Green Mountain Bluegrass and Roots Artist Interview: Sierra Hull
With just one day to go before the very first Green Mountain Bluegrass and Roots festival kicks off in Manchester, Vermont we have one more quickfire interview for you. One of the most wonderful parts of this festival is the span of artists that it has involved. Ranging from the very local up and comers to juggernauts in the current landscape to those who have paved the way for us all trying to forge a path in this beautiful thing we call “roots” music. Today we get to catch up with an artist that I would consider a juggernaut.
Sierra Hull has not just carved herself out a notch in the towering mountain that is bluegrass royalty, she has scaled that peak, conquered the summit and done so with such poise, grace and genuine talent that one might consider her this generation’s soverign ruler of the genre (if not, then at least of the mandolin). A prodigy turned into one of American roots music’s finest songwriters and performers, it is going to be a real treat to see Sierra at GMBR on Saturday afternoon…and hopefully in the evening as well!
Read on and if you don’t have your tickets yet: a) what is wrong with you?!?! and b) hit THIS LINK and pick them up today.
RLR: I feel like it’s fairly obvious that a huge goal of GMBR is this community centric, locally sourced mentality. From putting local Vermont artists on stages next to nationally touring juggernauts to the food trucks to the sound folks to (of course) local beer. In terms of your own band’s mentality how important is fostering that sense of community where you come from and being able to bring it to Manchester for the festival?
SH: I grew up in a very small town in rural Tennessee. Everybody knows everybody and it’s a special thing to grow up in a place like that. I’ve always loved feeling like I was part of a community. The Bluegrass/acoustic music scene has always felt like a small, but super inviting community of musicians. I appreciate that this festival is working to make that feeling present.
RLR: In that same vein, who are you most excited to connect with at Green Mountain Bluegrass and Roots? Some old friends from the road you haven’t seen in a bit? Someone you can’t wait to pick around the campground with?
SH: I am friends with 90% of the folks playing this festival! It’s a really special lineup and though I am only there for Saturday, I know it’s gonna be a great hang.
RLR: How about the dream collaboration that you hope takes shape on a stage during GMBR?
SH: I’m very much looking forward to being a part of the John Hartford Tribute set! I’m sure there will be some great collaborating for that.
RLR: There will be a plethora of brews, food and vendors on site…so, what is your favorite Vermont thing to eat or drink…or wear or burn or etc, etc, etc?
SH: When it comes to food, there is no kind I don’t like. I particularly love spicy food and of course, when I think Vermont, I think of maple syrup! Is there a spicy maple syrup? 🙂
RLR: For the next two questions I am going to steal a page from some other artist’s book. First: Langhorne Slim recently did a Twitter blast where he would just post “best song ever”…which is of course completely subjective (as music and art are) and kind of ludicrous to proclaim. Nevertheless, looking at this line up and culling from their catalogue of tunes: what is the best song ever that you think we might hear during the weekend?
SH: Well.. I’d say it’s a safe bet that John Hartford’s ‘Gentle On My Mind’ will be played more than once over the weekend. That one deserves the phrase “best song ever”.
RLR: Getting away from festy-centric questions I am going to steal a question Joe Pug asks folks on The Working Songwriter. If you have the perfect day to write, what does that day look like? Time of day, the place you are writing, what are you drinking or eating?
SH: A perfect day to write for me is a quite one – free from email, my phone and distraction. As of late, I’ve enjoyed writing outside in my backyard as the sun is going down… drinking Grapefruit Spindrift.
RLR: Where are you before the festival…and where can folks catch you on the road following GMBR?
SH: I’ll be coming from Nashville straight to the festival and then back home for a couple days before heading to Italy for a week.
