The Avett Brothers

avettbrothers.com
When people ask Scott and Seth Avett how long they've been playing music they'll usually say, "forever." Though, under the name The Avett Brothers, they've only been playing for a relatively short amount of time. Yet, the Avett's sound is indicative of a lifetime of development and an implicit partnership.
In 1998, during the time of the Avett's rock band, Nemo, Scott began getting together with some friends and other flat-pickers on Tuesday nights in Greenville, NC to drink liquor, play acoustic bluegrass and country music, and occasionally perform on the street. Having gained an interest in acoustic music after meeting Doc Watson at an early age, Seth joined in and they called the gatherings "The Back Porch Project" or "Nemo Downstairs." During this time, Seth and Scott started writing originals over the phone and would throw them in during the get-togethers. As time passed and 2000 rolled around, the Avetts, with friend and fellow Nemo guitarist, John Twomey, compiled a 6-song, self-titled record under the moniker The Avett Brothers. The three also began playing sporadic acoustic shows in their off time from Nemo.
Around Halloween in 2001, Nemo fell apart. At first, Scott, Seth and long-time friend Kenny Graham wanted to carry on, but they soon came to the realization it was time to move forward. Scott and Seth fell back on the acoustic music they had been crafting, realizing that it was more accessible than Nemo's brazen, rock sound. During this time, the Avetts also parted ways with Twomey. Seth testified, "John is a great guitarist, we just knew it was right to part ways at the time."
In January of 2002, after several months of songwriting and a few performances with various players, The Avett Brothers entered Pat Gauthier's studio in Marshville, NC to record their first album, Country Was. It was during that time that the Avetts realized the music they were making was special, more natural and truthful than anything they'd created before. It was also during that time that stand-up bassist Bob Crawford became a permanent member of The Avett Brothers. After a self-booked, 11-state, 2-month summer tour, endless amounts of regional shows, and traveling to promote the Country Was album, the boys took a break in late 2002 to prepare to record the follow-up.
To kick off 2003, The Avett Brothers returned to the Gauthier's Marshville, NC recording studio to begin work on their new material. However, this time the Avetts were prepared for the job. Unlike the past, where the songs were written and recorded without being toured on or played in a live setting, the majority of the new songs were thoroughly worked through and developed. With this confidence, the Avetts aimed to nail the intensity of their infamous live shows. As the Avetts stated, "we went in, more than ever, knowing exactly what we wanted to do. There were no questions or fogginess, which can show insecurity in the musician and in the band." Seth, Scott and Bob knew the exact purpose of each song and understood through and through the meaning behind each lyric. After 70 hours in the studio, The Avett Brothers emerged with A Carolina Jubilee, a paramount representation of the Avett's journey so far.
The album, like The Avett Brothers, is a mixture of old-time country, bluegrass, pop melodies, folk, rock n' roll, honky-tonk and ragtime. Listeners merely need one spin through the album to realize the breadth and depth of the Avett's music. The infectious "Love Like The Movies," the get-up-and-go of the opener, "The Traveling Song," the heartache of "Pretty Girl From Annapolis", and the somber "Smoke In Our Lights" show the range of emotion and conviction within the songwriting. The overall sound is without the need of a label, because frankly none would do the music the justice. It's simply left up to each person to extract his or her own account from the Avett's music.
The only thing that is certain about The Avett Brothers' future is that it will be filled with shows, shows, and more shows. Over the past year, the trio have made known that half of what makes them great are their live performances, which have proven to entertain and enchant a wide, diverse audience. It's the intensity at which the Avetts pour their angst, heartache and love into each show that has captivated crowds across the country. And it's those audience reactions that propel The Avett Brothers to continue. Scott Avett explained, "When people hear what we're saying in our songs and listening to things for the right reasons - when they get quiet when we're playing - it's a blessing. To know that somebody has a problem in their life that we can temporarily soothe… that's what it's all about."
The Avett Brothers have high goals for their music. Beyond selling records, touring endlessly, and winning over new fans, the Avetts hope to continue to create music that will provoke thought, change perceptions and simply bring something new into the world. Starting a little revolution isn't too much to hope for. Right?

Review by Greg Yost, Rockzillaworld Magazine:
MerleFest, an annual event held at Wilkes Community College in the picturesque mountains of Wilkesboro, North Carolina, was created in 1988 by the venerable Doc Watson to honor the memory of his son Merle and the music they performed together. Throughout the years, this festival has thrived by preserving traditional American acoustic musical styles like bluegrass and old-time music and the artists that kept these genres alive. Though trends have come and gone in the world of Americana music, not much has changed over the 15+ years that MerleFest has been around, that is until a little trio from Concord, North Carolina took the stage on the second day of this year's festival.(Left: Avett Brothers at Merlefest 2005.)
The Avett Brothers are unlike any other band in Americana music today. With a potent combination of talent, charm and charisma, these guys break new musical ground by bringing a punk rock attitude to the world of traditional acoustic country. While they have done some great things in the recording studio, The Avett Brothers are known for their live performances and the raw energy and emotion they put into them.
Most songs feature more stomping, whooping, flailing and shouting than an old fashioned southern revival and the crowd eats it up. It would be easy for this band to come across as strictly a novelty act on-stage, but all the sound and fury of the performance only helps to accentuate the great collection of songs at the core of this band. By combining terrific songwriting with an unmatched stage presence, The Avett Brothers are one of the freshest and most promising bands in music today. And even though 2005 wasn't the band's first appearance at MerleFest, they soon became the talk of the event.
The Austin Stage at MerleFest, nestled at the base of steep, tree-lined hill at the center of campus, was the site for the band's first of four appearances over the weekend. The hillside, which was packed with music fans, erupted with applause as Scott Avett, Seth Avett and Bob Crawford took the stage. This site had hosted performances by artists like Jim Lauderdale, Tim O'Brien and the up-and-coming Old School Freight Train earlier in the day, but the crowd reaction to The Avett Brothers' appearance was by far the biggest.
Though the set was filled with the kind of "technical difficulties" that come from the merciless beating Scott Avett bestows upon his banjo on a regular basis, the crowd responded throughout the short performance by cheering and singing along with almost every song.
The band wrapped this first performance of the weekend with its usual closer, "Salvation Song" from 2004's stellar album Mignonette, but the crowd wouldn't let them get away that easy. Following a prolonged standing ovation, The Avett Brothers were called back to the stage for an encore, one of the few allowed throughout the tightly-scheduled festival.
If there was a quiet buzz surrounding The Avett Brothers prior to the performance at the Austin Stage, it became undeniably obvious as the roar of the crowd faded through the woods surrounding campus. People were talking about this band and planning the rest of their weekend at the festival around its next three performances. (Left: The Avett Brothers at Merlefest 2005)
As the festival progressed, the venue for The Avett Brothers got bigger and bigger. Saturday afternoon found the boys playing to a packed field at the Americana stage and they didn't fail to please. The quiet beauty of "November Blue" was countered by the overt aggression of "I Killed Sally's Lover," and Seth's solo acoustic version of "My Last Song to Jenny" was a highlight of the performance.

On Sunday, the final day of MerleFest, the band got the morning started with an appearance at the Hillside Stage. Though it was a significant set for the band, it served as a warm-up for The Avett Brothers' brief but triumphant turn at the Cabin Stage, one of the showcase venues at the festival. Located next to the festival's main stage, The Cabin Stage allows performers to play for tens of thousands of people between sets by the headlining acts, and provided the band with its largest audience of the weekend. The Avett Brothers took the stage by storm and culled another standing ovation from the crowd a task not easily accomplished. Although it is anything but traditional, The Avett Brothers made its mark on MerleFest by outshining some of the biggest names in Americana music today. In three short days, the band won over a significant portion of the 82,000+ hardcore devotees gathered to celebrate traditional acoustic music a true testament to the power of this band.