Interview: Crescent and Frost @ The Grad Club, tonight
When one thinks of New York City, the thoughts of frenzied citizens, countless skyscrapers and a myriad of taxis come to mind. However, the city also has a thriving acoustic folk music scene in which band Crescent and Frost have found their niche. Fortunately, this well-kept secret from New York is about to be released in Kingston.
“We’re definitely influenced by living in the city, it’s hard not to be … but at the same time, I feel like this group of people would have made the same music anywhere,” says Dan Marcus, guitarist and composer for the New York City-based Crescent and Frost, which will be playing at The Grad Club tonight with songs from their sophomore album, Open Doors.
“We all gravitated [to New York City] because of … all the great musicians and all that is going on there,” Marcus said in an interview this week with the Journal. “We’ve built up a great audience, so the shows here are always great.” New York City is known for a very diverse music scene, and Kingston is about to get a taste of what the Lower East Side has known and loved for years. In the world of music, homogenization inevitably comes with the success of many artists. While succumbing to this factor may improve a group’s success, it often comes at the cost of their musical integrity. Crescent and Frost, however, have continued to thrive simply by being themselves and making music that comes from the heart. While the band combines elements of pop, folk and bluegrass, Marcus describes their sound more accurately as “Americana.” The result of this eclectic combination is refreshingly unique, albeit somewhat difficult to pin a genre label to. The group was started three years ago by Dan Marcus and Maryann Fennimore, who first met in Pittsburgh. Fennimore is the band’s vocalist and lyricist, and delivers intimate lyrics that detail “love and all the problems that come along with it,” according to Marcus. The quartet is completed by guitarist Rich Hinman and Canadian bassist Jason Mercer, all of whom met in separate ways but were ultimately drawn together by their ion for music. While creating a distinctly individual sound of their own, the band also draws a great deal of their inspiration from artists such as Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and Alison Krauss.
The primary reason Crescent and Frost will be in Kingston this weekend is for the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals 19th Annual Conference, taking place now until Sunday. In addition to the concert showcase they will be presenting to the Council of Folk Festivals on Saturday night at the Beaver Suite, they will also be making their second appearance at The Grad Club tonight with The Lady Racers, before continuing with their tour promoting Open Doors. Despite hailing from the Big Apple, the band has an affinity for Canada and enjoys an occasional break from the city that never sleeps. “I like Canada because I spent a lot of my summers there at camp. Every time we go to Canada, we’re just really warmly received and our music seems to make sense there,” Marcus said. “It’s also nice to get away from the city, since we’re not necessarily big city people at heart.” Marcus also itted the band has come a long way since their debut album, Pennsylvania. “When we made our first record, we had only been playing together for a few months. The second record, [Open Doors] was made after we had time to find an identity and develop as a group.” The success of that identity was demonstrated recently when folk and bluegrass legend Bill Keith agreed to work with them and contribute to Open Doors.
“It was incredible. He is one of a kind and such an incredible musician,” Marcus said. “To just have a chance to be around him was a total privilege … he is a genius and he’s been doing it for so long.”
Nevertheless, the band has maintained a consistency in their sound and avoided the need for a drummer. “It’s difficult to find a drummer that doesn’t want to play loud,” joked Marcus. “We’re just a quiet band and we can get it done without [a drummer].” Drummer or no drummer, Crescent and Frost is definitely worth checking out tonight.
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