Devachan Music - Mark Simos

(Originally written in a letter to Frank Lee of the Freighthoppers back when they were still a band; and before O Brother, I might add!)

If you compare the old time scene to the bluegrass scene, it's interesting to me that new songs have always been part of the bluegrass tradition. (Laurie Lewis likes to say Bill Monroe was a great "singer/songwriter" though no one would think of him in the same vein as some soulful acoustic balladeer at an open mike in Harvard Square!) Somehow bluegrass is recognized as a "sound" or style that can be a basis for new material, or for "converting" other material, like all the covers of Beatles songs that bluegrass bands have done.

Sound vs. Repertoire

The old time scene is different. Old time enthusiasts are usually in love with a certain sound, to be sure: frailed banjo, strong fiddle, that organic ensemble sound as compared to bluegrass's set round of instrumental solos, etc. But people in the old time scene are also, to some extent, in love with a particular repertoire of songs and tunes as well. That is, when I play old time music I am very aware of tuning into a particular region (maybe imaginary or, in my case, a pretty blurry geography!); an older time; and, last but not least, a wealth and web of people: friends, influences, community. That privacy, and that sense of being grounded in space and time, creates a shared and special knowledge that helps us draw closer as a community, with our tribal meeting grounds (Clifftop, Mt. Erie) and all-night ritual sessions...

I love that older repertoire and want to see it preserved for all time to come; and I thank God traditional bands are out there re-enlivening the music and playing it for new people. At the same time, I'd like to see the old time scene stretch a bit and turn its face outward more inclusively, welcome people in instead of that hint of shouldering outsiders away I feel sometimes from the scene.

There's something about the band the Freighthoppers that has this opening out quality, which is why people are so excited about them. They're the first old time band I'd heard in a while that communicates something of the feeling of being in the old time community to people who are not already part of the scene. And yet it was fascinating to me to see how quickly their success and accessibility almost became a badge of dishonor in the old time community. It's a little reminescent of what happened with the Chieftains in Irish music. They did so much for the music—perhaps too much for the music... Yes, inevitably the music gets changed when presented for such a different audience. Yet many opportunities are created as well.

This is what I hope for with the songs I write in a traditional voice. I don't plan any of this, mind you—things just pop out as they pop out. I write things in a traditional style because I've marinated my inner ear with traditional music for so long it just comes out that way. But after something's written I do sit back and try to figure out just what exactly came out of the oven, and what I'm supposed to do with it. And what I've realized is that I want old-time music recognized as a living, new style in its own right, a style in which new material is created all the time.

I like old-time music because of the music itself, not just because it's "old." That should allow for new songs about themes that resonate with us now, but written and sung in the spirit of old-time music viewing these themes. It should be us playing and singing songs of our remembering our grandfather's time—and songs that sound like our grandfather, as a young man, living through and talking about what we are going through now.

If this can happen, I see no reason why old time music could not reach a very wide audience today. The bluegrass scene seems to be getting increasingly respectful of old time music as its own sound; just as the country scene is getting more respectful of bluegrass as its own sound. And as the market for bluegrass expands (helped by folks like Alison Krauss) I hope the audience and respect for old time music will be helped along by the same momentum. It's an exciting time to be playing this music!

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