Millstone Rounders – An Xperience Interview

Millstone Rounders – An Xperience Interview – by Liam Sweeny.

RRX: You sing and play acoustically around a single mic, for simplicity. But I’m curious if you all feel any difference in your sound or how you play when you have that mic in place. Does the single mic make a difference when you’re using it?

James Gascoyne: Yes, definitely. Playing around a single mic keeps us focused on the essence of the music, the blending of our instruments and voices. In addition to providing a very natural sound, it forces us to interact with each other by physically moving around on stage. We believe that this makes for the most compelling presentation for the audience, both visually and sonically.

Oona Grady: Exactly – I love saying that the audience listens with their eyes.  So when one of us steps up to the center of the mic to play a solo, the audience gets a visual cue to help them follow what they are hearing.  So I think it makes for a special experience for the audience.  And it is so fun for us – really acting out our arrangements.

RRX: I’m thinking that a single mic, being as important as it is, is probably a mic with a history, or more than one mic that’s special for different types of performances? Tell us about that one mic(s).

JG: Oh, it’s not a specific microphone or brand that we use. Technically speaking, the type of microphone we use is a large diaphragm condenser, which, in the right conditions, can capture the sound of the entire group. There are many high-quality microphones out there. We’ve had great results with an Ear Trumpet Labs Delphina or an AKG 414. In our experience, the sound quality depends on the space we’re playing in and the setup of the PA system rather than the brand or model of microphone. It’s an ongoing experiment!

RRX: One of the sacred mysteries of music is how a number of people can come together with their ideas and just become one. Playing acoustic, you don’t have distortion and tricks; the unity has to be tight. How did you guys reach that level of unity? Was it on sight, or in fits and starts?

OG: I think it’s been really organic, a gradual process.  James and I have been playing together in our duo Drank The Gold for over ten years – and in that band, we often perform on a single mic as well.  I guess performing unplugged is really my comfort zone, having grown up playing acoustic music. The best time is when we crowd in close and can really hear each other and respond in real time.

JG: When Oona and I started playing with Matt Griffin (guitar /vocals), it felt right from the get-go. Our voices just seemed to fit together in three-part harmony without too much effort. Then getting Scott Hopkins (banjo/vocals) involved in the group was a game-changer- he’s a truly virtuosic player in the modern sense in addition to having a complete command of traditional bluegrass styles. Dylan Perrillo (upright bass/vocals), one of the most highly regarded players in the Capital Region, brings a deep swing, huge sound, and undeniable musicality to the band.

RRX: Tell us a little bit about Millstone Rounders. Where did you come up with the name? Where’s your “turf”?

JG: In the early days of our duo, Drank The Gold, Oona and I had a regular Monday night gig at a wonderful family-owned, farm-to-table restaurant in Saratoga Springs called Mouzon House. Our friend Chris Carey would often come sit in at the end of the night.  These late-night jam sessions skewed more in the bluegrass and American roots music direction.  The name came about from recording at Chris’s studio (Millstone Studios) … but it also evoked images of the old-time millstone, grinding wheat, card-playing gambling rounders, and the idea of songs and tunes coming “around” again. It really seemed to fit what we are trying to achieve musically.

OG: We’re a NYS Capital Region band – everyone lives in the area and we perform regionally (so far!).

RRX: When you look at country and bluegrass, you have to pick songs to play and sing that are going to resonate with an audience that might not be rooted in rural or mountain areas. What do you look for in the songs you play? Any originals?

OG: Well, one of the secrets of the Rounders is that we don’t really stick to playing just bluegrass and country.  We love that stuff, and we have sort of a bluegrass presentation with our instrumentation, using the single mic, and our vocal harmonies.  But we’re inspired by so many kinds of music that we keep pushing the boundaries for what material could work for the group.  I try to trust, with all the music that I make, that if I like it, it will probably resonate with someone else, too.  All the songs we sing, wherever they are from and the specific settings and details, are about human experiences that transcend your or my life – songs of missing home, of love lost and/or found, of going on an adventure … And yes – we’ve started incorporating originals.  Last spring, we started performing our friend Dan Berggren’s song “The Whippoorwill Blues” – we actually got to perform it for him at the Eddie’s Hall of Fame ceremony when he was inducted!  For next week’s show, we’ll be showing off some of the band’s originals.  I won’t spill the beans on the details, but come to the show and you’ll hear ‘em.  I think they’re really good!

RRX: You’re very involved in the Caffe Lena scene. What is the “Lena scene”?

OG: I think the Lena scene is probably different for each person who gets involved, whether by attending a show, playing at open mic, attending a class, or volunteering.  While I had attended various shows and performed at Lena’s in a couple capacities, I got involved in my corner of the Lena scene in 2020 when Sarah Craig invited James and I to help with a variety of educational efforts the Caffe was launching as they developed their School of Music.  James and I work with Dan Berggren to produce a free weekly show for preschoolers, plus James and I teach after-school youth ensemble classes to kids aged 7-14.  Matt has worked with us as a youth teacher, and now is our boss as the director of the music school.  But just looking at the schedule of the mainstage shows, there are so many concerts I’d love to go to.  There is a whole crew of volunteers who help serve the food and drink at shows, design posters, and send out mailings.  If you’re craving community and love music, it’s a great place to get involved and carve out your corner of the Lena scene.

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