Home Base: London, England
Youtube video link: Durango
Website/Myspace address: www.MySpace.com/thecoalporters

An interview with The Coal Porters from London, England.

1. For people who have never heard your music, explain your sound in 5 words:
Alternative bluegrass for hip people

2. How long has the band been together?
The Coal Porters have been doing this act for about eight years now.

3. How did you come to play the style of music you play?
Our drummer got hit by a car! So we decided to become an acoustic band with no drums or amps.

Desire to do something acoustic and different.

Desire to pay a slight homage to the past yet reinvent it at the same time.

4. What influences the lyrics you write?
Lack of money.

Reading a good newspaper and being shocked at the state of the world.

The knowledge we have a definite audience listening to us who want to hear what we say, that it is important to them.

5. What can people expect from your live show?
It is lively, it is fun, it is dynamic. The Coal Porters are not a band which plays a set of a dozen songs which are all cut from the same cloth. It is NOT nervous people gazing down at their shoetops.  We are a proper show with everyone getting a chance to shine and witty stage announcements which engage the audience.

6. What do you want people to know about your band?
The pedigree of the Coal Porters seems to fascinate them: my [Sid Griffin's] background as a founder of alt-country with the Long Ryders, guitarist Neil Herd’s involvement doing sound for the Academy Award winning film WASP, banjo player Dick Smith being the best banjo player in Europe and our CANADIAN fiddler Carly Frey being a seasoned professional with two years on the road in the show Barrage…we are a noteworthy ensemble!

7. What would you say is your biggest achievement/accomplishment as an artist/band?
In 2004 the Coal Porters, musicians who grew up playing rock & roll, punk and traditional English folk music, were chosen as one of fifteen bands (out of over 500 applications!) to play the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World Of Bluegrass festival in Louisville, Kentucky. When that bluegrass crowd accepted us I knew we had something special going on.

8. Have you worked with anyone notable on your releases?
Our first studio album How Dark This Earth Will Shine had the great  Peter Case on it as well as alt-country Goddess Amy Rigby singing on it.

Our second studio album Turn The Water On, Boy! and no less than Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member Chris Hillman played on it. (He was in the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Bros.)

The most recent Coal Porters album is Durango. It was produced by Ed Stasium (Phil Spector’s main engineer for years and Ed produced The Ramones, the Smithereens, Belinda Carlisle and the Jeff Healey Band amongst others).

Durango also had noted singer-songwriter Peter Rowan (Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys, Earth Opera, Muleskinner, Old & In The Way) singing and playing on it as well as bluegrass legend Tim O’Brien playing with us on a track.

9. What do you like more – playing festivals or individual shows?
Festivals are a great way to reach alot of folks quickly.

But individual shows are best to emotionally move a room full of people by your music as they are more intimate.

10. What are the best and worst things about your local music scene?
The best thing about our local music scene is that London is full of opportunities and both a growing roots music scene and a growing acoustic music scene.

The worst thing about our local scene is while we are famous in it we are not wealthy from it. Fame awaits our international breakout!

11. If you could open for any artist, who would it be?
Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder OR Steve Earle. Either audience would understand us and our music.

12. If you could perform anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Someplace warm like Hawaii because London is cold and damp.

13. What are your future plans for the band?
To continue moving hearts and souls by music.

This isn’t a day job or a career, it is a calling like the clergy or missionary work.

14. Any advice for indie bands just starting out?
Do your own thing and be as individual as you can be.

Any last comments?

There is no greater thrill than turning on the radio and unexpectedly hearing your music being played.

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