Session Americana
Session Americana Releases "Diving for Gold"!
Diving for Gold marks a series of changes for Session Americana. The most notable transition is from founding bass player, Kimon Kirk, to Jon Bistline, whose original song "I Can't Get Out" is the first track on the new album. Both Kirk and Bistline perform on the record, however Kimon has since moved to the West Coast where he continues to play music. The focus of the album is towards original material - a departure for a band that has focused on songs from its immediate community of friends and public domain material. Paul Q. Kolderie and Co. (Pixies, Radiohead, Hole, Dinosaur Jr., Throwing Muses, Morphine, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones) brought a touch of old-fashioned producing as well as a thick soup of sonic fidelity to the sessions, whereas the band's previous recordings relied on a communal spontaneity for their inspiration.
Finally, while not directly affecting the recording, the band has been invigorated by a long series of Tuesday nights performing sold-out shows at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge. With developed material, and a now 'broken in' Bistline on bass, Session Americana has won over a whole new audience with their intimate but highly entertaining performing style.
About:
Session Americana sit tightly around a small round cafe table, ambient mics tuned to catch the complete sound of the voices and instruments. A suitcase drum kit, an old electric bass, a field organ and a collection of acoustic instruments. The unique format feels fantastically theatrical and although the musicians face each other, the audience feels drawn into the circle by the warmth, joy and camaraderie that emanate outwards by the all-star cast of characters seated around the table. What keeps fans coming back show after show is the same thing that any audience member longs for; great songs performed by a great band. The six core members of the band have brought enviable careers worth of experience to the "table", featuring (current and former) members of Treat Her Right, Patty Griffin, Lori McKenna, The The, Dennis Brennan, Kris Delmhorst to name just a few. The group has grown from a rag tag jam at a local pub to a regional institution, playing gigs from coffee houses to urban nightclubs, regional festival tents to theaters and in front of audiences in New York City and beyond.
How does Session Americana manage to sell out shows, week after week, year after year?
"Session Americana is loose the way you want a band to be and tight the way you want a band to be. I can't describe them well but I can tell you that you really want to see them play. If this is geographically impossible for you, you should probably move here, or at the very least acquire their great double album Table Top People. " - Kris Delmhorst
"Truly original. I can honestly say there isn't anything else like Session Americana, anywhere. Seeing S.A. is like watching roots style musical theater: from the group-wide exchanging of instruments, dramatic variations in song style and structure, to the layering of multi-part vocal harmonies and harmonica; this is a performance! And every performance I have ever been privy to witness has been masterful and exciting from start to finish.
Their live show is inviting, captivating and....magical! S. A. is proficient and polished, yet rootsy and raw. It's a winning combination that I've rarely ever seen and have never seen done so well." -Ward Hayden, Girls, Guns and Glory
"Session Americana is that club of warm, talented, hip, and gracious folks that you instantly want to join. They're the group that you watch and think, "Damn, I wish I was in that band." The love of and passion for the music is obvious. It is in their bones. They draw everyone in. Every set is that magical night at the campfire that you experienced when you were a kid and never forgot; it stayed with you and made you want to play music, to share conversation and drinks and you wished it would never end. It was one of those fleeting moments of Zen clarity in life when you realize: this is what it's all about. Going to a Session American night is a night of communion. Everyone there wants to share the warmth from their campfire. Everyone their wants to join that club. And, with apologies to Groucho Marx, once I was asked to join their club, however briefly, at that inspirational table, I never wanted to leave." - Bill Janovitz, Buffalo Tom
"Genius ... Jaw-dropping vocals ... Session Americana is blessed in this regard:...musicianship that sets the standard for the genre in Boston and vocals that do the same"
— NE Performer Magazine
"An eclectic, swinging tour de force"— The Boston Globe
"the cream of the Somerville/Cambridge roots music community." — No Depression
Awards:
· Winner "2005 Best Folk Act" - The Boston Music Awards
· Winner "Best Roots Act 2006" - Improper Bostonian "Best of Boston" Issue
· Winner "Best CD" 2007 - Improper Bostonian
· Nominated "Best Roots Act" 2007 - WFNX/Boston Phoenix Best Music
· Nominated "Best Live Act" 2007 - The Boston Music Awards
· Nominated "Best Americana Act" 2008 - The Boston Music Awards
