The Constables — 15 February 2023 on Rocket Shop Radio Hour

The Constables joined guest host Nico Zachman on ‘Rocket Shop,’ Big Heavy World’s weekly local Vermont music radio hour on 105.9 FM The Radiator. Catch up with them at facebook.com/theconstablesvt

On Wednesday, February 15, guest host Nico Zackman was joined by The Constables, a lively roots rock and Americana band based in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.

The Constables is the collaborative project of Dan Keenan and Ben Matthews, on bass and guitar, respectively, with both taking turns stepping up to the vocal mic, and occasionally trading in the guitar for a banjo! Their spare but solid duo style shines in different ways on all of their songs, but is captured well by the opener of Wednesday’s set, a song titled “Green Mountain Farmer.”  Ben’s expressive fingerstyle guitar, woven into the steady, solid pulse of Dan’s upright bass, forms the instrumental backbone for a lyrically-driven song that celebrates and honors the difficult lifestyle of Vermont’s many food producers. 

Although rooted in the tradition of Americana music, with strong inspiration drawn from bluegrass, the duo’s songwriting influences are wide-ranging, including an admiration of the explosive energy of punk rock, and even inspiration drawn from hip-hop. Ben’s personal interest in the genre was first sparked when his cousin showed him the artist Common. “I really started to understand the complexity of the rhythms, and how interesting the melodies were,” he said. Dan and Ben also bonded over a shared appreciation for rap, including the artist Killer Mike. “I’m waiting on ‘Run the Jewels 5’ right now!” Said Dan. This influence may be surprising to a listener who recognizes the band’s more explicitly integrated stylistic palettes, like bluegrass, but it is nonetheless a part of their sound, and is evident in the Constable’s attitude, which is rhythmic, playful, and energetic. 

This sound is exemplified by the band’s closing number, “Who Lit the Fire,” a foot-stomping, macabre blues shout that features a dynamic, cascading banjo part. The banjo locks in with Dan’s thumping upright bass to create a spidery, sooty backdrop for the song’s raw and bluesy vocals. The song builds to a whirling intensity, and concludes with the two musicians belting, in unison the evocative repeated line of the chorus, “Who lit the fire, who put it out?” The sudden silence at the end of the song underscored the composition’s intensity; “Well, that’s punk rock for you!” said Ben.

You can catch The Constables this spring at an April 27 show at the Essex House & Tavern in Island Pond, Vermont. For updates on upcoming events, concerts and other news from the band, you can find them on Facebook and Instagram, or by following the links in their Linktree.   

Text by Gideon Parker

Monochrome photo by James Lockridge