Bozeman Magazine

Anyone familiar with the Americana music scene knows this Upstate, New York-based band has cut their teeth on a killer live show. With a never-ending tour schedule and a steady buzz, they have built a very solid underground fan base. “The game has been live shows and nose to the ground since the beginning,” says guitarist/songwriter Dan Forsyth.

As well as a devout following and a sizable discography, the band’s hard work has also been a huge part of the inspiration for their music. The songs and arrangements have grown out of time spent on the road, growing closer, learning with and from each other and weathering the up’s and down’s of the journey together. “We have a truly special bond creatively and personally. It’s the driving force behind the music,” violinist/songwriter Claire Byrne adds.

It is with this bond, patience, determination and undying mutual love and respect for music, the road, and their friendship, they have approached their latest offering, ‘Tree of Shade.’

“I’m struck by the gratitude that making music with my best friends/my other family brings,” says guitarist/songwriter Joe Kollar. “Even our producer (Simone Felice) and the engineer (Pete Hanlon) became brothers in this process. Laying out some of your most intimate moments and showing the rawest version of yourself is both scary and exhilarating but more importantly, it reminds you why you chose music as the vehicle. It’s the ’66 Corvette that will always take me back to the beauty and power of a group of people setting out to make something together.”

Their first album with a major producer, ‘Tree of Shade’ is a testament to the essence of a song. Working alongside Felice, the band found themselves stripping things back way more than they normally would. “Simone was all about finding the essence of the song and doing our best to bring it out without distorting it or taking the arrangement too far.”

The first single off of the Spring 2019 release is ‘Lay Like You Do,’ a stripped down heartbreaker. “This was one of those songs that came out faster than I could write it down and seemed sort of like plucking an apple off a tree,” admits Forsyth. “The melody and chorus came out of a dream and when I woke up, I wrote the rest real fast.”

With the addition of drummer Will Sigel in April 2018, Driftwood feels like a new band. “Will has elevated our sound without changing the intimate dynamic that is Driftwood,” observes bassist Joey Arcuri. With this added momentum and a new album, a nationwide tour is set in support of ‘Tree of Shade.’

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