Josh Clevenstine – Interview – Thanks for Asking!

Josh Clevenstine – Interview – Thanks for Asking! – by Liam Sweeny.

RRX: Music genres are difficult for some artists. Some strictly adhere; others not so much. What is your perspective on the genre you play, or the genres you hover around?

JC: I was getting set up for a gig at the Adirondack VFW in Glens Falls NY. One of the vets asked me what kind of music I play and, while I did my best to think of suitable answer, my buddy Pete DelSignore replied, “He plays Adirondack Americana Folk Music,” – I nodded in approval at Pete’s spot on summary. My passion is carrying on the tradition of Adirondack Folk Music and, if you give me the green light, I will play 2-3 hours of ADK tunes. But, I also know that as a guy who plays breweries and bar-rooms on the regular, I’ve gotta have some covers ready. So that’s where I like to explore the word, “Americana.”  For me that’s the classic country/blues/rock of Johnny Cash, Townes Van Zandt, Waylon Jennings, Tom Petty, Skynyrd, and some of the newer guys like Colter Wall, Cody Jinks and Whitey Morgan. I’ve been known to cover Metallica as well.. they’re pretty, “American.” I think you’ll hear all of that in the original songs I write. It’s hard to drive an 18 wheeler for a living and NOT develop a taste for that style of music. The stuff I’m currently writing falls into this rather large, yet specific, pocket.

RRX: We all get a little support from those around us. And we also can be impressed by our fellow performers. Who do you admire in your community, and why?

JC: Great question! I’m really blessed in this department. Rob Fleming (rhoseway) has been a close friend of mine for many years. He’s encouraged me from the earliest days of me playing solo gigs. He has also recorded and produced both of my full-length albums and my Christmas split. We both play out regularly and if one of us finds a new place we like, we direct the other to it.

Another one would the Schenectady based group, “The Sugarhold.” They sell merch that says, “no one has more fun than The Sugarhold,” and they back that up!  Not only are they a riot, they are tight, sonically pleasing and very good at what they do! I’ve known their drummer Jesse Winchester (*great dude*) for years – he’s helped me a ton with gear.  Their singer Mikey Baish has blown me away with his kindness in terms of telling various local music media outlets about me and getting more eyes and ears on what I’m doing. Mikey runs, “Jive Hive Live,” and has had me out to one of those – I love what they’ve got going on there. I think the friendship with, “The Sugarhold,” is a cool one. Typically folks may not think Adirondack Americana would mix with Surf Party Groove Rock… but we prove otherwise!

Dan Berggren is an Adirondack Folk Legend who still plays out regularly both by himself and with his trio, The Jamcrackers, (Peggy Lynn & Dan Duggan).  Dan has recorded with me, shared song writing wisdom, and has helped show me how to follow well in his, and his friends’, footsteps in carrying on the Adirondack Folk Music tradition.

Chris Shaw is retired, but he has been a friend, mentor, producer and guide for many years now. He has helped me find my voice and my playing technique. The story of Adirondack Folk Music cannot be told without Chris. His debut album, “Adirondack,” absolutely deserves its place in the Smithsonian’s Library of Congress as the example of Adirondack Folk Music.

Both Chris and Dan let me cover their songs all the time and love that I want to carry on the legacy that they carried/grew for so many years.

I could list many more but I’m already getting long winded here… John Kirk, Brian Melick, Sara Milonovich, Jordan Spencer, Still-A-Tank… you all rule.

Oh! And everyone at WEXT.. not exactly a band…. But man those guys support local music and put it out there like no one, or nothing else, does!

RRX: Cover art is cool. It shows listeners what the artist thinks the album is all about. Because music can be felt visually. If you had to give the public a visual image that you think they would see and just “get” your groove right away, what would it be?

JC: One of two things:

It would probably be a locally loved pub/brewery in the Adirondacks that has been around for years but doesn’t take itself too seriously, full of friends/family that are all united by their love for music that celebrates the region, the people and the hard work required to call that region home. Music unites in a powerful way and gathers crowds that wouldn’t otherwise be near each other.

The other would truly be the cover of my new album, “By My Fire Again – An Adirondack Album.”  Me, with my guitar by a fire at a canoe access only camp site that I’ve been going to since I was a kid. I sat by that fire ring at Mason Lake for so many years learning to play tunes by Chris Shaw & Dan Berggren.  That’s where I proposed to my wife, Ashley and it’s the lake I named my late first dog after. It’s what my song, “Mason,” is all about!

RRX: What historical era would you like to visit if the sole purpose was to put together a Battle of the Bands? How would you set it up?

JC: I’d say the early ‘90s back when Adirondack Folk Music was really booming. Every general store/gift shop inside The Blue Line sold the CD’s AND TAPES of Chris Shaw, Dan Berggren, Roy Hurd, Bill Smith, Bridget Ball and the like. Those guys all played festivals and concerts together, concerts together and separately, and the scene was a very good one. It went this way for a long time. This was also back when album sales were a legitimate thing!

I wouldn’t wanna, “battle,” with these guys,  but it would’ve been cool to be a part of that scene back then.

I do get a taste of that these days. I’ve gotten to play with Chris and Dan, I’ve played pavilions at campgrounds and I’ve played a few programs put on by The Folklife Center at Crandall Library.

But then again, because I was a young pup in the early ‘90s.. that’s why I can have the fire, drive, ability and desire to keep this music going at age 37 in 2025!

RRX: Would you rather have one of your songs blow up and make you a one-hit wonder and household name, or would you rather have all your songs be solidly received, but no chart-climbers? (You have to pick one or the other here.)

JC: I love this question. It makes you think. I just paid rent, I’d rather not look at my banking app at the moment.. so it’s tempting to be greedy and say, “one hit wonder,” buttttt….. money comes and goes. God always provides.

I mean it when I say that I want to see the tradition and legacy of Adirondack Folk Music carried on. These songs have been a friend to me for my whole life and I know many others who would say the same. I want that for future generations, for my nieces and nephews, and if Ashley and I have kids.. I want them to have this music to listen to! I think the way that legacy gets carried on is by honestly writing songs that are loaded with heart, passion, history, and the grit of the Adirondacks. A one hit wonder won’t do this – a foundation of tunes as strong as granite in Barton Mines will. So that’s what I aim for… honest hard working Adirondack songs. Hopefully people enjoy them!

RRX: How does practice go? Is the road practice enough, or do you have a practice shack? If so, how does it look? What’s on the walls? What cool sh*t is in there?

JC: Almost all of my practice and writing takes place in the big rig at work. I spend a lot of time on loading docks with the 18 wheeler. I make it my business to put that time to use either writing/practicing music, booking gigs, writing articles, or doing things like this! There isn’t much on the walls of this truck that will jump out as musically inspiring to others, but I know the story of why I’m in this rig. I remember the drives, the years I ran the Adirondacks delivering livestock feed, the way life had fallen apart and got put back together by a mix of trucking, music and Providence. There is no shortage of inspiration in this truck. It’s also a great place to swing and miss – only the windshield hears me!

RRX: Is there a favorite time of year? What time of year does the band have the most shows? Is there a recurring thing in the year that’s particularly memorable?

I stay pretty busy year round between the day job and music. It’s rare I have a weekend off and I’m fine with that. I do try to keep Sundays free for my wife and I. As my music has grown, it’s been cool to see the gigs taking different shapes and forms during certain seasons. It’s neat to see more bookings up at and by Gore Mtn during winter. It’s cool to play outside at so many great breweries/bars in and near the Adirondacks in the warmer months. This past November I did back to back weekends at a pub called Logan’s in Speculator NY. It was in the middle of rifle season for deer and the gigs were packed with guys and gals from nearby hunting camps – it was a great time for ADK tunes.