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Music, to me, is like going to church. It's a spiritual thing and feeling like you're bound to one thing or another really has nothing to do with it at all. I guess it comes back to just being an artist. You create what you create; you can't judge what you're doing when it comes out. -Justin Perkins |
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Photo by: David Suskind
"Our initial intention was to do a studio record but we've been so busy on the road. We went into the studio a couple times but both times were only five days at a time. And conceptually we were all setting up in the same room and playing live, so the idea was to capture what we do in the same room or same stage together," says Heller. "In the last three years since we released our first record we've been on the road for roughly nine months out of each year. [Live At The Orange Peel] is pretty much who we are and where we're at today. I like that it has some rough edges and we were pushing it. We hadn't played in Asheville in a while and we were really inspired after having a good bit of that month off. And we had a pretty good studio session in Asheville about two weeks before these shows were recorded. Now, we're just building up material and getting in the right studio state of mind."
 Rayna Gellert with Toubab Krewe
By Reggie Tidwell |
The other guest on Orange Peel is occasional tour mate Uncle Earl violinist Rayna Gellert, who takes to Toubab Krewe like a proverbial duck to water.
"Having grown up in Western and North Carolina, I love traditional music. I used to play the banjo myself a little bit. With the kora, they have their own fiddles in West Africa, so it's just so nice having Rayna with us. She fits just perfect," adds Perkins. "She mixes so well with what we're doing in such a flawless, almost effortless way."
"She's absolutely one of my favorite musicians and people on the planet. She's such a natural. Her voice is so real, and her bowing hand and playing style is just so good! Her family has a really amazing creative spirit, too. One of her brothers works in film in Asheville and another is an artist. I think she grew up in a very creative environment," says Heller, who values Gellert's additional string voice in Toubab Krewe, which provides a foil for he and Perkins. "She's able to draw lines between Justin and I. She adds another physical dimension that I didn't even realize was there."
Live, Toubab Krewe exhibits a kind of telepathy that's a ball to watch. You can see the music play across one face then pass quickly through their hands and eyes to the man next them or even over their shoulder without a glance to the furious percussionists bruising their palms behind the frontline. In a basic way, all group music functions this way but there's visible kinetics to Toubab's interactions that layers further dimensions onto their already well-stacked sound.
"One thing that's really beautiful – and I feel we're very blessed in this – is we've known each other so long and we're such good friends that we're able to communicate very quickly with how we're feeling. We've been playing music together since we were kids, both formally and informally, and it's a very open, honest environment," says Heller. "It's a place where you can step out and experiment very comfortably."
One hears this easygoing yet totally active dynamic in the way percussion is handled in this band. It would be easy to relegate the drums to a support role and keep the focus on the string guys up front, but as they go along Toubab Krewe continues to hone their skill at easing back and allowing every distinct element in their sound to shine. However, the rise and fall within the music avoids the standard bebop soloist schtick. Rarely does anyone totally drop out but each man is developing their support skills and discovering new ways all the time to uplift his fellow musicians.
 Toubab Krewe by Lukas Blalock |
"The interplay between the percussion and the melodic end is so key, and it's changing over time," says Heller. "We're getting more comfortable as five but also as just say two onstage. Sometimes there's something going on back and forth between Dave and Justin or Justin and myself or whatever, and we're getting better at supporting different geometry to let things change shape and honor what the speaking voice is."
One of the big appeals of this band is the sense that no hard and fast rules apply. It's in such lawless environments that truly new music emerges, and that's certainly been the case with these North Carolina boys. They honor various traditions but don't try to emulate any one. As scary as it can be, Toubab Krewe moves in uncharted waters, which makes for an exhilarating, unexpected trip for musicians and listeners alike.
"Music, to me, is like going to church. It's a spiritual thing and feeling like you're bound to one thing or another really has nothing to do with it at all. I guess it comes back to just being an artist. You create what you create; you can't judge what you're doing when it comes out," says Perkins. "Lately, there's been a lot of random influences coming in. Having Rayna with us makes it so much more country [laughs]. I can be playing ngoni but it has a heavy zydeco feel, and then surf licks from Drew and really hardcore Ivory Coast percussion from Luke and Teal. The world is becoming smaller and through technology people are just more aware of everybody else. It's kind of breaking down stereotypes. You can do whatever you want to."
Here's the video for "Buncombe to Badala" from the live album:
Toubab Krewe "Buncombe to Badala (B2B)" from Toubab Krewe on Vimeo.
Live At The Orange Peel is now available from iTunes and Amazon. Fans who buy the album on iTunes will be treated to a free bonus track called "Sekou," recorded live at the band's most recent show at Asheville's Orange Peel. CDs hit stores on March 10.
Toubab Krewe is on tour now, dates available here.
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