A New Delving into Darkness: The Arcadian Wild
A blend of chamber folk and progressive bluegrass underpins the genre-bending style of Nashville-based alt-folk/bluegrass trio, The Arcadian Wild. From small private house shows to an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry, the band continues to evolve without straying too far from its roots. The 50-million Spotify song streams the band claims are a clear testament to how listeners connect to the band’s eclectic approach.
Now, a new record pushes the boundaries of their capabilities even further. It incorporates elements of not just folk and bluegrass, but there’s also hints of choral music and even pop. That record – a 12-track collection of all-original music – is titled “Make it Out Alive.”
“This time we wanted to do something different and leave a lot of room to play and explore,” explained The Arcadian Wild mandolin player, Lincoln Mick. “We kind of left a lot of questions unanswered, so we would have room to explore.”
Mick is joined by Isaac Horn (guitar) and Bailey Warren (violin). Creating original music is a collective effort for the trio; all three have a hand in the process.
“We didn’t really have a unified vision going into composition of the songs,” Mick explained. “But what happened is all three of us – Isaac, Bailey and myself – all brought songs to the table that were connected to dealing with loss and death.” Accidentally, a theme emerged.
Mick said the band’s music tends to be “joyful and hopeful,” although on this record, there’s less wading in the shallows and more diving into deeper waters. This time, he admitted, they “certainly deal with the melancholy…there’s a grappling with the darkness.”
Another change for this release happened behind the scenes. In the past, they’d used friends to produce new music. This time, they opted for a full-fledged, credentialed producer. They chose Micah Tawlks.
“He was an absolute delight to work with,” Mick said. “He had wonderful, imaginative answers to those [open-ended] questions. Our bass player, Eli, he also brought a lot of great energy and imagination.”
Another change for this recording was to bring in percussion; they’d never had drums on an album before. There was also use of electric guitar and keybass.
“We usually just have upright bass,” Mick said.
Aside from touring widely and racking up huge plays for their music, they’re respected enough to have been invited a few years ago to appear on a venerable stage that’s reserved for the best of the best: The Grand Ole Opry.
“We were kind of nervous going into it…there’s such a legacy with that program…and we were very honored to be invited,” Mick said. “It was cool to get to play in that room.”
Throughout much of this past fall and spring, The Arcadian Wild performed at quite a few house parties. Mick loves doing those. He said it allows the band to “be able to connect again with people in a really intimate space…it’s been really fun to get back to our roots.” For the remainder of the year, however, they’ll be transitioning back to gigging in clubs and theaters in support of “Make it Out Alive.”
In either case, the dynamic of reaching into hearts and minds for connection – whether it is in someone’s home or on the Opry stage – is what matters most to the trio.
“Music is not a means unto itself,” Mick explained. “It is a means to relationship, connection, and growth.”
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