In an interview with Local Spins, guitarist Dave Bruzza opens up about the new album and 2022 touring. Plus, listen to the Local Spins on WYCE podcast, with the debut of new tracks by Michigan artists.
‘Quite the Process’: The songwriting for Greensky Bluegrass’ new ‘Stress Dreams’ began in early 2020. (Photo/Anna Sink)
SCROLL DOWN FOR RADIO SHOW AND FULL PODCAST INTERVIEW WITH BRUZZA
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When Kalamazoo’s Greensky Bluegrass started “as a fun thing to do” with regular jams more than two decades ago at Bell’s Brewery and Grand Rapids’ Radio Tavern, band members were just learning the bluegrass ropes.
The notion of becoming a nationally acclaimed bluegrass powerhouse that’s toured the globe wasn’t part of the plan – if there even was a plan.
“There was no intention from the beginning to do what we’ve been doing,” conceded guitarist Dave Bruzza, who’s actually a drummer at heart.
Kalamazoo Native: Dave Bruzza says West Michigan remains a special place for Greensky Bluegrass. (Photo/Anna Sink)
“It’s definitely morphed into something. I’m extremely grateful for the life that I’ve had. I’m 41 years old with a 21-year career. … I’ve slept in all 50 states. That’s pretty impressive!”
Greensky’s unexpected, epic journey as a band is also reflected in the unexpected, epic title track from the band’s upcoming new studio album, “Stress Dreams,” being released on Jan. 21.
Written by bassist Mike Devol, the psychedelic, eight-minute progressive bluegrass gem is enhanced by the stunning addition of gorgeous organ and piano work by Holly Bowling, a member of the band Ghost Light and frequent collaborator with Phil Lesh.
“We always joke about her being the sixth member of the band,” Bruzza told Local Spins in an interview from his home in Denver, Colo.
“She’s just an incredible musician and an incredible person. It just felt right. It was really kind of the perfect track for to play on and collaborate with.”
Scroll down to listen to the title track and “Absence of Reason” from the new album as part of this week’s Local Spins on WYCE radio show podcast. Watch a video for the album track “Grow Together” here.
VIDEO: Greensky Bluegrass, “Grow Together”
What Bruzza describes as “a very visual song” on the new album is not the only surprise on a 13-track recording that was a long time coming, with band members first starting to write and share demos in early 2020 when the pandemic set in.
They eventually met in Colorado in August that year for “a closer look” at the songs, then started recording at Guilford Sound in Vermont in late September 2020. They eventually wrapped things up with two sessions at Echo Mountain Recording in Asheville, N.C., with the album co-produced by two Michigan natives: Dominic John Davis (Jack White) and Glenn Brown.
SO UNIQUE ‘TO COME FROM A SMALL TOWN LIKE KALAMAZOO AND DO THESE THINGS’
While Bruzza calls it “a really good collection of songs” that “work together,” there’s no underlying theme like some of the group’s past albums.
“This is kind of a little different because we recorded so many songs that didn’t make it onto the cut of the record,” he noted, conceding that assembling “Stress Dreams” was “quite the process” due to the challenges of the ongoing pandemic.
That’s also why band members – Bruzza, Devol, mandolinist Paul Hoffman, banjoist Michael Bont and Dobro player Anders Beck – are so pumped up about getting back on the road, with a jam-packed 2022 ahead.
An initial tour with The Infamous Stringdusters kicks off Jan. 20 in Albany, N.Y., eventually swinging into Michigan for a Feb. 18 concert at The Fillmore Detroit.
The Boys in the Band: Greensky Bluegrass has a busy winter on the road. (Publicity Photo)
A host of high-profile festival appearances also are on tap, including a return to Michigan for June’s Camp Greensky Music Festival (which the band hosts) and appearances at MerleFest in North Carolina, Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado, High Sierra Festival in California and Northwest String Summit in Oregon.
“It’s going to be really nice to get back out there and play,” Bruzza said, noting that live shows are critical for band members’ and fans’ mental health. “Just like everyone else, we have to work. This is my livelihood, as well as the rest of the crew and organization.”
The band, naturally, has special affection for its Michigan shows and fan base. Last summer, Greensky hosted a three-night mini-fest at Shagbark Farm outside Caledonia, then played its traditional two-night stand at Kalamazoo’s State Theatre on Thanksgiving weekend.
While Bont is the only group member still residing in Kalamazoo, Bruzza made it crystal clear that Greensky is still a Kalamazoo band.
“To come from a small town like Kalamazoo and go out and do these things, it’s very unique. Kalamazoo is a special place,” said Bruzza, who grew up in Kalamazoo.
“To come back to Michigan is always really, really special.”
Before that, of course, Greensky will roll out “Stress Dreams,” the band’s first full-length studio album since 2019’s “All for Money.”
And Michigan fans who’ve long followed this beloved Kalamazoo outfit will certainly embrace these lyrics from “Grow Together”:
‘No matter how far we’ve come/Still the same thing on my mind/That we can grow old together/If we can find the time.’
PODCAST: Dave Bruzza – The Full Local Spins Interview
This week’s edition of Local Spins on WYCE — which showcases regional music at 11 a.m. Friday on WYCE (88.1 FM) and online at wyce.org — also featured new music from Chirp, John Piatek & Friends, Jake Kershaw, Paul Creason, Big Timmy & The Heavy Chevys and Pajamas, as well as tracks by Full Cord, Porter Kenyon and Third Coast Swing. Listen to the radio show here.
PODCAST: Local Spins on WYCE (1/14/22)
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