cumberland blue
Nolensville, Tennessee, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2015 | SELF
Music
Press
“Sound, energy, and performance. These are the qualities that make or break a live show, and either attract or repulse fans. And with that, Cumberland Blue brought down the house. The six multi-talented teens, lead by 21 year old vocalist Chloe Kohanski, know how to work a crowd. Kohanski’s, soulful voice with the band’s impressive instrumentals combine for a spirited show that is mature beyond their years. It isn’t uncommon for a young band to perform a disappearing act, but Cumberland Blue won’t vanish any time soon. If anything, they’re just getting started. According to their interview with ReverbNation, the band formed for a local blues competition and has been together ever since; their music is grounded in blues, but with an edge that keeps it distinctively on the outside of any one category. They collectively wrote all 6 songs on their EP, released last summer.”
- To the Beat Blog (Jan 15, 2015) - To The Beat Blog
“Cumberland Blue – Blues/Rock Emotionally Stimulating Cumberland Blue Cover What amazing energy! Cumberland Blue is a blues/rock band in Nashville, Tennessee with a sound that will blow your mind! Get ready to feel emotions beyond description and be in awe at the raw talent these guys have. From covers to original songs these young musicians are rising quickly and it is well deserved. You can see the passion in their hearts radiating when they play and the vocalist, Chloe Kohanski, is simply phenomenal. Backed by the most talented band of musicians, Chloe’s vocals turn into an awe-inspiring experience that will have you jump out of your seat with emotion.. Not to mention they’re all flawlessly in sync, Cumberland Blue is without a doubt worth a listen. You won’t be disappointed. Check out this original song they performed at the International Blue Festival, find more on their website here or on Reverbnation here”
- The Heart of The People (Jun 14, 2014)
- The Heart of the People
“My wife and I love to attend small town festivals. Over the weekend, we took in the Wartrace Music Festival in Wartrace, Tennessee and were pleasantly surprised with the first act on the bill. The band Cumberland Blue attend middle and high schools throughout Middle Tennessee but play like veterans!! Here are a few cell phone shots and a video of them I found on YouTube. Keep the blues alive, guys and great job!!! ”
- Dan Eidem, 105.9 The Rock (Jun 10, 2013) - 105.9 The Rock
From rock’s blues-soaked veins that birthed Alabama Shakes and Tedeschi Trucks Band come Cumberland Blue.
Bathed in hues of blues funneled through rock come Nashville’s Cumberland Blue. They will open for Starship featuring Mickey Thomas on May 30 at Freedom Hall in Johnson City. They’re as jazzed as a horn in Wynton Marsalis’ hand to be playing the show.
“We’re working on something really big for the show,” said Chloe Kohanski, Cumberland Blue’s lead singer.
Hot from an opening slot last month on an Eddie Money tour, Cumberland Blue plan a similar outing for Johnson City.
“When we did the tour with Eddie Money, we put ‘War Pigs’ right in the middle,” Kohanski said. “We would do three of our songs and then Black Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’ and then three more of our songs. Then you kill it. You kill it because you love it.”
Formed three years ago for the purpose of competing in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Cumberland Blue began life as a blues band of teenagers that rocked.
“We’re all still in high school except for Chloe,” said Hank Compton, Cumberland Blue’s 16-year-old guitarist. “We try to bring back old school rock and blues. Our influences are from the ’70s. We started with old school blues like Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters, and then progressed.”
Classic rockers including Eric Clapton and Led Zeppelin looked heavily to the aforementioned blues titans and incorporated those elements into their music. Cumberland Blue does likewise. Consequently, their sound flourishes with nods to rockers from Clapton to Zeppelin.
“We are a blues rock band,” Kohanski said. “I don’t think we’re like anything else. It’s soul and rock, psychedelic and soul and rock.”
To date, the band has recorded a six-track EP. However, given that their sound is well within a state of flux, their forthcoming album may feature an entirely different set of styles.
“There’s been a lot of growth in this band,” said Grant Smith, Cumberland Blue’s fiddler. “There’s really no limits.”
Like a long-distance runner for whom the finish line is out of sight, Cumberland Blue say that their sound isn’t close to where it could go.
“Nowhere near,” Kohanski said.
Recall early to latter-day Beatles. Play music from the birth of Led Zeppelin and compare it with their final recordings. Same with the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd and so on. Great bands grow. Cumberland blues desire greatness amid growth.
“We’re locked into a certain groove,” Kohanski said. “I would like for us to be something unpredictable. Our songs have a spontaneous heart to them.”
The band’s hard-edged blues-rock style serves as an homage to the giants of blues and rock. However, with youth attached accompanied with a no-blinders approach, spontaneity results.
“We want to stay in the ballpark of rock,” Compton said. “We’re proud of that. We’re proud to represent rock.” - Bristol Herald Courier
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Their combined ages barely exceeds the age of one member of the Rolling Stones, yet when Cumberland Blue performs suddenly age, musical labels and everything else dissolves into a formidable wall of sound unlike anything else in contemporary music. Their unique blues/rock vibe is captured on the band’s debut EP Awakening.
The six-piece band calls Nashville home, but like Jack White, King of Leon and Sheryl Crow, Cumberland Blue is expanding the perception of Music City. “We are literally rooted in the blues, but our sound has come far from there,” says lead vocalist Chloe Kohanski. “It’s taking the blues, but definitely putting a more modern twist on it with an emphasis on rock and a little bit more of a gritty sound. We started with blues and we’re changing and evolving.”
“We never wanted to stereotype ourselves into one genre,” adds guitarist Hank Compton, “because we never want to really attack one age of people or one class of people. We want to appeal to a very wide spectrum. Music is an art, but it’s also a second language for us, so we want to be able to speak to everybody.”
With one listen, it’s obvious the members of Cumberland Blue are exceptional communicators. Anyone who hears Cumberland Blue expects to encounter a sextet of seasoned musicians with decades of experience. The truth is a different story. At 20, Kohanski is the eldest member of the group and the only female. Rounding out the Cumberland Blue sonic attack is bassist Rocky Block, keyboard prodigy Yates McKendree, drummer Duncan King and Grant Smith on fiddle and mandolin. The band formed in 2012 when the young musicians were preparing to represent Nashville at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN.
Awakening has helped expand the fan base that the band has developed through their exceptional live show. They draw an enthusiastic crowd whenever they play around Nashville and their reputation as a great live act has earned them opening slots with Eddie Money, Jefferson Starship and others.
As the Nashville music scene has become more expansive, Cumberland Blue has become a vital part of the new face of Nashville music. “We’re not trying to be like anybody else. We’re just trying to be us,” says Kohanski. “That’s what makes is unique.”
Talent, chemistry and a genuine camaraderie have provided the foundation for Cumberland Blue, and the future is bright. “It’s a unique blend of friendship and musicianship,” says Block. “If it wasn’t for the friendships, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”
Band Members
Links
