Before the advent of the internet age, MP3s and virtual online instruction, learning a style of music
indigenous to a particular region was a daunting and often expensive endeavor for musicians living in
other countries. The music was hard, if not impossible to find in record stores, and the pool of
knowledgeable players was sparse or even non-existent.
Given this, it is remarkable that the trio of international musicians
The Greencards overcame such challenges in learning and then creating their own unique blend of American
bluegrass while growing up and living in Australia and the United Kingdom.
Unfortunately for local audiences, the Greencards could not overcome the challenges of band illness last
September when they were set to perform at the Cla-Zel. Luckily for area bluegrass fans that show was
immediately rescheduled for this weekend.
The Greencards are set to perform Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Cla-Zel. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15
at the door.
At their core The Greencards are three musicians who learned traditional bluegrass in their home
countries of Australia and the United Kingdom, moved the United States and then forged their own path in
the world of traditional American music.
While thousands of native pickers across the U.S. spend countless hours working on bluegrass standards
and performing "Foggy Mountain
Breakdown" note for note, this trio has taken the spirit of tight harmonies and fiery instrumentals
and used it to create a sound and style all their own.
"When we made our first record, it was definitely the most traditional, but still you could tell
that we weren’t from Kentucky or North Carolina," lead vocalist, bassist and native Australian
Carol Young said in a telephone interview this past September. "When we played songs live we
realized that things that worked in our favor were not pretending to be an American bluegrass band,
because we are not."
Young is joined by mandolinist and countryman, Kym Warner and violinist/multi-instrumentalist Eamon
McLoughlin (United Kingdom).
While international bluegrass bands have existed in Australia, Japan, Italy and the UK for decades, the
availability of music, instruments and proficient players has been rare until the advent of the
Internet. "You would have to import the CDs, which was a difficult thing," she added. "If
you knew friends that were going to America you would say ‘can you go to a store and track down Bill
Monroe,’ so that was the only way that we could study the music."
Warner, a four-time Australian mandolin champion, was the first band member to venture to the United
States, Austin, Texas, specifically. Young joined him shortly thereafter, and they began jamming in
clubs where they met McLoughlin. From there The Greencards were born, first as club band playing for
tips and then a full-touring outfit.
2009 has proven to be a banner year for the band, with the release of their fourth album,
"Fascination" and key spots on major bluegrass festivals (such as Telluride and Merle Fest)
and non-bluegrass festivals (Lollapalooza for example).
However, for members of The Greencards, now based in Nashville, Tenn., the clearest indication of their
continued success is that in the release of their new album, which essentially redefines the band
stylistically, they not only found new fans, but kept their old ones.
"You don’t want to fall into the trap of trying to please everyone, but it is nice when your old
fans stay on board and they totally get what you are trying to do, and you grab a few new ones along the
way," Young said.
