When The Creak isn't hitting on your sister, you can probably find them in some San Francisco alleyway hiding from the police sent out to investigate "that damn banjo music playing outside my store scaring away my customers" complaint. The quintet plays acoustic music rooted in the bluegrass and folk tradition, with hints of blues and punk elements sneaking in to give them a sound both new and old. The Creak's energetic performances and visible onstage chemistry inspire dancing, singing, and stomping, leaving audiences feeling elated to have taken part in such fun. "We just really like playing together, and I think it comes across well in a live setting" says guitarist Joe Boone.
Formed in summer 2009, the group consists of guitarists Joe Readel and Joe Boone, banjo extraordinaire Chris Underwood, fiddle and mandolin player Korey Kassir, and bass player Ryan Lim. Joe Readel and Korey usually switch off lead and harmony vocal duties, with the other guys jumping in to sing a song or two every now and then. Early 2011 saw the release of their freshmen effort Here's To Feeling Good All The Time, a forty minute collection of original tunes. It ranges from from emotional and energetic numbers like "Beaten," an anti war rally cry; to classic sounding songs like "Biscuits On The Floor," a song about, well, biscuits; to slower crowd pleasers like "An Axe To Grind," a tale of love and work in the woods.
Although the album does showcase the The Creak's songwriting and playing abilities, they did not feel like they got past the awkward early band stages until after the record was finished. "I think all that time spent staring at each other in the studio really helped bring it all together" says Joe R. "Yeah, the harmonies got way tighter all of a sudden. We ended up learning a lot" adds Korey. This new found sense of band-om might also be attributed to the recent addition of Ryan on Bass. Before Ryan, the four friends switched off playing bass from song to song. Tired of lugging a giant bass around, they decided to outsource the work. "I dunno, something just really clicked" quips Chris in reference to Ryan joining the band.
Armed with an arsenal of new tunes, tighter arrangements, and plenty of snacks, The Creak is ready to rock.
