If you’re looking for a funky style of bluegrass music,
Supper Break String Band
might be the perfect fit for you. Brothers Josh and Zach Starrett,
along with good friend Spencer Hall, have a chemistry that allows them
to experiment and improvise together on stage to entertain the audience.
Supper Break will be touring the country, even making a west coast
visit, hoping to expand their fan base as well as gathering material for
new songs. The following is the band members' responses to our questions. Photos taken by
SkySight Photography.
When
did you meet each other and how did you decide to become a group?
Spencer Hall (SH) & Zach Starrett (ZS): Spencer
and I became friends in high school. We had always jammed together with guitars,
bass, hand drums you name it. Josh had been in a couple bands and playing solo
acoustic shows when Zack picked up the mandolin in 2011. Perfect fit. Josh and
I were practicing for our first duo show when spencer picked up a bass and
followed along. Immediately it sounded good and we decided to move forward with
it. That was actually the night we named the band too.
Josh Starrett (JS): Chemistry is
something not to be ignored; of course we had done our fair share of living
room jamming and experimenting with different types of music and instruments,
but the first time we hit the stage together it was obvious; we were going to
be a band.
What
is the process, or first step, you follow when writing the lyrics and music for
each song? What is the inspiration for
your songwriting? Who participates in
the songwriting process?
JS: We all participate in the songwriting
process; Zack and I typically write lyrics and bring it together collectively
once we sit down with each other.
ZS: Sometimes it can
start with just a riff or a lyric and we all work together to bring it to life.
Other times individually, a song or most of a song is written. Either way, we
all work together to finalize every original.
What
current projects are you excited about?
JS: Our upcoming national tours and the release
of our debut album No Brakes. We’ll be
traveling all over the country this year and if there’s one thing I love to do
as much as play music, its travel. I
feel very fortunate to be able to do both at the same time.
Zs: Touring and the
next album. I’d like the next album to be a capturing of a live performance.
SH: Touring. Progressing as a band musically. Getting
tighter and more impressive from the crowd point of view.
Would
you rather play small venues or larger venues?
Why?
JS: I enjoy the interaction and closeness of
smaller venues, but the greatest feeling in the world is walking onto a stage
and looking out to a massive crowd that’s just ready to throw down. The atmosphere of a show like that is pretty
awesome.
ZS: Size of the venue
is sometimes irrelevant. We have played small bar shows with a lot of great
crowd interaction and bigger venues for even as few as 3 or 4 people. But the
more the merrier, when we have had to chance to play for big crowds, we really
feed off of the positive energy they supply.
SH: I enjoy both equally. Some of my favorite bands
haven’t become too big to play a small venue. Regardless of how popular they are due to
their love of music (more than money). Don’t
get me wrong, I’d love to fill large venues with our fans.
What
is one unforgettable show you’ve played (or show memory)?
JS: Our win at the Palace Theatre’s Battle of the
Bands and the release of our album. Both
were nights I’ll truly never forget.
ZS: Having our buddy,
Uncle Jesse from New York, sit in and play banjo with us at a benefit. The
first and only time we have played a set with a banjo player. And that boy can
pick..
SH: Hemlock Groove. A
festival we have been invited to every time since its conception. They do 2
every year. We know many musicians there and have gotten to experiment our
style of music with up to six other musicians on stage with us at the same
time. Everything from keyboardist to jazz flute players and a drummer.
I
notice you sometimes cover artists like Bruce Springsteen and Pink Floyd. What do you enjoy about performing covers and
do you have a favorite cover or musician?
JS: I enjoy playing covers because those songs
and bands are some of my favorite, and its nice to put our on twist on
something that the audience may already be familiar with. Its also an amazing feeling when the crowd is
singing along, sometimes louder than the band.
ZS: Adding our own
twist to it is my favorite part of covers. I like to covers that may not sound
anything like the original. Taking a non-bluegrass song and giving it a
bluegrass rythem is endlessly fun. Any song can be made grassy.
On
your Facebook page, you listed Oscar the Grouch, Buddha, and Jesus as some of
your influences. How do these people inspire your music.
JS: Our list of
inspirational/influential people was largely meant to be humorous; a lot of
people take things too seriously and humor can be a good medicine for a lot of
different ailments. There are certainly
names in there that have helped us tremendously, but overall, the attitude of
the message was meant to entertain.
ZS: hahahaha
SH: hahaha
What
was your best experience while on the road performing?
ZS: All of the moments
that go along with meeting new people and musicians and having new experiences.
Hard to put a best to it. Every trip is different. Fun sure is fun.
What
is your proudest moment as a musician?
ZS: The turnout for the
CD release was huge. People asking for covers and singing along to them is
something I think every musician loves.
SH: We held our CD
release at a local brewery. Four Seasons is an amazing, up and coming brewery
in Latrobe, PA. We have been playing there since they started and they have
always supported us. It was incredible to release our album at a place with
that kind of connection to us. We broke their sales record that night too.
JS: My first tour; we had booked a southern tour
to promote the upcoming album, and at the last minute circumstances were going
to force us to cancel the tour. I
decided to play the shows solo, and got to travel through the south to
Nashville, Charleston SC, Charlotte, Virginia Beach, and other amazing
places. The realization that I was on
the road living my dream was by far my proudest individual moment as a
musician.
What
can people expect to see in your live performances?
JS: Expect to be
entertained.
ZS: Fun, positive
energy.
SH: The unexpected.
What
is your favorite part of performing live?
JS: Interacting with
the crowd and feeding off of their energy.
SH: The non verbal
communication we can have with one another on stage. Improvising and nailing
it.
ZS: Agreed.
What
do you value about the music scene in PA?
JS: The comradery. We
wouldn’t have been able to get where we are now without other musicians and
bands in our corner.
ZS: Its kind of like we
are all competing, but on the same team. In all of PA and neighboring states
like WV and MD, bluegrass and folk do very well. Its all Appalachia and we play
an Appalachian kind of music.
SH: The general public
seems to be very supportive of local music. People around here seem to really
enjoy folk and bluegrass styles of music.
When
growing up and becoming interested in music, what artists inspired you to make
music?
ZS: Such a wide variety
of inspirations. Since I can remember, I’ve loved the idea of being a musician.
Toward my later years of high school is when I started actually playing
instruments, bass was first, and I loved the funky and heavy rock stylings of
Incubus. In those days it was also Tool, Metallica, Led Zep, Pink Floyd, 311,
Sublime, etc. I had also just started
listening to bluegrass and jam music like String Cheese Incident, Yonder
Mountain String Band, and The Disco
Biscuits to name a few. The jam and bluegrass realm is what I fell into so to
speak, but I have tons of love for metal, classic rock, hip hop, blues, electro
stuff, soul, funk. All sorts.
SH: I agree with all of those bands. When Zack
and I became friends, music was probably the most common ground between us and
since then, that still holds true. We still have our own tastes, but they’re
definitely very similar.
JS: Our dad, he is an
amazing musician. We are also heavily influenced by countless artists who have
helped shape our sound and performances.
What
was the best advice shared by another musician?
JS: Don’t suck. No
matter what – if you’re playing for barstools or thousands of people, give it
1000% every time.
ZS: Find the pocket.
Find the groove.
SH: Know when to play
loud, know when to quiet down.
What
do you wish you would have known when you started in the music industry?
ZS: The stress and
conflict. The fact that it would test our friendships.
SH: If you want to be
serious about being a musician, you have to sacrifice a lot.
JS: No matter what,
you’re going to have critics. Early on, you’re feeling especially vulnerable
every time you take the stage, and can sometimes dwell on the fact that not
everyone is going to be a fan.
How
has your music evolved over the years?
ZS: The more we play,
the better we get, the more we learn the structure of music. A better
understanding, and more practice help us progress.
SH: We are finally
starting to create a sound that is truly unique and our own. It takes years to
have a proper foundation and we have been a band for about 4 years now.
JS: I feel like our
arrangements have gotten, much more (for lack of a better word) professional.
We didn’t start out as a garage band, we started as a living room band. The
more we play, perform, and record, the more “professional” we are becoming.
What
has been your biggest challenge as performers?
JS: As with any band,
each member leads his own priorities outside of music. As we are evolving into
a more professional act, learning how to budget time for things outside of
music can be incredibly challenging, but necessary.
What
was your first performance as a group?
JS: A little
hole-in-the-wall bar in Ligonier, PA, called Cool Springs.
What
was the first live show that inspired you to do this for a living?
JS: A Dave Matthews
Show when I was 14 or 15. The atmosphere was almost tangible. I was hooked for
life.
ZS: All Good 2005,
String Cheese Incident Saturday late night set.
SH: All Good 2010,
Yonder Mountain String Band Saturday late night set.
What
drew you to string instruments in the rock/bluegrass style?
JS: Our father had
always been a phenomenal vocalist/musician and he was a banjo player.
Bluegrass, blues, and folk music are quite literally in our blood.
ZS: The fun-ness of it.
The whiskey drinking, pretty girl chasing, outlaw attitude was immediately
attractive to me. Also, the prettiness of string music. String instruments can
really conjur up emotions. It’s powerful.
SH: It’s about the
coolest arrangement of sounds when it comes to music in my opinion. It very
comforting and I can relate to it more than any other music.
Do
you like to experiment with new instruments or musical styles in your records
or do you prefer to stay within a certain style?
ZS: YES! New
instruments, new styles, we love new! “At the very basic core of a man’s living
spirit is his passion for adventure.” –Krakauer
What
are all your favorite instruments to play? How young were you when you started?
ZS: Mandolin when I was
24 and I just recently added a baritone 5 string electric mandolin to the mix.
Also picked up a banjo recently and love playing it.
JS: I found an orphaned
acoustic 6 string guitar at my dad’s house when I was 7 or 8 and haven’t set it
down since.
SH: Been playing guitar
since about 16. Settled in with the bass guitar about 5 years ago.
What
are the band’s plans for the spring and summer months?
JS: Heavy touring all
over the country.
ZS: Touring and
festivals.
Does
the band have any performances scheduled in the region during the months of
March and April?
JS: We’ve got a lot of
local shows coming up in the next few months before we hit the road in the
spring/summer for tour. Our schedule can be found on Facebook and Reverb
Nation.
ZS: Around April is
when we would like to start a tour from our hometown to the western and
northwestern states and basically anything we can link together. Still planning
it.