain a schedule with some sort of positive structured physical activity, so I make sure I continue that even on tour. A lot of times I’ll wake up a few hours before van call and find a local gym or go for a run. Sometimes the schedule or location adds an extra layer of challenge, but I just adjust and do something else. If I can’t strength train I run, no place to run maybe a long walk, if I can’t walk I do HIIT, if I can’t do that I do breath work. Just doing something physical (usually in the morning) makes me feel like I’ve completed a challenge and now the day and whatever comes with it is easier after that and I can approach it with my best self.

Mirth- What is your dream collaboration?

Joe – It would be awesome to do a tour with someone in the Americana/country space. Someone like Sturgill Simpson, Margo Price, or Lukas Nelson where we can do some bluegrass and country stuff but also get outside the box and have some fun across some other genres. I always enjoy getting to know people’s influences and messing around to make something new. I feel like we’d have a good time making music with someone like that. 

Mirth- Do you have any favorite venue or festival to play?

Carson – I’d have to say for a favorite festival our most recent festival we played , Jam Cruise, is one of coolest and most unique festivals we’ve played.  They had one of the best lineups I could ever imagine for jam bands and I got to see some artists that were and are very influential to me. Some other fests I love are Shakori Hills, Albino Skunk Fest, and Suwanee. 

Mirth- What are you looking forward to this year?

Carson – The two plays that I’m most excited for are Bourbon and Beyond Fest in Louisville, KY and another fest in Colorado called Rhythms On the Rio. We’ve never played these festivals before but I’ve heard amazing things about them and look forward to the experience.

Mirth- What are you currently listening to

Carson – Anything from ambient indie rock like Billie Toppy with its cool bass lines to Steely Dan with its Vibiness, Umphreys McGee, Medeski Martin and Wood and Janet Jackson.

Mirth- And, The best advice you’ve been given? 

Michael – The best advice I got was from my dad and it was “Don’t be afraid to fail”. This helped me gain the confidence to put myself in uncomfortable and new situations. Musically I’ve been able to explore many different scenes and different types of music. Some gave me new and insightful experiences that helped me grow and sometimes I failed, but learned from those experiences as well.

Mirth- Anyone have any side projects?

Michael – No side projects of my own but I do  play a handful of wedding gigs with Emerald Empire Band each year. Also the occasional gig with my old band The Fritz and some casual jazz gigs with players in the Asheville community.

Mirth- What do you want fans or future fans to know?

Michael – I’d like fans to know that they are an active participant in the music. Their energy drives us and we drive them. It’s a symbiotic experience that creates something wonderful which could not exist without us and them together.