Trent Wagler and Jay Lapp
10th Annual Gospel Song Nominee
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Record Label: n/a
www.trentwagler.com
Home Base: Harrisonburg, VA
Genre: Americana Roots is a blend of the different origins to American music. Blues, bluegrass, old time, folk/singer-songwriter all finds its way into this innovative new/old music.
Categories Entered: Gospel Song
Work Submitted: Songs from Uncloudy Day
Label: Unsigned
URLs:
www.thesteelwheels.com
www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Steel-Wheels/259604243282
www.twitter.com/thesteelwheels
www.myspace.com/trentwagler
Influences: Tom Waits, Townes Van Zandt, Tim O’Brien, Avett Brothers, Old Crow Medicine Show, Jerry Garcia and David Grisman, Norman Blake, Gillian Welch, Patty Griffin
What’s the meaning of your band name? Our names are simple and to the point. This was a side project and we wanted to be pretty transparent.
Describe your nominated work: This was a recording by one microphone in an empty theatre. It started as a fun night to ourselves and we liked the result enough to share it.
We usually write all original material for our recordings with The Steel Wheels. For this we wanted to sit down and play some of our favorite old songs. Many of the songs have ties or connections to our grandfathers in someways, so we dedicated the album to them.
When we set off planning our second annual bicycle tour in 2010, we decided that would be a good event to release this project: traditional music alongside traditional transportation.
Why did you choose to submit this work to The 10th IMA’s? We heard good things about The IMA’s and we believe the wave of independent music within the music business is really an exciting thing to be a part of.
Did you use any unusual effects or instruments in this recording? Everything was recorded with one microphone in one setting. There are no overdubs, many were first takes. It’s almost a live show recording without the audience and with a few things thrown out.
Were there any happy accidents while in the studio, or did everything go as planned? The entire album was a happy accident. We were in PA doing some theatre work with our friend Ted Swartz and we had a night off. The theatre was free and we decided to put up a microphone and just play some old songs we always loved. When we listened back, we decided it was really something special.
Did fans help you fund this project? No. Due to the simple nature of the recording process we were able to self-fund the project.
Who’s sitting in your audience? There’s an old bluegrass fan that never really liked Earl Scruggs that much. Next to him there’s an old hippie who followed the Dead. We’ve also got a table of college students that love Avett Brothers and found us online. We also had a young family show up for the first set because their daughter likes to go to sleep every night to our first album, Blue Heaven.
Are there any songs you wish you wrote? “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen
What artists are you listening to that would surprise your fans? Buena Vista Social Club, Metallica, Wilco
What is your dream show lineup? Buena Vista Social Club, Metallica, Wilco, maybe add Tom Waits
What are your guilty pleasures on the road? cycling, used record shops
Any close calls or mishaps while on tour? Always.
Do you have any rituals before you go on stage? I used to spray vegetable glycerine on my vocal chords.
Should music be free? As soon as grocery stores have special handouts for musicians. I think some music should be free, but it should be up to the artist just like any other marketplace. If an artist wants to give their painting away, that’s great. If a musician wants to give their song away, that’s great.
How has digital affected your career? The easy access gives fans a quick way to consume. And quick consumption can be great if it is a necessary medicine and horrible if it’s a strong whiskey. I think we’ve gotten fans from the digitization of music and I love getting paid by iTunes. But I still love vinyl. And I think there’s an age coming where it will all balance out.
Are digital singles vs. full albums the future of music? No, there’s not ONE future. Different markets have different desires. We’ve got an older fan base that wants CDs and wants full albums. They don’t want a download card. We’ve also got a younger demographic hungry for our music who will find it one song at a time online.
Finish this sentence: The music industry is…full of surprises.