Photo of Serene Green by Brittany Lee
Written by Elise Olmstead
There’s nothing better than a peaceful festival with good people in the Pennsylvania mountains, and Grateful Acres Productions has been bringing us these great events for years. In fact, this is the sixth Zucchini Moon, coming up next week, July 13-16, 2017, on a “peaceful property” known as Rainbow’s End in Lenoxville, PA. This family friendly festival features bands in genres ranging from jam to bluegrass with Artists at Large Anthony Hannigan & Eric Harvey, and Master of Ceremonies Whiskey ‘Stache.
When talking to Grateful Acres Productions founder Dick Anderson, he was very enthusiastic about one band on his lineup in particular– Serene Green. “These guys are going places,” he said, so The Jamwich reached out to them to learn more about this local up-and-coming band.
I see you won the “Outstanding Bluegrass Fusion Band in 2015” award, congratulations on that! What does the term ‘Bluegrass Fusion’ mean to you and how do you embody that?
The term “fusion” was moreso just a category in the awards, and not so much a term that we use to describe ourselves.
Our sound emphasizes the more “traditional” bluegrass sound, meaning we stick to the instrumentation, song structure, rhythm, and the roles of each instrument to create a traditional bluegrass sound. We do, however, take from other styles and influences when writing our own music, so there is some blending of genres although we tend to keep it grassy.
Who are some bands that you would consider influences of your music?
We listen to a wide range of bluegrass bands and artists, each offering something different than the next. Some of our favorite singing groups are Del McCoury Band, Blue Highway, and Hot Rize. Some of our favorite instrumentalists who we also draw influence from are Tony Rice, David Grisman, and Tony Trischka.
Do you currently have any albums or EPs out? Are you working on any currently?
We just released our first studio album, “To Whom it Pertains”. It features ten original songs and instrumentals written by each of the band’s members.
What song do you think would be a good song for a first time listener to discover your music?
“World’s Most Interesting Man” is one of the songs on the album which showcases the band’s vocals, playing, and overall energy.
Why are you excited to play Zucchini Moon? Have you worked with Grateful Acres Productions before?
We’ve done a number of festivals with Grateful Acres Productions and loved every one. They’re great people whose passion is evident in all the hard work they put into these festivals. Zucchini Moon in particular will be fun for us because we’re doing two sets with some talented pickers who we’ve looked up to for a long time. One set with Pappy and Anthony Hannigan, and another with MiZ.
Why do you enjoy playing festivals?
Festivals are a good opportunity for people to discover new music they wouldn’t otherise be exposed to. We always enjoy listening to the other bands, hanging with friends, and the campground jams that come with the festival experience. Music is about community, and festivals are the epitome of that connection.
