At its heart, bluegrass music is about what happens when you commit to the moment. The joy of improvisation keeps the music fresh, and the fun of crafting ideas on the fly keeps the musicians on their toes. This true spirit of bluegrass infuses the self-titled record from Mighty Poplar, a new all-star roots project featuring Andrew Marlin of Watchhouse, Noam Pikelny and Chris Eldridge of Punch Brothers, bassist Greg Garrison (Leftover Salmon) and fiddler Alex Hargreaves (Billy Strings) out now on Free Dirt Records. Regarded as some of the finest players of their generation, the playing is never showy and always in service of the song. Though Pikelny, Eldridge, Garrison all knew each other from their early work with Punch Brothers, impromptu backstage jams with Marlin at festivals across the country were the key that unlocked the project.
Mighty Poplar will be touring soon and their two shows in the Northwest will take place on May 23 at the Neptune Theater (1303 NE 45th) in Seattle at 8 pm and on May 25 at the Aladdin Theater (3017 SE Milwaukie Ave) in Portland at 8pm.
Speaking to the band, it’s clear that each player joined out of pure excitement to play music with each other. “I’m convinced Alex Hargreaves only knows how to play the perfect notes at the perfect times,” muses Eldridge. Pikelny speaks highly about Marlin’s innate musicality: “We listen to a lot of Watchhouse at our house. Supporting a singer and songwriter of Andrew’s caliber is about the most rewarding thing I get to do, so I leapt at the opportunity to collaborate when Greg first pitched the idea for this project.” Marlin talks up the other players’ instrumental virtuosity. “When I think about it from a player’s perspective, I didn’t feel like I belonged in this group; I haven’t spent my life trying to improve my chops. I’ve been more of a song gatherer,” a humble Marlin admits.
Mighty Poplar’s debut shows a level of curiosity and engagement that’s only found at the highest echelons of music making. What distinguishes them from the members’ full time endeavors in bands like Punch Brothers or Watchhouse is that this band “is a chance to play real deal bluegrass,” says Eldridge. Pikelny agrees, adding that “in some ways this album is biographical for each one of us. It was an opportunity to play the music that we love at our core, and the music that has informed what we do in our other long-standing projects.” Ultimately, there was a kind of joy and relief in coming back to their roots in celebration and camaraderie. “There’s a reunion element to this,” he says, “which is ridiculous because it was the first time all five of us were in the same room. But the ease in which it came together felt like we were getting the band back together.”
