SONG PREMIERE: Masontown Juxtapose Folk Balladry and Funky Bluegrass Sound on “Cambric Shirt”

Masontown is a young band but you’d hardly know it from listening to their enchanting sound that feels like the band members have been playing together for years. Hailing from the hotbed of the Colorado roots music scene, Masontown’s sound is an exciting and eclectic take on the American acoustic tradition. At once fresh and familiar, the group unites the sounds of bluegrass, old-time, folk, and new acoustic music into a sonic melting pot that harkens back to our deep musical traditions while remaining defiantly modern in conception. Masontown is a band on the move, driven to delight the ears, touch the hearts, and move the feet of generations of music lovers in Colorado and far beyond.

On October 13th the group will release their debut album In This Time, a collection of mostly original songs that highlight the instrumental prowess of the players as well as keen songwriting skills. Each band member comes from a unique background, with jazz guitarist turned flat-picking sensation Eric Wiggs (guitar/vocals), veteran bluegrass mandolin player and composer Mike Canney, fiddle champion and classical violinist Natalie Padilla (fiddle/vocals) and an upright bassist with roots running deep in the classical and jazz traditions Bradley Morse all bringing their own magic to the table.

Today Glide is excited to premiere “Cambric Shirt”, one of the standout tracks on In This Time. The song has a rootsy shuffle feel to it as the group sings harmonizes loosely and Natalie Padilla lends her fiddle skills to create an infectious bounce to the music. This being a bluegrass act more or less, each band member gets ample time to solo, giving it the possibility to be a nice little jam vehicle in the live setting. “Cambric Shirt” captures a young band all locked in as a unit, but not afraid to have a good time. 

Reflecting on the inspiration behind the song, Eric Wiggs has this to say:

“The lyrics are from a book of old folk ballads that Mike Canney, our mandolinist, found at a used bookstore in Denver. Loosely based on verses from one of the many versions of ‘Scarborough Fair’, this setting of words comes from Maine at the turn of the century. While reading through, one line struck me, ‘Blow, winds, blow’ and I thought it would make a nice hook for the tune. The rhythmic feel was inspired by a New Orleans second-line groove, and I liked the juxtaposition of these old words, with this funky beat. The final product embodies the impetus of the band: blending modern and traditional sounds.”

LISTEN:

Masontown release In This Time on October 13th. For more music and info check out masontownmusic.com.