 New York City's Banjo Nickaru & Western Scooches are likely the only band today infusing elements of Gullah-Geechee and world rhythms with folk traditions, Americana, New Orleans influences, and 1920s jazz. The forthcoming sophomore album, Get Us Out Of Fearland, due June 15, builds upon the multicultural exuberance that made the band’s debut, Very Next Thing, a transcendent breath of fresh air. In advance of their album release show at DROM, members Betina Hershey and Nick Russo answered their Essential 8 and spoke about the album, shared advice for musicians starting out, and much more! Is there a story behind your album’s title? Betina: 'Get Us Out Of Fearland' is a song I wrote a couple of days after the election, and it has stuck with us as a song we love to play. For this record, we recorded over 17 songs, sometimes re-recording with different feels. As we collected the songs together, dropping some, adding others, it became more and more obvious that all of our songs had a strong point of view connected to getting out and past fear so we are able to make a difference, and arrive at joy and interconnectedness. 'Get Us Out Of Fearland' felt like the one title that could connect all of the songs together, and it really spoke to me as the main statement on the album. Where do you draw inspiration from when writing? Betina: I get inspired by my life, what’s happening in the world, to the people around me, news stories, novels, documentaries. Everything that I imagine or absorb has a possibility of coming out as a song. Words and melodies pour out of me throughout the day. The ones that stick are the ones that I remember, write down or record. What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician? Nick: Sing everything you play, play everything you sing and play everything in all 12 keys! Also, "be like water," flow through all situations with flexibility and ease. Last, but not least, my family and other musicians have taught me to be positive and always kind to others.  Courtesy of the Artist What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out?
Nick: Enjoy music, enjoy life, be happy, be sincere, honest and treat everyone you meet with respect, compassion, love and kindness. Playing music and living from a deep, sincere place of honesty brings forth our true selves, both as musicians and as spiritual human beings. Also, learning music by ear, singing, ear-training are vital for proper, healthy internalization of music. Playing along with recordings, especially albums with drummers with a deep pocket is very important for developing a good sense of time and groove. Practicing with a metronome on different parts of the beat, such as the 2nd triplet or 3rd triplet or 5th quintuplet is very helpful with internalizing subdivisions. Sight-reading, transcribing and writing charts are all very useful skills! Be open to all genres of music and try to study as many styles and cultures as possible. Learning at least one Bach Invention, a Beethoven melody, a West African polyrhythm, a moroccan beat, an Afro-Peruvian groove, an Afro-Cuban rhythm, an Indian raga, a Brazilian tune, a jazz standard, an American songbook standard, a Beatles song, a James Brown groove, a Jimi-Hendrix riff, an Irish melody, a bluegrass tune and a down home blues progression, will give you priceless music lessons, gratification and fulfillment. When/where do you do your best writing? Betina: There is no set time for me to write. Taking a walk, having an extra hour in the day to be completely alone, hanging out in the park on a blanket with my guitar, sitting with my band members and jamming, these are all times when songs come out and they stick. It helps to have enough quiet time to let the ideas flow, and it’s always better if I can stay in the song flow long enough to solidify most of the words, but there have also been times when a song pops into my head right when I’m rushing to get somewhere. In that case, recording it quickly on my phone is a life saver. Have you met any of your heroes? If so, how did it go? Nick: While playing a jazz gig at Gwyneth Paltrow/Chris Martin's home, I had the honor of meeting and playing with Sir Paul McCartney! It was an incredible, deep experience! During a band break, I was playing solo guitar when Paul approached me with a toy harmonica. His vibe was so cool and down to earth. Sir Paul first joined me on a Jobim tune, "Só Danço Samba" (aka "Jazz 'n' Samba"). Next, we played a blues song together while Gwyneth's guests gathered around, including her videographers! After we played two songs as a duo, I played a solo guitar version of George Harrison's "Something" and Paul gave me a thumbs up! I've been blessed to have played with jazz greats Jimmy McGriff, Teddy Charles, Sonny Dallas and Joe Ascione (The Frank & Joe Show with Frank Vignola) Also, I'm honored to have shared the stage with George Benson and toured and recorded with a former violinist with Jazz Passenger's Jim Nolet. More recently, I recorded on Jon Baptiste's new recording. It was great hanging with him and the other Colbert Show musicians in the studio! What do you love most about being on the road? Betina: I love connecting with new people, playing music in new venues, discovering towns and nature spots, traveling light with only my essentials, but my very favorite may be finding new foods. Traveling to Japan, Korea, Italy, England, and more, I discovered foods like natto (in 'Park Song'), rhubarb yogurt, insalata de tonno (a tuna salad that I loved in Italy), and morning soup (Korean breakfast of rice soup with veggies and more). I grew up allergic to wheat, milk, eggs, walnuts and pecans, so traveling has always had food complications but being allergic has also made me adventurous, and I love the adventure of food exploration. What has been your biggest success? Nick: As a precursor to this answer, I must tell you that I play many genres of music and I'm a sideman with over 18 different bands in the NYC area, gigging all the time in many formats and situations on different fretted string instruments (recently more singing and harmonium)! I feel one of my biggest successes is developing a sensitive fine-tuned ear, deep pocket/groove, calm center and sense of musical balance and space while playing music with others and improvising. I have the ability and open mind to listen with fresh adept ears to everyone's playing around me and improvise my part to fit in, while helping everyone in the ensemble to feel and sound good as individuals and as a band. I'm down with going in any direction, musically, and comfortable in any key, any meter, groove, time, feel and most genres. I'm always a student at heart so I'm ready to be taught on the fly and eager to learn! I take notes when my musician friends are relaying information and I try to record myself on a consistent basis. Recording and listening to ourselves is a very helpful and revealing experience! It's like looking into an audio mirror, listening back, studying how we really sound like and finding ways to improve and grow as a musician! 'Get Us Out of Fearland' Record Release Show Thu June 14 DROM NYC 85 Avenue A New York, NY w/ special guests: Rob Morrow https://www.facebook.com/officialrobmorrow Devon https://www.facebook.com/DevonMusic Doors 6:00PM Show 6:45PM $10 Advance $15 At The Door http://www.dromnyc.com/events/8116/banjo-nickaru-western-scooches-get-us-out-of-fearland-album-release https://www.facebook.com/events/356387074872663 http://banjonickaru.com http://www.instagram.com/banjonickaru http://www.facebook.com/banjo.nickaru http://www.facebook.com/banjonickaruandwesternscooches
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