Horse Feathers’ spin on traditional folk and Americana spans barn dance to backyard reverie, airy ballads to full-blooded country jigs.
Justin Ringle launched Horse Feathers shortly after moving to the Pacific Northwest at a time he says “all the cliches from Portlandia were being developed.” Rent was cheap and you just needed a shitty job to keep your creative aspirations afloat.
“It was really less preposterous for me to try to become a professional musician than it was to get a job in graphic design at the time,” he said. Though dispelling any romantic notion, Ringle points out, “There was really high unemployment in Portland and it was just kind of tough going. Everything was really close to the bone.”
A few years ago, Mom Rock booked their first gig at The Garden, a notorious house on the Boston DIY basement show circuit. They were ecstatic… until they saw the 6 pm time slot. Barely anyone would be there. What happened next cemented the quartet as a fixture in the scene.
“We went up to play and the crowd was electric,” guitarist/singer Josh Polack told BandWagon. “It was the first time I ever crowd surfed during a guitar solo.”
“Our fans are the best people on earth,” guitarist/singer Curtis Heimburger said.
It’s 1 am in San Antonio, Texas and Aaron Martin wants to give you a hug.
He’s the singer and co-founder of Okey Dokey and why wouldn’t he give you a squeeze? You are, after all, a part of Okey Dokey too.
“It’s everything you’d want after two years of, you know, the absence,” Martin tells BandWagon of their current tour. He’s been excited to finally practice Okey Dokey’s mission statement with the people who make the live music experience what it is to him: pretty much everyone who’s not in the band.
“The whole statement is kind of anti-separation,” Martin says. “Bands aren’t just a band. It’s everyone involved.”
