In with the Old, In with the New
The New Familiars play Boone Saloon March 25

By Tiffany Allison

Combining the old with the new, The New Familiars transform the standard expectations of traditional bluegrass instruments by converging stylistic elements of rock, jazz and blues, producing a distinguishable yet diversified sound.

Their sound ripened to a sweet fruit through hard work and determination during their years of constant touring. Playing more than 160 shows last year, the Charlotte-based foursome has completed their grunt work and is reaping their reward – music with substance.

With the iPod generation lost in a sea of average, mundane, talentless noise, The New Familiars stand as a piece of fruit in a bowl full of candy. They are healthy yet enjoyable, and although they may not fill the immediate need of campy pop-rock sugar highs, they are healthy for the music scene.

On their “Storms” EP, Justin Fedor fervently picks his banjo, while his and Josh Daniel’s voices collide to form a robust, raw, southern accent to the mid-tempo kept by bass and drums played by Pat Maholland and Daniel Flynn. Daniel with his melodic harmonies chimes in with his resonator and guitar perfecting their rock-bluegrass medley.

“We take traditional instruments and incorporate it into a more modern sound,” Daniels said. “We like putting a new spin on it.”

Starting in a state enriched with mountain bluegrass and rock, The New Familiars took the twang out of the mountains and the electric riffs out of the city. But this bluegrass-rock conglomeration has been forming for a while. Daniels noticed a peaked interest in bluegrass-rock in the North Carolina music community and other cities along the East Coast.

“This kind of music is making a come back now,” he said. “It’s like a movement almost.”

As a part of the movement, they are making waves. On the way back from their tour in New York City playing at the Living Room and the National Beard and Mustache Championship, Daniel mentioned their plans for a new full-length album.

“We’re excited about the new stuff. It’s a little more rocking and a little less bluegrassy. It’s different,” he said. “I feel like it’s really growing and involving into something of our own. It’s becoming our own sound and that’s what we like to do.”

The four hope to have their album completed by the summer. During their weekend trip to New York, the crew also managed to play a few shows in Washington D.C. and make a local morning show in Richmond, Va. With their ambition and drive, they will have no problem meeting their summer deadline.

For rising musicians, there seems to be no time for sleep. When they aren’t playing a show or practicing, they are working their other jobs.

“No, there is no sleep,” Daniel said. “It’s just what we have to do right now. Playing a lot of shows helps, but beyond playing we still practice once or twice a week. We play all the time. The more time you put into something the better it’s going to be.”

And their work ethic proves their maturity as musicians.

“We’re fortunate to have the core people who are committed and are all the same age. It’s hard to find people who are willing to put the time into it,” Daniel said. “It’s a lot of hard work. We’ve definitely been paying our dues, and we definitely seen some growth.”

And dues are paid for a reason. With the year they had cutting their teeth and evolving their sound, The New Familiars have created a sound to be remembered. And although they may get tired, Daniel said in response to the fatigue, “It helps when you go to New York and play in front of 500 people. We’re doing all right. We just keep going and just keep getting better.”

Their influences include The Band, Steely Dan, The Beach Boys, Otis Redding, Ryan Adams, James Brown, and the list goes on.

“We listen to everything. Right now we are listening to the Broken Social Scene,” he said as the tired group travels back to their hometown to practice their set for their next show.

That next show is Wednesday, March 25, at 10 p.m. at the Boone Saloon, located at 489 W. King St. in downtown Boone.

To check out their music, visit www.myspace.com/thenewfamiliars.