MIDWEST

BAY CITY, MI — There is something distinct about the Midwest, both the locale and the Chicago band that bears its name. An atmosphere and mentality pervades the region and its inhabitants that greatly differs from those on the coasts and every other area of the United States. It’s a hard feeling to pinpoint, informed as it is by drastically shifting seasons and a bit of malaise, but somehow, the sextet that is Midwest captures and expresses the mood with a level of preciseness.

The band — composed of vocalist-guitarist Nicolette Fendon, vocalist Heather Bodie, violinist Dave Belden, bassist Joshua Sauvageau, percussionist Nate Ross and multi-instrumenalist Andy Lutz — fits in with contemporary folk revivalism and is kicking off the main music night for the Hell’s Half Mile Film & Music Festival on Saturday, Sept. 28, at the Masonic Temple Blue Room, 700 N. Madison Ave. Playing after Midwest are Flint Eastwood, the HandGrenades and We Are Hex.

Fendon shared with The Bay City Times some of her insight into the Midwestern flavor and what it means to her band to be leading the festival’s main night.

Q: Let’s start with the name “Midwest.” It’s direct, but at the same time evocative of a place and mindset. How did it come about?

A: Someone recently asked if we were claiming to encompass the sound of the region based on our name. We're not claiming to be all-encompassing of anything. It’s more of an attempt at evoking a feeling through sound. A mood. Or a sense of dirt and rust and concrete, sunburnt farmlands and dark forests. Open-heartedness and rigor. Although they’re mostly love songs, the sensibilities of the songs are a wide-armed claiming of where we come from.
Q: Your songs have an authentic Americana-folk vibe to them, like a Civil War-era or Appalachian quality, that sets you apart from your more radio-pop oriented peers. Was that a conscious approach to take or one that just arose naturally?

A: From the inception of a song to the point when we play it for an audience, we work to build it to be true to itself. We’re definitely influenced by bands like the Head and the Heart and the Lone Bellow, but I think the sound coming out of us is ours entirely. As to how conscious making music ever is…who knows. I’m obsessed with the TED Talk that (“Eat, Pray, Love” author) Elizabeth Gilbert did. She talks about how, in contemporary Western culture, we accept responsibility for the success and failure of the art we make, rather than blame or praise the muse. I take the stance that it’s the muse who creates and we’re all just vessels. Making music is alchemical.

Q: To what do you attribute the resurgence of folk-based music to mainstream popularity?

A: That’s a great question, and I don’t know if I have the answer. I know, for myself, acoustic sound is the most nourishing of all. I may adore harder bands, louder bands, and I may have attempted effecting their sound in the past, but I always end up writing these folk ‘n’ roll Americana kinds of songs. Strings, strums and harmonies remind me of growing up in the rural Midwest. It’s like coming home; listening to simple folk songs.

Q: What are your key influences, music or otherwise?

A: We all listen to a wide range of music, from classical and punk, to Motown and folk. When we were deciding on a sound for our upcoming record, we had a listening party. We sat around Dave’s place, the violinist, and played recordings for each other. The music was from across all kinds of genres; there was overlap with Ryan Adams, Shovels & Rope. I’m a big fan of the Civil Wars, Springsteen’s album Nebraska, Dolly Parton, Cat Power, and I grew up listening to bands like Paul Simon, the Carpenters, Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell and Billy Joel.

Q: With six members in the band, how does the songwriting process work?

A: We’re not hemmed in to any songwriting process, but the way it’s worked this far is I write and structure a song. Once it’s got legs, even if it’s got a few loose threads, I bring it before the band and we work as a group to firm it up. Really everyone contributes. The more we play a song, the meatier it becomes, the more it settles into our bones. Again, it’s a bit of alchemy.

Q: Your sound has a very rural, windswept feel. Is it difficult to craft that atmosphere in the cityscape of Chicago?

A: We all grew up outside of the city. Our memories, if not our imaginations, are really useful in crafting songs. Honestly, it’s probably easier to write with a rural and open feeling while living in the city; it’s easier to be nostalgic about things when they’re not a part of everyday experiences. I grew up in small-town Michigan and I still dream about finding a way to merge Chicago and home. That’s actually what I wrote the song “Come On Home” about.

Q: What does it mean to be kicking off Hell’s Half Mile’s main music night?

A: We’re all so excited to play! We’re looking forward to starting the party. The lineup is going to be g - MLIVE

BAY CITY, MI — There is something distinct about the Midwest, both the locale and the Chicago band that bears its name. An atmosphere and mentality pervades the region and its inhabitants that greatly differs from those on the coasts and every other area of the United States. It’s a hard feeling to pinpoint, informed as it is by drastically shifting seasons and a bit of malaise, but somehow, the sextet that is Midwest captures and expresses the mood with a level of preciseness.

The band — composed of vocalist-guitarist Nicolette Fendon, vocalist Heather Bodie, violinist Dave Belden, bassist Joshua Sauvageau, percussionist Nate Ross and multi-instrumenalist Andy Lutz — fits in with contemporary folk revivalism and is kicking off the main music night for the Hell’s Half Mile Film & Music Festival on Saturday, Sept. 28, at the Masonic Temple Blue Room, 700 N. Madison Ave. Playing after Midwest are Flint Eastwood, the HandGrenades and We Are Hex.

Fendon shared with The Bay City Times some of her insight into the Midwestern flavor and what it means to her band to be leading the festival’s main night.

Q: Let’s start with the name “Midwest.” It’s direct, but at the same time evocative of a place and mindset. How did it come about?

A: Someone recently asked if we were claiming to encompass the sound of the region based on our name. We're not claiming to be all-encompassing of anything. It’s more of an attempt at evoking a feeling through sound. A mood. Or a sense of dirt and rust and concrete, sunburnt farmlands and dark forests. Open-heartedness and rigor. Although they’re mostly love songs, the sensibilities of the songs are a wide-armed claiming of where we come from.
Q: Your songs have an authentic Americana-folk vibe to them, like a Civil War-era or Appalachian quality, that sets you apart from your more radio-pop oriented peers. Was that a conscious approach to take or one that just arose naturally?

A: From the inception of a song to the point when we play it for an audience, we work to build it to be true to itself. We’re definitely influenced by bands like the Head and the Heart and the Lone Bellow, but I think the sound coming out of us is ours entirely. As to how conscious making music ever is…who knows. I’m obsessed with the TED Talk that (“Eat, Pray, Love” author) Elizabeth Gilbert did. She talks about how, in contemporary Western culture, we accept responsibility for the success and failure of the art we make, rather than blame or praise the muse. I take the stance that it’s the muse who creates and we’re all just vessels. Making music is alchemical.

Q: To what do you attribute the resurgence of folk-based music to mainstream popularity?

A: That’s a great question, and I don’t know if I have the answer. I know, for myself, acoustic sound is the most nourishing of all. I may adore harder bands, louder bands, and I may have attempted effecting their sound in the past, but I always end up writing these folk ‘n’ roll Americana kinds of songs. Strings, strums and harmonies remind me of growing up in the rural Midwest. It’s like coming home; listening to simple folk songs.

Q: What are your key influences, music or otherwise?

A: We all listen to a wide range of music, from classical and punk, to Motown and folk. When we were deciding on a sound for our upcoming record, we had a listening party. We sat around Dave’s place, the violinist, and played recordings for each other. The music was from across all kinds of genres; there was overlap with Ryan Adams, Shovels & Rope. I’m a big fan of the Civil Wars, Springsteen’s album Nebraska, Dolly Parton, Cat Power, and I grew up listening to bands like Paul Simon, the Carpenters, Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell and Billy Joel.

Q: With six members in the band, how does the songwriting process work?

A: We’re not hemmed in to any songwriting process, but the way it’s worked this far is I write and structure a song. Once it’s got legs, even if it’s got a few loose threads, I bring it before the band and we work as a group to firm it up. Really everyone contributes. The more we play a song, the meatier it becomes, the more it settles into our bones. Again, it’s a bit of alchemy.

Q: Your sound has a very rural, windswept feel. Is it difficult to craft that atmosphere in the cityscape of Chicago?

A: We all grew up outside of the city. Our memories, if not our imaginations, are really useful in crafting songs. Honestly, it’s probably easier to write with a rural and open feeling while living in the city; it’s easier to be nostalgic about things when they’re not a part of everyday experiences. I grew up in small-town Michigan and I still dream about finding a way to merge Chicago and home. That’s actually what I wrote the song “Come On Home” about.

Q: What does it mean to be kicking off Hell’s Half Mile’s main music night?

A: We’re all so excited to play! We’re looking forward to starting the party. The lineup is going to be g - MLIVE