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Group Members: Timothy Seth Avett
All Music Guide:
The Avett Brothers' music has roots in traditional folk and bluegrass, but also captures the high spirits and no-boundaries attitude of rock & roll -- which is appropriate, since rock is where Scott Avett and Seth Avett first cut their teeth as musicians. Although siblings Scott (vocals, banjo) and Seth (vocals, guitar) began making music together as children, their group's genesis began when they were members of Nemo, a rock band that gigged regularly in Greenville, North Carolina. Looking for another outlet for their musical ideas, the Avetts began getting together with like-minded friends (most notably Nemo guitarist John Twomey) on Tuesdays for acoustic guitar pulls, where they'd share a few drinks and swap songs. As time passed, the weekly get-together (which was called "the Back Door Project" or "Nemo Downstairs") became a semi-public event, with the pickers busking for the enjoyment of passers-by, and Seth and Scott decided the new acoustic music they were making was as fun and satisfying as their rock band.
Twomey and the Avetts decided to document their side project in 2000, and "the Back Door Project" was renamed the Avett Brothers with the release of a self-titled album that same year. Nemo broke up before 2000 came to a close, and Seth and Scott decided to make the Avett Brothers their new priority. They amicably parted ways with Twomey and added upright bassist and vocalist Bob Crawford to the combo. After a few months of playing live shows, the new trio recorded its second album, 2002's Country Was. The Avett Brothers hit the road upon the album's release that summer, and used the opportunity to break in material for their next studio project, A Carolina Jubilee, which was released in 2003. (A live disc, Live at the Double Door Inn, was sandwiched between the two studio sets.)
Over the next several years, the Avett Brothers maintained a busy and prolific schedule. They released a lengthy and ambitious studio album, Mignonette, in 2004, another live disc in 2005, and both a full-length album (Four Thieves Gone: The Robinsville Sessions) and an EP (The Gleam) in 2006, all recorded during breaks in the group's heavy touring calendar. As if this weren't enough to keep the three men occupied, Crawford also recorded and performed with his side project New Jersey Transient, Seth Avett released albums under the moniker Darling, and Seth and Scott occasionally played shows with their electric band Oh What a Nightmare. In 2007, the Avett Brothers reached a new level of popularity with Emotionalism, their first album to make a dent on the Billboard charts. Rick Rubin took notice and signed the band to American Recordings, his own division of Sony BMG/Columbia, during the following summer.
The Gleam II, issued just several months later, was the Avett Brothers' last release on the Ramseur label, while 2009's I and Love and You served as their major-label debut. The album peaked at number 16, by far the band's highest chart placement to date, and the international tour that followed was partially documented on the 2010 concert album Live, Vol. 3. In 2011 the Avett Brothers received an invitation to perform alongside Bob Dylan and Mumford & Sons at the Grammy Awards, and in 2012 they released The Carpenter, their second studio album under the tutelage of Rubin.
Wikipedia:
The Avett Brothers (pron.: /ˈeɪɨ/) is an American band from Concord, North Carolina. The band is made up of two brothers—Scott Avett, playing the banjo and Seth Avett, playing the guitar—and Bob Crawford, who plays the stand-up bass. Joe Kwon, cello, and Mike Marsh, drums, are touring members of the band, with Kwon featured on recordings from 2007's Emotionalism and later.
Following on from Seth and Scott's former rock band Nemo, the Avett Brothers combine bluegrass, country, punk, pop melodies, folk, rock and roll, honky tonk, and ragtime to produce a sound described by the San Francisco Chronicle as having the "heavy sadness of Townes Van Zandt, the light pop concision of Buddy Holly, the tuneful jangle of the Beatles, the raw energy of the Ramones."
History [edit]
Although they have played music together since childhood, the brothers Scott and Seth Avett truly began their partnership in the late 1990s with the merger of Seth's high school rock band, Margo, and Scott's college group, Nemo. After releasing three albums under the "Nemo" moniker, the Avetts started experimenting with acoustic music with some friends at night. After a few street performances and get-togethers they dubbed “The Back Porch Project” or “Nemo Downstairs,” the brothers and Nemo guitarist John Twomey put together The Avett Bros., a self-titled EP, in 2000. As Nemo fell apart, Scott and Seth continued to write acoustic music together. With the early 2002 addition of stand-up bassist Bob Crawford, formerly of The Memphis Quick 50, the band released their first full length album Country Was. The Avett Brothers set out on a self-booked tour to promote the new album and in late 2002 began preparations for a follow-up.
After releasing a live record of originals and covers titled Live at the Double Door Inn, the brothers settled down to compile a new full length album. During this time, the band began a partnership with Dolph Ramseur, a local label owner who had been impressed by the group's live show and original material. After 70 hours in the studio, 2003's A Carolina Jubilee became the band's first release on Ramseur Records. The new album encompassed not only the band's intensity but also its refined sound.
In 2004, The Avett Brothers released their next album, titled Mignonette. The new CD featured polished harmonies, introspective lyrics and a sense of dedication that pushed the band to new heights. Live, Vol. 2 followed in 2005 and spanned material from their career up to that point. In early 2006 they released Four Thieves Gone: The Robbinsville Sessions to much acclaim. During extensive touring in support of the album, Scott and Seth Avett produced The Gleam, an EP of intimate, stripped-down recordings which was released in September of that year.
The band released Emotionalism on May 15, 2007. It debuted at the top of the Billboard Top Heatseekers Albums chart, No. 134 on the Billboard Top 200 and No. 13 on the Independent Artist Chart. In support of the album, the band made their national television debut on May 12 on Late Night with Conan O'Brien where they performed "Paranoia in B-Flat Major." Emotionalism marked the first appearance of cellist Joe Kwon, who has since become a full-time touring and recording member of the band.
On November 1, 2007 The Avett Brothers won the Americana Music Association Duo/Group of the Year and New/Emerging Artist of the Year awards. In the spring of 2008 the band announced that their newest EP, The Second Gleam, would be released on July 22.
Later in 2008, the band announced they had chosen Rick Rubin to produce their next album and were now signed to his American Recordings label.
From September 8 to October 8, 2009, the Avett Brothers released 13 short videos describing their music and fans in anticipation of their upcoming album, I and Love and You. The videos include clips from past concerts, fan interviews and interviews with the members of the band. The Avett Brothers were named "the Artist to Watch of 2009" by Rolling Stone magazine.
I and Love and You was released on September 29, 2009 and peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 best selling albums, No. 8 in best selling digital albums, No. 7 in rock albums, and No. 1 in folk albums. In the wake of the album's release, the Avett Brothers made the rounds on late-night TV, including appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. On January 21, 2010, the band was featured on the long-running PBS series Austin City Limits.
In the fall of 2010 the band released their first DVD, Live, Volume 3. Also released on CD, the performance was recorded the previous year during the band's homecoming concert at Charlotte, NC's Bojangles Coliseum.
The Avett Brothers appeared on the 53rd Grammy Awards in 2011, playing "Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise" before joining Mumford and Sons and Bob Dylan for a performance of "Maggie's Farm."
In early 2011 the band returned to the studio to begin working on the followup to I and Love and You, for a release 2012, produced again by Rick Rubin. "We've recorded 24 songs, and there's plenty more where that came from," said singer Scott Avett (as quoted in June 2011 Rolling Stone magazine). A song expected to appear on the album is "The Once and Future Carpenter", which the band debuted at their New Year's Eve set of shows in Asheville, NC in late 2010. "We've been very fortunate to meet a friend like Rick" says Avett. "It's been a real good, natural process."
On June 26, 2012 The Avett Brothers released a preview on NPRmusic of the single, slated for July 3, 2012, "Live and Die". With this they announced they would release their sixth album The Carpenter on September 11, 2012. It debuted at number 4 on the Billboard Top 200. The Carpenter was nominated for Best Americana Album Grammy (55th annual).
