Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband is the perfect name for the Utah group, and with their
versatility and having one foot in each genre, it would be hard to call Shupe
and the band anything different.
The release of their new album, Last Man Standing, is a
testament to their talent and ability to expand musically and challenge
listeners to not turn up the volume. Its not rock, its not country and its
not bluegrass — it is all three crammed into one.
Its rootsy because it has the banjo and fiddle, but with
kind of a commercial twist to it, Shupe said, and a little more rockin'
sound.
With electric guitars, banjos, fiddles and drums, among
other instruments, Last Man Standing is their best sounding album yet. At least Shupe says
it is, and with Tuesdays release fans will have a chance to find that out for
themselves.
I had a chance to speak with Shupe over the phone as he took
a few minutes out of his Memorial Day holiday and a family breakfast. While
taking a walk down to the market to buy milk, Shupe told me about growing up
around music and instruments.
He recalled his father saying the best way to get experience
is to play in a band. That was the beginning of the Pee Wee Pickers, and Shupe
was still under the age of 10.
I come from a long line of musicians, so it was kind of
expected in my family to play music, Shupe said.
A descendant of fiddlers, hes the fifth generation to play, and Shupe's bio says that he has been playing nearly as long as he could
walk.
The music bug never receded, but rather succeeded in making
Shupe not only the lead singer of the band but also songwriter, producer and, of
course, fiddler and sometimes mandolin player.
Music is what he does, because music is something he has
always done.
I love it. I cant think of any other reason to do it,
Shupe said.
After speaking with Shupe, it is hard to miss the humor in the new album, as well as the serious and complex sides to it. Joking about the name of the band, Shupe said that the name
alludes to the fun side of the band.
With songs like Corn Dog and the title track Last Man
Standing, the album shows how well-rounded the lyrics are, how talented the band
really is and how much fun they have together as a band and group of friends.
It would not be worth it to me if that was not the case,
Shupe said of the friendships he and the other band members have together.
So… Corn Dogs?
Shupe said corn dogs were a favorite food of his during his
college days and just the name corn dog is funny to me. His bio says the band was
playing an educational show at an elementary school and wanted a folk song that
was easy to learn and fun to sing, which is how Corn Dogs was
born, Shupe said.
Being local, Shupe and the band keep it local.
They live in Utah, they
record in Utah, and yes, being local to Utah, all five members
of the band belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and are returned missionaries. So the church is a very important
aspect to them.
As a band, they decided not to perform on Sundays. When we did in the past it seems like things never worked
out, so we decided not to, Shupe said.
We're kind of a family-first band, Shupe said when
describing their touring schedule. We tour enough to get things done, but not
enough to drive ourselves crazy.
Other band members include bass player Ryan Tilby, guitarist
Roger Archibald, drummer Bart Olson and banjoist Craig Miner. All
play numerous instruments and have been playing together for about 10 years.
What they dont mostly do in Utah is perform. They tour nationally and
can be seen May 31 in Mesa , Ariz., at the Family Music and Arts
Festival.
As Shupe made his way back from the store Monday morning,
he described performing at the Merlefest in North Carolina.
It was really a big
thing to play there, Shupe said. The audience there are lovers of
music, not lovers of stars.
Shupe wrote in his journal — found at www.shupe.net — that Merlefest is one of the
great bluegrass and roots musical strongholds in the
United States.
I was pleasantly surprised to find an enthusiastic crowd
looking for a good time and soaking in every musical note they could hear,
Shupe wrote. They were eager to hear new music from acts that
they had never heard before, like us. It was truly a music lover's
festival.
To find out more about Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband, visit www.shupe.net. To buy the new CD
Last Man Standing released today, please click here.