CSFF 2017: Band Update

“Like a passer-by on a summer drive through the country, I have had the privilege of monitoring the Tillers’ own growth throughout the years.  Coming in with fresh eyes to each gig, I have enjoyed the fruits of the rapid advancement of their musical garden of delights.  Don’t get me wrong, Mike Oberst and Sean Geil’s talent were present from the beginning.  But with the cultivation of endless (and no doubt thankless) tours and pub dates, these two “brothers in melody” were suddenly tapping into progressively deeper and darker tillage.  Put plainly: they just kept getting better and better. Like no other group I’ve ever heard, the Tillers are able to break your heart with an intangible, timeless pain.  Combined they harmonize like the Celestial Monochorde of old, awakening once again the ancient muses to strum the heartstrings of man.  Apart, they voice a pained, hoarse timbre that hearkens to their own personal losses…losses we all sweetly suffer vicariously through their melody. The metaphor of gardening and growth is not lost on those who hear The Tillers.  The arabesque spread of their burgeoning tones resemble the health of summer plantlife, spring rains and abundance.  It comes as no surprise that singer/banjoist Mike Oberst is himself a farmer (there is something to be said for real life, agrarian experience and its natural bi-product of folk music.) Knuckled roots weaving through the Appalachian coffins of old souls buried in veins of coal…The Earth and Her cycles of life and death is the running theme here.  But isn’t it the ultimate theme?  Whether the modern ear is turned deaf to these truths or not, we all must heed the holler that the Tillers intone. Nose to the ground, hand on the plow, hard work and harmonies.  Take it from an old fan, if you are reading this now, you are the lucky one.  For this is fertile ground indeed.” -Col. J.D. Wilkes, th’ legendary shack shakers, the dirt daubers

Listen to The Tillers at http://the-tillers.com/home/ 

“THEY CALL OUR CITY NAP BECAUSE IT’S THE MOST SLEPT-ON CITY IN AMERICA.”

This is Native Sun’s answer to the question of how Indianapolis came to be nicknamed Nap Town. All too often, Indy locals lose faith in the spirit of their city and insist it’s named so because it’s a sleepy metropolis in the Midwest with nothing to do or see. This cultural crippling has subdued the drive to create in much of the city’s talent by bogging down artists with despair and leaving them with little hope for a chance to gain national recognition. But the native sons of Native Sun have a different outlook on their city of Nap. It is their belief that Indianapolis harbors a wealth of talent, particularly in the vein of hip hop. Leading by example, the band envisions that traditional hip hop elements (compelling lyricism, dusty samples, dope beats) paired with the versatility of live instrumentation has the potential to create music that sounds like nothing before it. Leveraging more than 20 years of combined experience as professional musicians and performers, B Meeks (bass), Sleepy (drums) and B Young (emcee) began to intertwine their musical backgrounds within the context of hip hop when Native Sun formed in 2008. The resourceful musicians draw from their familiarity in gospel, rock, electronic, jazz and soul, creating music that sounds much bigger than what one would expect from a 3 piece act. It is this solid foundation in live music (as compared to produced beats) that sets Native Sun apart from other hip hop groups. Through their vision to be an example of success to artists in Indianapolis and similar places, Native Sun has earned a reputation as a first-call backing band in the Indianapolis hip hop scene. They’ve had the honor of performing with Elzhi, formally of Slum Village, DJ Logic, as well as opening for Foreign Exchange, Musiq Soulchild, Mayer Hawthorne, Black Milk and Muhsinah. And now Native Sun has released the new EP, Undeniable.

Listen to Native Sun at http://www.nativesunlive.com/