by Brittany Hobson
“Where words fail…music speaks.” Visit Elephant Revival’s official website and you are greeted with these words. These sentiments certainly ring for the group consisting of Sage Cook (banjo, guitar, mandolin, tenor banjo, bass, fiddle), Bridget Law (fiddle, octave fiddle), Bonnie Paine (washboard, djembe, musical saw, stompbox), Daniel Rodriguez (guitar, banjo, bass), and Dango Rose (double-bass, mandolin, banjo). Hailing from Nederland, Colorado these gypsy-like souls tell tales sure to be a favourite among the “granola culture.” Their latest album These Changing Skies is sure to have something for everyone including the Celtic inspired instrumental piece “The Pasture,” a gradual, cinematic explosion of folk goodness that encompasses “Down to Sea,” and the whirlwind of djembe infused rhythms that take over “Rogue River,” a song akin to the sounds of drumming circles found in the wee hours of the morning on Pope’s Hill. Gearing up for their time at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Stylus chatted with Daniel to discuss summer plans, their latest album, and the juggernaut that is the Winnipeg Folk Festival.
Stylus: How’s your summer been going?
Daniel Rodriguez: The summer’s been going really well for me and for Elephant Revival. We’re about to play Red Rocks which has been a kind of premier venue out here. It’s such a beautiful place and we’re all really really excited to be playing it. I have been producing a hip-hop record which is unusual for me and that’s been going really well, so, the summer thus far has been going really well.
Stylus: You guys released your latest album, These Changing Skies, last year, what’s the reception been like from critics and fans since the release?
DR: I think the reception has been really wonderful. I haven’t heard one bad critique yet. Radio has been picking it up and our fans really love it and luckily our fans love all of our albums but even the band members like it so that’s a good testament too. I can listen to it from front to back and not have to skip a song so that’s a great sign for me too.
Stylus: Do you think a sense of cohesion has formed between you guys as a group the longer you play together?
DR: Yeah, I think there is an element to that. Our first album, we were so fresh as a band and I have very little critique of my own to say about that album in terms of I wish we did this or I wish we did that. But it’s on a later album where I feel I could have spent a little more time on certain things or done this or done that. So, I have been thinking about this lately where it’s not the fact that the cohesion wasn’t there, it was just maybe variables/elements that were happening in the studio that weren’t healthy or something like that, where on this newest album we recorded it at Bear Creek and we lived out there. We ate and we slept and we breathed the album and I think it really shows when I listen to it that we just put all that time and energy to making a beautiful album.
Stylus: I know that you guys like to incorporate a sort of environmentally conscious tone into your music, is that something you intentionally incorporate?
DR: I can speak for me personally and I can speak for the whole band, it’s something we all talk about and it’s something we are constantly thinking about and I think it’s something that is unavoidable. These days I think everybody should be thinking about it and it’s just natural to be talking about it, thinking about it, and singing about it. It’s no longer the elephant in the room it’s the elephant that’s staring everybody in the face. If you can reach an audience that is more than just yourself then I think it’s worth talking about and unfortunately sometimes that turns people away but those who have ears shall hear.
Stylus: I’ve read your music described as “transcendental folk”, “experimental folk,” or “music with a progressive edge” but how would you best describe your music?
DR: I don’t know… It certainly has with, Bridget on the violin, a Celtic element to it and of course us traveling around and playing folk songs it adds kind of a gypsy element to it because we are living our lives on the road. But if I had to sum it up in like a phrase I’d have to say, “Come out to our show and you tell us how it sounds.” It’s so hard to pinpoint exactly what we’re doing and put words to it because it’s all so vastly different. It’s so many styles coming together from five different people just blending in to this new sound and I don’t really know if there are words to describe it yet.
Stylus: So, I know that we just talking about the live recording that took place at Bear Creek, have you guys ever thought about recording a live album and if so any ideal locations?
DR: We talk about it all the time and we’re going to do that I just don’t know when. There’s a beautiful place in Boulder, Colorado called Chautauqua House that’s a really old, huge barn. A lot of music has been played there and it just sounds wonderful. Maybe we’ll get a good recording at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.
Stylus: Perfect segway into my next question then. Is there anything you are excited about hearing, seeing, doing, or performing with at the festival?
DR: The line-up is just amazing. I think this is one of the most amazing line-ups of a festival that we’ve ever played. I’m hugely excited to check out all the bands that have been people I have looked up to my whole life. We got to hang out and meet Bonnie Raitt’s guitar player and he was talking about hanging out with us at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, so we really look forward to that. Something we really love about the Canadian festivals, in particular, are the workshops. That’s something that’s really been fun and enlightening for us. In the States we don’t really have that and it’s kind of like a separatism sort of thing. With the Canadian festivals it just seems equal, everybody’s equal, and you can be in a workshop in the morning and be playing with someone that you’ve loved your whole life and you’re intermingling with all these musicians. It’s just so much fun and we really enjoy being at these festivals.
Stylus: I want to thank you for chatting with us today and any parting words for our readers today?
DR: Be aware of your passions. Live life to its fullest. Sounds so cliché but gosh if we could all do that then we’d be on our way.
Elephant Revival will be playing Main Stage at the Winnipeg Folk Festival Sunday July 13th from 7:25 to 8:30 pm.