Interview with Travis Book from The Infamous Stringdusters

July 29, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

The Infamous Stringdusters are the new vanguard of acoustic music. Well crafted songs, vivid arrangements, instrumental virtuosity, stunning improvisation, unique individuality and complete harmony… Bluegrass, Rock, Country, Blues, Folk, and Jazz, the “IS” is American Acoustic Music.

When The Infamous Stringdusters comes out June 10 on Sugar Hill Records, some may assume from the title that it’s a debut recording. Those already aware of the Stringdusters phenomenon will know differently: that 2007’s Fork in the Road was the album that boldly introduced this daring, disciplined band to the world of bluegrass and a wider world of music enthusiasts who heard it and decided: ‘if that’s bluegrass, then I love bluegrass.’ Fork in the Road was named Album of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association. Its title track was named Song of the Year, and the band itself earned the honor of best emerging artist in a competitive field. It was a stunning cap to an amazing 2007.

In their breakout year of 2007, the Infamous Stringdusters played over 150 dates, including the biggest festivals in acoustic music, jammed on major stages with heroes like David Grisman and Sam Bush, and landed a development deal for motion picture music with Lions Gate Entertainment. With the release of The Infamous Stringdusters, 2008 promises more roads and more new fans in bluegrass and beyond. (source - thestringdusters.com)



Cincy Groove: So how did the six of you in The Infamous Stringdusters end up getting together?

Travis Book: Our original guitar player, Chris Eldridge, our banjo player Chris Pandolfi, and our Dobo player Andy Hall all met through mutual friends in Boston. Andy Hall was on his way out of the Berklee School of Music, Pandolfi was on his way in. Chris Eldridge was going to school at Oberlin College in Ohio. Andy Hall then moved to Nashville and was playing in a bunch of different bands. One of them was the Ronnie Bowman Committee with future Infamous Stringduster members Jeremy Garrett (fiddle) and Jesse Cobb (mandolin). So when Pandolfi and Eldridge moved to Nashville the 5 of them put the band together. Then they needed a bass player and they called me, I was out in Durango, CO at the time, to come out and audition. They asked me to join and move to Nashville in Fall of 2005. Then Andy Falco (guitar) replaced Chris Eldridge in Sept of 2007.


Read the full interview here