Sprout and the Orange

June 2008
When The Silence Breaks you are left with new beginnings.

The debut CD from Sprout was just released in June, relieving fans that have waited a few years for fresh studio material since the band morphed out of Sprout and the Orange. Marking a new depth of sound and dynamic, the disc is well worth the long wait. No one was in doubt the CD would be good; in actuality, it is absolutely fantastic.

Sonically clever and undeniably a varied listen, with elements drawing upon multiple genres of music from a group that offers the full platter with complete experience and vibe, Sprout live as they play and play as they live. And they are Class A musicians.
From the opening track of 'Everything And In Between' to the closer, 'More' - some twelve songs later - they have given the listener a carnival ride into the depths of humanity with a dash of vaudeville thrown in for good measure. It is more than a CD and it is more than just a couple of guys playing music. When The Silence Breaks has the ability to touch the soul, make you laugh, make you think and with each listen, can grow upon you and within you.


Part of that is filtered through the work aesthetic the group has established. Quintessential guitarist/lead vocalist Aaron Johnson, keyboardist extraordinaire Justin Weisenbach, and the brilliant rhythm section one-two punch of brothers Matt (bass/vocals) and Steve Nyquist (drums/vocals) play music like they breath - it's a natural & life affirming process that has become second instinct.

Culling elements from their past, like Johnson's brother, ex-Orange vocalist Brian's lyrics for the songs Mule and Gevalia, as well as music and lyrics for Alibi, and original bassist Jeff (Cornpone) Schrems music and lyrics for The End Of Alchemy, they tie together the family quilt that the band has been stitching since its early days.

And what the band may not have at their disposal, they brought in via a few helping hands: Padraic 'Barefoot Mick' Ingle on harmonica and Patrick O'Dunnstein on violin, both of which add a textured layer and feel to the tracks Get Over You, Willow Stream, as well as the title track.

It's no secret that the Mid-Michigan area has always been a hotbed for talent, but for Sprout, When The Silence Breaks takes the cake as an artist's platter and a listener's gem, open to everyone and not stationary in any one direction.


Having kicked off the year with an all-star musician performance of The Band's Last Waltz at Pit & Balcony, they have morphed into a five-piece outfit, adding percussionist Mike Wardynski and have been hitting the tour trail as of late. Combined that with the new CD and multiple wins at the 2008 Review Awards, including Best Rock Songwriter & Best Male Rock Vocalist (Aaron Johnson), as well as Best Funk Band, which followed numerous nominations, their summer has been full-steam ahead.



The Review contacted keyboardist Justin Weisenbach to reflect on the past few months.


"When the Silence Breaks was started about three years ago," said the keyboard player. "It's recording was slowed due to the distance to the studio, the busy schedule of the band and its mates, and some blatant procrastination. The CD was recorded at Media Music in Coleman, MI. Chris Roach was a huge part of the recording process and helped a lot with production. Mike Lavolette also had a hand in the production and final mixing.


Were there more songs to choose from, or were these the only tracks recorded?


"This is all of the songs," said Weisenbach. "We went in there with a plethora of original music to choose from and just started recording what came to mind. When the Silence Breaks is what we ended up with."


"We have sold a few hundred within the first three weeks. We also have a few festivals this year that we are optimistic about and should do really well with this album. Our CD release show was spur of the moment and between that, coupled with our lack of advertising for it, we are happy to have as many gone as we do."



It sounds as if the band took its time to craft very 'personable' songs. At any time, did you intend to give it the 'warm' feeling or did it just happen?


"We really tried to capture our live feel in the music," he stated. "However, it is easy to get carried away with overdubs, which you definitely can't do on stage in the bars. As far as trying to pull warm feelings out, we really just went into the studio and did what we do. Our songs are constantly changing, so what might be faster and happier one time might be slower and funkier the next."


Looking ahead, what does Sprout have planned for the year with the CD release and shows?


"We are currently booking as many shows around Michigan as we can to finish out the year and promote the album. A mini tour around the Great Lakes is being booked for December. We are also getting our album out to college, public, and Internet radio stations, so watch out for Sprout on the radio. Other than that we are going to get back in the studio and start working on number two. Hopefully we can finish this one before 2010."



How do you feel about the Review Award wins?


"We appreciate being recognized."


Do you have any more dates planned for The Last Waltz?


"The Last Waltz was one of our favorite shows to do and we are grateful to all of the musicians that helped us put it on. As far as another Last Waltz, I think we only get one. Isn't that how those work?"

- Review Magazine

January 2008

Bad things sometimes happen to good people.

And sometimes good people get together and do something about it. That's the focus of the Home Grown Music Fest, a musical charity benefit for local band, 'Sprout', which recently had all their stage equipment stolen for the second time in a relatively short period of time.

"It was just a feeling that I...not I, WE must do something about it as a community of musicians," said Padraic Ingle an organizer of the benefit.

"At first I didn't know what to think, and then I thought I would help out in anyway that I can," said Mike Wardynski, co-organizer.

And help out they did, by organizing the Home Grown Music Fest presented by Graff Chevrolet, a line-up of ten solid bands from the area coming together for a good cause at the Empire Club in Bay City January 12.

Sprout is a jam-band whose music manages the feat of soaring to elegiac heights and reaching to the lowest of lows without coming off as somber or banal. There is a complete honesty behind all their music, perhaps a leftover from the Grunge era, where vocals like theirs wouldn't seem at all out of place.
The band consists of 4 members: Aarron, Steve, Matt and Doppel. Steve, the drummer, presents as an unassuming guy, a guy you could go to the bar with, get a beer, and never end up in an argument.


But then, drummers are usually the peacemakers in any band.

Matt, the bass player, is an earnest fellow, competent and friendly. Doppel plays keys for the band. He's a jocular, brash sort of guy, the type of guy you can't help but like.

And then there's Aarron. Aarron is the talkative, yet intense, vocalist and lead guitarist for Sprout. He comes off as pragmatic and serious, a man who's seen the light through his band's travails, and now approaches things with purpose and quiet dignity. I caught up with Sprout and in a series of interviews.


We talked about the past, the present, cover bands...and karma.

JT: Describe how you felt when you first found out your gear was stolen.

Steve: we lost the PA and all the lighting, and a bunch of stuff we'd been working on gathering for a while...initially, disbelief, y'know, how does this happen again? It was hard to believe, just ridiculous.

Doppel: (sarcastic laughing) ha...ha...ha...a lot of 4 letter words come to mind, man. I'm hoping that karma will catch up to those guys.

Matt: I thought it was somebody messing with us...some kind of joke. But then when we saw the busted lock, we didn't know what to think.

Aarron: I was really...kinda' just in shock. 'Oh, the gear just got stolen again.' It doesn't hit home until you play a show. Luckily we had our instruments and amps. Our next show was in Grand Rapids, and they had a PA and light system, so we didn't need it.

JT: And this was the second time...

Matt: Yeah. Luckily our instruments weren't in there. Still it was 10-15 grand in crap. Karma will come for whoever took it and bite them in the ass.

Aarron: Both times we lost, as much in value, except everything is new. We don't...get paid...everybody thinks 'Oh, you're a musician, you live the easy life'', but we don't get paid. I have a boy (a child screams in the background)...and we put everything into the equipment.

JT: That's difficult, to lose everything again.

Aarron: Every time we start to get to a good place, we get kicked down again. So we lost all of that. The more we've gone (on) the tighter we've gotten. [pause] Then it all gets taken. [pause] We'll keep going and getting strong.

JT: So...could you sum up 2007 for Sprout in a few sentences?

Steve: Overall it was a good year. We did some good networking with other jam bands in Michigan, like Covert Ops and Ultraviolet Hippo, just to name a few. We played a lot of shows and some great festivals. The album got pushed back, but maybe we're just getting picky

Aarron: Well, ah...we did a Pink Floyd Show. Still haven't been able to get our album out. We're a live show band; you're going to get a good show, a new show every time. A lot of people label us a hippie band, and then come out to see us; the proof is in the pudding...they shouldn't speak until they taste the pudding, because the pudding is good. We're music lovers, we write positive music.

Doppel: Oh man....2007 was a great year, we met a lot of awesome bands. We've been together 6 or 7 years and now we're meeting a lot of great musicians in Michigan.

Matt: We should've had the album done.

JT: What's up with the album?

Matt: The guy that was working on it closed up shop and moved out west. He had a studio in Coleman. There's still a little mixing to be done.

JT: Any projected release date?

Matt: Uhmmm, February. Around Valentine's day. [sarcasm] That would be 'lovely'.

JT: Where do you see Sprout in 2008?

Steve: [laughs] Probably still in Saginaw, doing the same thing. The album will come out, and hopefully this will propel us to a new level in our career and draw attention from a music label. I've thought of moving, musically its not the best area for an original band, but in terms of friends, this is home, and we have a lot of great friends here.

Matt: Uhmmm, playing everywhere and anywhere that wants us. Hopefully tour and make millions of dollars.

JT: That's optimistic.

Matt: Yeah. We're going to be the next hot MTV band. [sarcasm] Yeah, RIGHT.

JT: Doppel?

Doppel: Getting back on the horse...getting all our gear back and doing shows. 'Whatever doesn't kill us, makes us stronger'.

JT: I've heard that before.

Doppel: I think its true...just a second, the nurse is here to check on the baby...

And Doppel goes on to tell me that he's still at the hospital, that he and his girlfriend just had a baby, Jonas. He sounds flush with the excitement of new fatherhood, and all the lack of sleep and exhaustion that this entails.

Doppel: Yeah, my girlfriend, she's a trooper. She had contractions six minutes apart before the New Years show we did, and she *still* made it to part of the show. We were the first people on the ward at covenant, got there at about five a.m., but with the 12 hours of labor...we didn't have the first baby in Saginaw in 2008.

JT: 12 hours? She IS a trooper!

JT: Aarron? Where do you see Sprout in 2008?

Aarron: Hopefully with a brand new P.A.! [laughs]. ...and well into a second album.

JT: You don't have your first album out yet...right?

Aarron: Not yet. We will. Its taken a lot longer than I'd hoped, but it will be out, really really soon. You don't want to release something just to release it, but I just really want it out. It's ready to go.

JT: What's the album called?

Aarron: "When the Silence Breaks". It's the last lyrics on the album.

JT: Is it an instrumental?

Aarron: No, no, it's just the last lyrics on the last song on the album. Also, part of the meaning of it is just...you know...finally getting the album out.

JT: I spoke with Doppel about doing covers, and he said, "No, Aarron would go crazy."

Aarron: To me--as a musician, people want to hear the same songs. For me to be happy, I have to play music I like. I do a solo thing; I do some covers, more than I would with Sprout. We're under appreciated for covers--

JT: Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating for more covers or cover bands--

Aarron: No, no. We do 'Lets Get It On', we do 'Rappers Delight', the Doors, and we do a lot of popular cover songs. We do it to get people's attention.

JT: With all the adversity that Sprout has faced, I've noticed a lot of harmony between the band mates. You all are on the same page. Do you think it's brought anything to the music?

Aarron: We've persevered and it's definitely brought us tighter as a band. It's probably why we've had so many members. Sometimes people can't hang. Like when Brian left. We're 4 pieces now, before we were...scattered. We all had way different, conflicting ideas. We didn't have a PA, weren't trying to get a PA, and weren't getting anywhere. As a 4 piece we all knew what we wanted to do. Lets get a PA. Lets think about the show. We applied sense...

JT: You applied business sense...

Aarron: We didn't really have anyone to tell us what to do, or how to do it. We weren't responsible.

JT: And now you are.

Aarron: Yes. It's an ongoing thing that never stops. We're humble. We network with other bands. There's nothing better than making friends in the music world, and that's how things happen. And there are great people, because they're just like us. Of course, there are some bad people, too, just like anything. [pause] I'd just like to find out who did it. Maybe they did it the last time. Maybe we could get some stuff back.

JT: How would you characterize Sprout's sound and philosophy?

Doppel: We all really love music and want to play it for the rest of our lives together. We have fun and it shows in our music.

JT: And how is that different from the cover bands that inundate the area?

Doppel: We definitely focus on our original music and our original songs. I mean...you always get some guy that screams out 'FREEBIRD', and we try to incorporate covers we like from time to time, but we're an original band and we play originals. Sure, we don't get as much money as we want, or as many shows as we want but...

JT: It's your commitment

Doppel: Right. Besides, [pauses] Aarron would freak out. We like writing and performing originals.

Steve: Our music is something a casual fan hasn't heard before. A lot of it's due to Aaron's writing style, the way he writes and arranges. We're all really deeply connected to music, and if they're an open-minded music go-er, we can enthrall them.

JT: Describe how you felt when you first heard a benefit for Sprout was being organized.

Aarron: well...ah...I kind of figured people would do it.

JT: Oh yeah?

Aarron: Not to sound...we just have good friends and I kind of figured people would band together and do that. We come to their shows, they come to ours. There's a tight music community in the area now.

Matt: It's amazing that Mick and Mike arranged something like that so soon. We've got good camaraderie with the bands around us, and its great they don't want to see that crap go down. People care about us and there is a lot of love...which is good. We'd do the same for anyone, and, as it turns out, they'd do it for us.

Steve: We love the friends that we have, grateful to have the abundance of great friends we have. It made me feel (when we lost our gear) ''is this a song we should give up?' but after seeing the response of our friends, it gives us a sense of purpose to us, to our friends, to the Sprout 'family'.

Doppel: Blown away by how much Mike has done. It shows how many great friends we have, all the bands that have come together, and the camaraderie. It's a good feeling to know our friends are there for us.

JT: I've heard that you like to help out bands just starting out.

Doppel: Yeah, we split shows and things like that, you've gotta'...you've gotta' help out.

JT: Is there anything you'd like to say to or about the bands that will be playing the Home Grown Music Fest?

Doppel: I'd like to do both, actually. I'm just grateful that they're stepping up, and I'm blown away. Anyone who pays five dollars for the show is getting an insane amount of awesome musicians for that price. Any one of those bands could charge five times that amount for just themselves.

Steve: Its absolutely wonderful. A lot of great friends and great bands. It amazes me how much talent there is in the area, and at the same time, usually in bands there's some sort of rivalry between bands, but here, everyone is happy to watch everyone else as much the other. It's a great experience.

Matt: Uhh...There's not enough thanks and gratitude that can be given to everybody for their love and support. There's not enough gratitude that can be given. [pause] It's freakin' awesome!

Aarron: I know that there are a lot of good bands. You don't want to miss a minute of it. A huge range of music, a full course meal of music. I'm happy and just want to say, on behalf of Sprout, 'Thank You'.

JT: Oh...one last thing...do you believe in karma?

Doppel: I suppose...

Aarron: Ahmmm...yeah. What goes around comes around. I don't know why it came around to us. Maybe something good will come out of it in the long run.

Steve: I definitely believe in karma, but at the same time, it makes me wonder...were we doing something we weren't supposed to be doing for this to originally to have happened to us again? I don't know.

Matt: Somewhat. What goes around, comes around...of course, that wouldn't make any sense as to why our trailer got stolen in the first place. Sometimes it's hard to fathom why bad things happen to good people. Sometimes its hard to understand how something good can come out of hardship, how the total effect of a person's actions and conduct can determine someone's destiny.
But its nice to see a group of local musicians take a cause to heart. Maybe something good can come from this band's adversity.

The Home Grown Music Fest will occur January 12, 2008 at The Empire Club, 1201 Washington Avenue. Doors open at 3 p.m. Tickets are $5.00 before the show or $7.00 at the door. Call 989-324-0181. Tickets are also available at Graff Chevrolet on Wilder Road in Bay City and the Saginaw location of Guitar Center.
- Review Magazine

"This is not your typical garage band." - Saginaw News

"...much more gifted and magical than forms that fit the mold of predictability." - Review Magazine

Following a year of renewal in 2008, Sprout plans once again to tackle yet another monumental piece of recorded historical depth.

Last January's tribute to The Band with a performance of The Last Waltz brought Sprout to another level as they spread their musical good will across the Tri-cities. By inviting members in their brotherhood of local musicians to join them for the evening's festivities, they upped the ante conceptualizing what The Last Waltz was all about. What amassed was a near sold out Pit & Balcony Theater in Saginaw, packed with music fans that 'got it.' People who wanted to see the classic '70s concert film come to life in 2008, as well as people who have never experienced Sprout, let alone a performance of The Last Waltz in full-on jamming glory were handed a Class A production.

This year on Valentine's Day night, Feb. 14, and for a matinee on Sunday, Feb. 15, Sprout is pulling out all the stops for by performing The Beatles 'White Album' and once again getting by with a little help from their friends.

"After doing The Last Waltz, we had such a good time and it got such a good response, we wanted to do something else," said keyboardist Justin Weisenbach, over a phone interview last week. "It was a tough decision, there are so many good albums out there, but the 'White Album' really stood out to us." Good thinking, seeing as December marked the 40th Anniversary for the epochal release of The Beatles' only double-album.

"We were thinking the next biggest thing we could do, something that is really monumental as far as influences for us go - plus everybody loves the Beatles," added guitarist/vocalist Aaron Johnson, also during a separate phone interview.

While a high percentage of music lovers will know the Beatles and most likely 'The White Album', a smaller percentage may be aware that another jam band, Phish from Vermont, also covered the same album on Halloween night, 1994 in Glen Falls, New York. The widely distributed show caused a musical frenzy in early Internet days and got the band major print for their effort.

"It wasn't easy with Phish having done it," stated Weisenbach. "There's that whole covering or doing something that bands have already done (which is generally off limits), but it's such a favorite of all of ours it didn't really matter.

"Iwas kind of on the fence about when we first started (talking) about the 'WhiteAlbum'," said Johnson. "I love Phish, they are one of my favorite bands. Itkind of gave me an idea (to) put this thing together and really, really put alot of ideas into it and see what we can do - if we can get an awesome teamtogether. That's really what this is about. Getting a team together that worksreally hard on their own pieces and make a masterpiece (together)."While the 'White Album' showcased another heavily transitional period for theBeatles as time went on, the disc or vinyl sounds as brilliant now as it didthen.

"It's so different from the other stuff that they were doing and it's such asignature album," said Weisenbach. "We also thought it would be good becausethe Beatles are (a group) that a lot of people like, from young to old.

Work has already started in providing more of a visual in terms of backgroundvideo footage, than the band did for The Last Waltz.

"There's a whole lot going into it, because Aaron went crazy with the wholeidea," Weisenbach informed. "He wants to put together a video and stuff for thebackground for a bunch of the songs. So we've been recording videos for a whilenow.Mike (Wardynski,percussionist) has a bunch of video recording stuff and has a studioand has a bunch of toys. He's been doing a lot of filming and editing.

"As far as the music goes, we have the complete score of all their music. Wedidn't have that for the Last Waltz and it's been a blessing.Loren Kranz,guest keyboardist/vocalist andarranger) actually had to write out the horn parts for the Last Waltz. That wasa big undertaking for him to figure it out from ear and transpose it."

Familiar local music names have been already added to the list, includingvocalistsNoel Howland, Honesty Elliott, andMelissa May.

"We got Mel from theThunderchickenscoming out and all the guys fromCornpone," said Johnson. "I think we haveeight horns coming in from SVSU," added Weisenbach. "There are a couple ofsongs where there's like two guitar players.Ray (Torres, Holy Gunguitarist) is going to come out. Wewere trying to get more local musicians, ones that didn't make it to the LastWaltz. As far as a full practice with everybody, we probably won't be able todo that until the week before if we're lucky."

Having a matinee comes down to the fact that there would have been twice theamount of people at the Last Waltz event if the timing were right.

"Wealmost sold out the Last Waltz and we would have probably have gotten rid of somemore tickets—there were people that couldn't make it on that (particular) day,"said Weisenbach. "Plus we have a lot of families that are fans and friends andit's hard to bring a kid out to a show that is at 8:30 at night. So we decidedthat we were going to do a matinee so that we could gear it towards everybodyand give everyone a chance to see it. We're doing Saturday at8 o'clockand Sunday at4 o'clock, Valentines Day and the day after.That's another reason we did it at 8 (on Saturday) instead of 7 or 7:30, sopeople could go out to dinner and do whatever they're going to do and thenmaybe make a whole night of it."

Ticketsare available in many locations."We're selling them on our website through Paypal," said Weisenbach. "You canget them at any Sprout show, you can get them at theDrive Through PartyStoreon Gratiot(Saginaw). Also at thePit&Balconybox office, but you have to go there. They are notselling them over their web site."

Sprout'sdebut CDWhen The Silence Breakswas released last June. After this spring,Sproutis planning to head out west ontour for the first time.

"We got a lot going on right now," Weisenbach shared. "I actually just startedbooking for our summer tour. We're tossing around the idea of moving out tonorthern California next summer and it's looking pretty good right now. Sowe're going to take a tour out west, leaving July 4. We're going to play the(annual Saginaw) 4thof July show and that will be the first showand then we'll be back after the week of the 8thof August. I havelike seven shows that (are confirmed). But we are already thinking about thenext (big cover show). Depending on the success of this one, we are going to doanother one this year and start doing two a year."

"We'regoing to be doing a lot of stuff with the video," added Johnson. "The nextthing we do at Pit&Balcony is going to be our own original production. Iwant to take the same production energy, horn section, video, get some peopleto sit in with us and doing something for our own original stuff. I am thinkingprobably fall. We've got a lot of ideas brewing. The next cover thing willprobably be Halloween."

Thegood fortuneSproutendured throughout 2008 will sprinkle well into the new year."I think the thing that was so good about (the Last Waltz) was that successwasn't expected," said the keyboardist. "It was like we didn't reallyadvertise, we had just gotten (our gear) ripped off, we were down and out andthen all of a sudden…" he said fading, "that wasexactlywhat we needed at that point intime. That lit the fire again. That was great, the feeling and the energy. Whenyou get the crowd that really understand, like in a live show where you'redoing jams and original stuff that they are so much part of the show too. When(the audience) get into it and get going, the musician's feed off of that andit can build and build so much. It's such a great thing."

"It's all the result of having a team, having people that want to help becausethey want to see a good production come out," added Johnson. "They believe inthe band and they want to help make this thing happen. Those are the people whoare going to be part of the road team when we go. I have a strong feeling, youknow. It's what counts because people are what is important."
- Review Magazine - Scott Baker

"...creating a collective synergy on-stage that is as entertaining as it is compelling, and as densely packed with emotive layers as it is explosive with the joy of it's creativity." - Review Magazine

"...feeding healthy servings of ear candy to music fans all over the Tri-Cities." - Bay City Times

"These guys...make it a point for the audience to have a good time." - Delta Collegiate

Sunday, January 20, 2008
MATT NYQUIST wasn’t aboard the last time thieves helped themselves to the musical equipment of the Saginaw band Sprout.
“That was a tough two weeks for the guys,” the bassist said of the 2003 heist. “They had just moved back here after living for six months in Nashville, where they were trying to get something going. Everything was stolen and then their bass player said he was leaving.”
Five years later, with only guitarist Aaron Johnson remaining from what in 1999 was called Sprout and the Orange, the group is fighting its way back from yet another equipment theft, again in Saginaw.
Nyquist and his bandmates —Johnson, keyboard player Justin Weisenbach, percussionist Mike Wardynski, and his brother and drummer Stephen Nyquist, along with manager/sound engineer Billy Richter and lightman Blair McAllister —hoped a benefit held Saturday at Bay City’s Empire Club would help recoup some of the $15,000 loss. And they have reason to believe good times are ahead.
“We’re solid,” Matt Nyquist said. “We’re playing out of town a lot, which pays enough for gas, food and beer but gives us good exposure.
“We record all of our shows, and we give away the CDs every night, sometimes as many as 80 at a time. People e-mail us back, one time all the way from Colorado, telling us how much they like it.”
Soon, too, Sprout will release a full-length studio album, “When the Silence Breaks,” featuring 12 original tracks. But for the full Sprout experience, Nyquist said, you want to catch them live.. preferably in their own backyard.
“We love it at White’s Bar; Bo (White) always treats us good,” Nyquist said of the Saginaw music club. “We start off with an improvised jam, and it’s hard to stay with the set list after that. We never play the same song the same way twice.
“You can’t really pigeonhole us. I tell people we play psychedelic polka, and that explains it as well as anything else. We play music, we get going and we never know where it’s going to go.
“But it’s here to stay.”

DANA Rieber
drieber@thesaginawnews.com
Photographer

SUE White
swhite@thesaginawnews.com
Writer
- The Saginaw News