Something With Strings and Jamie Bright on the Taz Michaels Show

Photos by Brianna Christenson.

Something With Strings interview by Skyler Lendway.

First up on the Taz Michaels Show last night was Something with Strings, a Burlington based group who draw their musical influences up out of bluegrass roots. The five-man group — Adam Howard on guitar, Matt Francis on mandolin, Patrick Giblin on banjo, Luke Fox on bass and Matt Vaughan on percussion – runs with those roots through any number of genres, from blues to funk, to metal and rock. The jams they brought to the show last night were upbeat and quick, stomping to the solid beat of Vaughan's bass drum. The string riffs were each intricate in their own right, and the shared vocal were every bit as quick as the fingers and picks. The group described being on air for the first time with one word: Fun. “It feels more like practice than a show,” Fox admitted, “and it's weird not being able to see the audience.”

When asked about interests outside of music, the guys just laughed. “We're really about the music/pizza/beer scene,” Vaughan joked, “and we all hang out together.” They also chuckled about the slogan found all over their site: Deep down, everyone loves bluegrass. “Everyone doesn't have to love bluegrass, but a lot of people don't think they like bluegrass. When they hear us, they realize it's really approachable, and that's what we're about.”

While several members of the group have known each other since grade school, the group as it stands is relatively new. “Something with Strings is a result,” explained Giblin. “We've been playing together forever, Adam and I, but we just didn't persue it much in college. We're trying to be more aggressive now.” The group has a couple more shows lined up in Burlington (including a performance down at the Skinny Pancake this Friday) and are considering attending the Cambridge Music Festival this summer.

To learn more about Something with Strings, check them out on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Something-with-Strings/55236899137

Jamie Bright with Shannon and Taz. Photo by Brianna Christenson.