By Kate Bartlett
Bluegrass rooted band Driftwood will be playing Great Blue Heron Festival, July 5-7th in Sherman, NY. The band frequents this festival, and has been creating music together for over 19 years. Driftwood embraces the roots of Bluegrass, but their music has evolved over the years to include electric components, almost bringing their music full circle.
The history of band began over 25 years ago, when founders Dan Forsyth and Joe Kollar began creating music in Joe’s parent’s basement in high school. They enjoyed playing together, and always had a similar interest in music, even at a young age. Dan went out west, to Colorado, where he attended the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and fell in love with this style of music. He brought this passion for bluegrass back home and in 2005, the duo switched out electric for acoustic and began playing the banjo and mandolin. They enjoyed the ease of being able to just pick up and play, without having to ‘plug-in’. Bluegrass was different than jam and rock, and they embraced it wholeheartedly.
Joe and Dan took Driftwood, an acoustic project at this time, on the road playing gigs near Joe’s College, Berkley College of Music in Boston. Here, they met Claire Byrne, violinist, through mutual friends and they played everywhere they could. “We were a good match; our vibes, our energy and our music style. We had a lot of fun playing together and learning about who we were/are as musicians,” recalls Claire.
Claire is a classically trained violinist from Binghamton, NY. She grew up playing in symphony orchestras and performing in solo competitions. Claire was introduced to Irish Rock at SUNY Fredonia, and loved the music and the energy it created. “I felt it deep within me; it was like the heavens opened up,” recalls Claire. She began playing fiddle and was in an Irish Rock band throughout college, until she met the members of Driftwood.
The band is currently comprised of 5 members, Joe, Dan, Claire, bassist Joey Arcuri and drummer Sam Fishman. Driftwood has released 6 albums, and continues to convert new fans as they play festivals and shows along the East Coast, as well as out West and Midwest. Their music and songwriting has evolved over the years, as the members evolve as individual artists as well as together as a group. “It’s interesting how our music has almost come full circle, back to including electric components again,” comments Claire.
Driftwood writes all original songs, inspired by Bluegrass, folk and anything song-driven. “We find our biggest inspiration amongst each other,” notes Claire. “We are constantly inspiring each other to do better. We’re all on the same page and we’re fortunate to have grown together as individual artists and as a band as a whole. Our sound has evolved together, and we’re all on the same page. The energy created when we’re together is unmatched, and it’s what makes us better musicians.”
The band has played at The Great Blue Heron Music Festival for about 13 years, as it is one of their favorite festivals to play. “The Heron has big festival energy but a small festival feel, which is hard to attain. It brings in renowned acts, but maintains a tight knit community. Everyone is incredibly friendly, always smiling and saying ‘Hello.’ We make friends that we see year after year at The Heron.”
After The Great Blue Heron Festival, Driftwood will be playing Grassroots Festival in Trumansburg in later July, another great music festival in the Finger Lakes Region. Following that festival, they will set off on their tour out West to Montana and Colorado. “This tour has been our main focus,” remarks Claire. “We love going out West, and look forward to debuting our 6th album on this tour.”
The Bluegrass scene is huge these days, and even though they’re not solely Bluegrass, Driftwood remains a part of that movement. “More and more people are really embracing Bluegrass and the unique energy it creates. The music scene is seeing a growing number of Bluegrass artists, and we’re proud to be part of this trend. While our music has begun to incorporate more electric components recently, our roots are in Bluegrass. We were originally inspired by Bluegrass, folk music and anything song-driven. It was, and still is all about the songwriting.”