The Meanderings

This track is something for those who are searching for handmade, passionate and honest alternative-pop-jazz-rock-music. To be honest, I wasn’t really aware that there IS a genre like the one “The Meanderings” created, but I instantly got addicted to it.

Taken from their album “Entering Cedar Crest“, this track is the first of nine ultra-honest tracks of Daniel Cravens and Connor Morrison, better known as “The Meanderings”. I have the feeling that those two don’t take their music too seriously all the time, but they bring the necessary work ethic to the table to create awesome music. The chemistry of the two is undeniable. While both have this lightweight, happy element in them, playing and singing like there were no problems along the way with that “hey, this is fun!”-attitude, they let shine through their ability to bring their unique elements to the table. One time it’s awesome strummed guitar chords like in “Tragedy Pt. I“, the other time it’s an addictive piano like in “Hops“, they always seem to reinvent themselves without getting too far away from their main style.

Okay, maybe the mixing work of the track isn’t the best out there. The production might be a bit off for today’s standards here and there. But you know what? Doesn’t matter. Because this FEELS right. Like I said many times before, music doesn’t need to be polished and shiny like a diamond, as long as the listener just feels something. And this is the case here big time. Compare this to todays chart leaders, and you have to agree with me that the music of The Meanderings does always win over any soulless pop chart wonder. This is something real. Something that would happen at a campfire or at the beach if you gave Cravens a guitar and Morrison a keyboard (and both a cold beer, I guess). The music is done with so much passion and honesty that it’s just… charming. It’s believable. It’s real. And that, folks, is what really counts in music. - KMS Reviews

In this interview spotlight, I chat with The Meanderings about their latest project, motivations, challenges and more.

Full Q&A along with links and music below.

I was jamming Hops as I prepped this article for publishing; my daughter (10 years old) walks in and says, “this is a great song”. I definitely agree. Turn it up loud and jam on out.

Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)

We are from the mountains just outside of Albuquerque, NM. We ultimately create folk rock, but our music is heavily influenced by our different playing styles. On one hand, Connor is very into jazz and pop which comes through in his piano style and singing, while Daniel has more of the folk and western influence which comes through in his guitar, banjo, mandolin and singing. When it blends together though, its a cool folk rock feel that we both really like.

What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?

It’s hard to say what individually led us to where we are, or what drives us, but we came together as a band when we both realized that each of us had a bank of songs that we had written, the desire to play them for other people, but no outlet. At that point we decided it would be good to team up and start playing the bars and breweries around where we are from. After doing that for a while, we’ve gotten to the point where we have recorded and released some songs, with another album being released in a few weeks. In terms of what keeps us going, its a blast playing for other people, and we keep writing songs, so we plan to keep at it, even if it’s just for the free beer.

How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?

With this song specifically (Hops), its a much more vocal centric song than most of our others. We spent a lot of time during the recording process trying to get harmonies right, and getting the instrumentation to match them. It’s a stand alone song, that pays tribute to some of the people we have met at some of our shows, both the ones that like to party and get rowdy, and the ones that sit in the corner and nurse their pilsners. It’s just a fun song that is both fun to listen to and fun to play. Being a single off of our next album, it’s also worth mentioning that it represents, at a higher level, a taste of our more refined sound, which is a bit more developed as we spent about a year putting together this next album.

Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?

It’s particularly difficult to standout as a primarily acoustic band in a time where things like EDM or even indie electro type music dominate most of the streaming sites. That’s probably our biggest battle. Without an awesome bass drum, it’s hard to get a following. That being said, technology has made it easier for independent artists like us to put out music that sounds a little bit more professional, even if we can’t afford the studio time.

What was the last song you listened to?

Julep by Punch Brothers.

Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?

CD’s are great to have in the car and jam out to, but streaming online has been both of our means of listening just due to the mobile aspect of it. If you can get your hands on a good vinyl though, it’s hard to beat that.

How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?

I think that really just depends on convenience. Connor listens to Spotify almost exclusively because he doesn’t have an iphone. Daniels on the move a little more and likes Apple Music.

Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?

We are available pretty much anywhere you want to go. We usually point people toward Spotify or Apple Music, but we are also on Soundcloud, Amazon Music, Band Camp, and all of those places. We also love connecting to our fans through Facebook and Instagram! Below are some links.

Facebook
Instagram
Spotify
Soundcloud
Apple Music
Bandcamp
Anything else before we sign off?

We will be releasing a new album on November 24th called Entering Cedar Crest. Its got 9 tracks on it, and we are super excited about it!

Thanks again for the interview!!

The Meanderings - MTM Music