INTERVIEW: Grahame Lesh on his journey into the Midnight North
It appears from the music they produce and the toe-tapping they induce, the band members in Midnight North have a lot of fun when they play together on stage.
Elliott Peck, Grahame Lesh and Alex Jordan are usually out front, providing the vocal power and guitar work, while bassist Connor Croonn and drummer Alex Koford keep the rhythm and beats thumping along on the band’s unique blend of rock, folk and Americana songs.
The band’s latest releases include an album, Scarlet Skies, and a four-song digital EP, Stayin’ Single, Drinkin’ Double. The song “Stayin’ Single, Drinkin’ Double” is a perfectly catchy tune reminiscent of Hank Williams or an acoustic John Fogerty. Ditto for “Find a Way” and the beautifully contemplative “The Right Time.” On “Phoenix Motel,” when the vocalists sing out the line that it’s “a long way home,” there’s definitely a truth behind the lyrics; these band members have earned that line.
This summer finds Midnight North heading out across the United States and back again. They carve up the Northeast with stops in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York. They play a special Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young-inspired show at the Brooklyn Bowl July 29 in the Big Apple (probably the closest the world will ever get to another CSNY show). From there it’s on to New Jersey and their usual stomping grounds in California.
Fans in the area of San Rafael, California, can often find the band playing Terrapin Crossroads. Their regular gig at the music venue is quickly becoming a go-to residency.
Lesh, son of the Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh, recently exchanged emails with Hollywood Soapbox to talk about the band’s current tour, future projects and celebrated history. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
How did Midnight North first come together and start creating music?
We started in late 2011/early 2012 as a four-piece with me (Grahame), Elliott, Connor and our original drummer, Eric Saar. Connor, Eric and I had been jamming with another band, but that fell apart. So we started working up some of my new tunes, which were more “Americana” than what we’d been playing before. Connor brought Elliott aboard, and she knew my tunes and brought her own in that fit in really nicely with what we were working on. And that became the basis for our first album “End Of The Night.” We met Alex Jordan while playing a gig in L.A. with a band he was in called Cubensis. A few months later he moved to the Bay Area and got in touch, and next thing you know he’s in the band! Since then we’ve been a five-piece rock band.
Last year saw the release of Scarlet Skies and Stayin’ Single, Drinkin’ Doubles. What is your goal when heading into the recording studio?
We always just try to work on what’s best for the individual songs when we work in the studio. Each session has its own goals based on timing, and logistic[s] and which songs we’re working up. For our next full-length album we’re trying to work as live as possible to really capture authentic performances of our newest tunes, which we’ve road-tested a bunch. And for this run, we’ll be practicing a bunch of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young tunes in preparation for the CSNY tribute show we’re playing at the Brooklyn Bowl on July 29!
What can your fans expect when you come to town on your current tour?
They can expect lots of the fun tunes from Scarlet Skies and End Of The Night, plus a bunch of our new songs and the cover songs that we think really fit well with our repertoire. We plan to mix up set lists as much as possible and make each show a unique moment for the band and fans.
Were you greatly influenced by your father’s music? Is that one of the reasons you’ve taken to music?
Of course! I think it was inevitable that I’d play music of my own, and I’m sure the environment I grew up in cemented that. It’s hard not to be influenced by growing up constantly listening to amazing Grateful Dead music.
What’s special about holding down a weekly gig at Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael, California? Does it let the band explore new material and take risks?
Yes, that’s really exactly what’s special about it! We can try new things, play new songs and covers, and really explore. It really helped us grow into the band we wanted to be as well — it’s invaluable to play regularly in front of an audience in a band’s formative years.
What’s on the horizon for you and the band?
After this tour we’re back in California for awhile working on our next album. After that we’ll hit the road again this fall, and we’ll be making another East Coast run for sure.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Click here for more information on Midnight North, including their tour stops in the Northeast.
