Profile: The Rockridge Brothers

Who would have thought that awesome American old-time music would be coming to us from Sweden? I certainly didn’t. Not until a trip to the Grassroots Festival in Trumansburg, NY in the summer of 2008. It was there, on a sultry Sunday morning that I was fortunate enough to catch a performance by the Rockridge Brothers at the Infield Stage. They were energetic and enthusiastic despite the heat and their driving rhythms held my interest for their entire performance. I promptly scooped up their then recently released CD, Rockridge Hollerin', and have been a fan ever since (Which, without the likes of YouTube, could be a bit of a bummer when one of your favorite bands is an ocean away.) The Rockridge Brothers (left to right in photograph) are: Ralf Fredblad (fiddle), Peter Frövik (guitar), Kristian Herner (clawhammer banjo), and Pontus Juth (upright bass).

Luckily for me, technology is what it is and these gentlemen graciously responded to my request for an interview. Besides being tremendously talented musicians, I think you will find that they collectively possess a great sense of humor and have a firm grasp on where they are headed and how they intend to get there. Here’s the transcript from our “conversation”.

Melissa: It appears from your YouTube videos that old-time and bluegrass are becoming quite popular in Europe. Just how popular is it compared to the States?

Rockridge Brothers: It is still very small even compared to other non-mainstream music genres, though it has been growing the last few years and continues to do so. Also, the situation is very different in different European countries. For example Sweden, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands have a very vital bluegrass scene, while at the same time bluegrass is virtually unheard of in some of their neighboring countries. One reason is that the various European countries all have their own traditional folk music. Maybe European folk music traditions will start to merge more with American folk music, at least there seems to be such tendencies here in Sweden. That would probably help in attracting a larger audience for bluegrass style music, but it will probably always be more popular in the States than in the Europe.

Melissa: Just what is it about old-time and bluegrass that you enjoy so much?

Rockridge Brothers: It’s honest, simple, straightforward, hard driving, in-your-face music. This is probably the reason it seems to have this unexpected pull on punk rock fans.

Melissa: I understand from a recent interview for Balcony TV in Germany (on YouTube) that you have a third album in the works. Do you have a planned release date yet?

Rockridge Brothers: The exact date has not been decided yet, but it will be released this fall.

Melissa: So, besides ‘Down South Blues’, [performed for the Balcony TV interview] would you share the names of another tune or two that will be on your new album?

Rockridge Brothers: ‘John Henry’ will be on the record. We like to have some really classic standard songs on every recording we do. ‘Raleigh and Spencer’ is one of our favorite live songs, we play it on almost every gig, so it was about time that song got recorded. ‘Wild Bill Jones’ is another song that we have been playing live for quite some time, so that one is also going to be on the record. All and all there will be about thirteen or so songs on the record. At this time, we are trying to make up our minds about which songs will not be on it. We have deliberately recorded more songs than will fit on a single album, since we like to have the option of scrapping the tracks we are least satisfied with.

Melissa: I understand that you are also collaborating with Karla-Therese Kjellvander. Is there a planned release date for that album? Is this a one-time collaboration or something you hope to continue? It sounds great, by the way! ? (Check out a track from the upcoming album on YouTube.)

Rockridge Brothers: Karla-Therese contacted us for a recording session some time ago. We rehearsed for a bit and made the whole of the recording during a weekend in a studio here in Stockholm. While we were waiting for the painstakingly slow post recording process to come to an end, we started playing a few gigs together. The record will be released on the 8th of September, was the last thing we heard, and we will continue to play together, hopefully for many years to come.

Melissa: I see from YouTube that you have a professionally done video [Sugar Hill] as well. Can you tell me where it was filmed?

Rockridge Brothers: It was filmed at various locations in and around Stockholm.

Melissa: What was your favorite part about doing a video?

Rockridge Brothers: I think planning it, and eventually seeing the end result. The creative part of it, that is. The actual filming of it could be quite boring at times, to tell the truth. Though it doesn’t show in the video, some of the outdoor scenes were cut in terrible weather conditions. Most of us and the film crew got a cold from making that video at one point or another.

Melissa: So, aside from germ warfare and the boredom factor, what was the most difficult aspect of creating the music video?

Rockridge Brothers: Timing - to have everybody doing their part in sync with everybody else. Fortunately for us, that was the director’s job.

Melissa: I’m sure my readers, of whom many are beginning players, will be interested in knowing a bit about your musical education. Can you tell me what was the very first instrument each of you played, how old you were when you started to play and how long have you been playing your main instrument?

Pontus: I started playing the piano when I was 7. Then I turned to the guitar in my teens, the obvious choice if you like to impress the girls, of course. Then I started playing bass in a punk rock band. It was when I got into more acoustic music that I got myself a double bass. I’ve been playing that for about 8 years.

Kristian: Impressing the girls with my guitar playing didn’t work for me; there were simply too many guitar players around when I was in my teens. But my dad is a banjo builder, one of the few professional in Europe, so there were plenty of banjos lying around. So banjo was a pretty obvious choice.

Peter: I started nagging my parents about getting me a guitar when I was as young as two years old, but I didn’t get one until I was 10.

Ralf: I got a guitar when I was 15. When I was 16 I got my first banjo. I started playing it picking style, but I used tabs for clawhammer. I didn’t know the difference, and there was no one around to ask. I’ve been playing the fiddle for 12 years, concentrating from the start on old time fiddling. My favorite tunings are A cross-tuned and D raised bass.

Melissa: What other, if any, instruments do each of you play besides those you just mentioned?

Pontus: The banjo, mostly. I have a bunch of string instruments that I play, or play with, rather, for my own amusement. My latest purchase is an accordion.

Peter: I only play the guitar, but recently I have started to pick up the Cajun triangle, one of the most underestimated instruments there is. I see myself as a champion of the Cajun triangle, fighting for it’s acceptance as a serious musical instrument.

Kristian: I play a little mandolin and guitar, besides the banjo.

Ralf: Banjo, guitar, mandolin, autoharp, bass, and the Cajun accordion.

Melissa: Beginners know how important practice is, but what about after you've been playing together for awhile? How often do you practice as a group?

Rockridge Brothers: We only practice when we want to learn new material or prepare for a recording or a tour. During those periods we practice once a week, Wednesdays.

Melissa: Do you each have a favorite tune or song? You realize, of course, that this is a trick question because I can’t even answer it myself.

Pontus: ‘Angeline The Baker’ is a good one. I think we should play it with the band some time. There are just too many good songs and too little time, which is a great problem to have.

Peter: I’m very pleased that one of my favorite songs will be on the coming album: ‘Wayfaring Stranger’. It was sort of scary recording it since some of my musical heroes have done it, but I hope we do it justice.

Ralf: Right now, it’s ‘Brown’s Dream’.

Melissa: In just a few short weeks, you will be stateside. What are you most looking forward to when you visit the States this summer?

Rockridge Brothers: Meeting old friends, making new friends, picking tunes, going to festivals, playing and hearing other musicians play. This year we will be able to see two of our favorite bands at the same festival: the Hackensaw Boys and Old Crow Medicine Show. It is not very often you have the chance to catch bands like that in Europe.

Melissa: Have you had the opportunity to meet any of the artists who inspired you?

Rockridge Brothers: We have been involved in organizing some workshops here in Stockholm over the years and have met several great musicians in the process including the Forge Mountain Diggers, Tom Brad and Alice and Bruce Molsky. Some of the great musicians we have met during our travels in the states are Joe Thompson, Crooked Still, Riley Baugus, and the Balfa Toujours.

Melissa: I have a feeling that before long, the Rockridge Brothers will be an inspiration for many up and coming players as well. If you had one piece of advice to offer beginning musicians, what would it be?

Rockridge Brothers: Don’t try to please the audience if it would cost your integrity, because in the end, you will only do it well if you love what you do.

Melissa: How very well said and an excellent parting line for our interview. I would like to personally thank each of you for taking the time to speak with me and share a bit of yourselves and your love of American old-time music with Fiddler’s Folly and our followers. Best wishes for your continued success. I look forward to many enjoyable years of listening to your music!

To my readers, these guys are definitely worth a 4-hour road trip (or more). You can check out the Rockridge Brothers’ schedule for their upcoming East Coast tour beginning in mid-July at their MySpace page. Save the dates and put in for your vacation time now!