Wisconsin’s folk music scene has always been a pleasure to watch: sometimes at a local bar, sometimes at a living room full of familiar faces with no sound system or microphones. 2012 was especially successful for Wisconsin’s talented folk musicians. With their new album Friendship, Baraboo natives PHOX quickly created a strong fan base, while Count This Penny released Pitchman and played on NPR’s Prairie Home Companion. Dietrich Gosser kept the folk scene alive with his poppy vibes, and finally Madison’s own folk icon Pioneer started recording their greatly anticipated album and kept playing shows across the state, keeping their fans hungry for more.
Majestic Live is bringing these four successful bands together at the inaugural Wisconsin Folk Festival this Saturday, January 12 at the Majestic Theatre. I was lucky enough to interview Pioneer before this exceptional gathering full of Wisconsin pride. Their first full-length album is coming out this spring.
I know that Pioneer started with Kenny (Monroe), and it grew stronger with the talent of Jackie, Tyler, and Shawn. How did Pioneer members all get together, and how has this journey affected Pioneer’s sound over the years?
TYLER DITTER: “First time I was asked to join, I didn’t know what I could add to Pioneer’s sound and I said no, but not too long after, Shawn joined the band and when I saw what he was adding to the music, it got me excited to take a chance. I asked Ken right when they were done with their set if the offer was on the table.”
SHAWN PIERCE: “Even though I was afraid to mess with their sound, I accepted Kenny’s offer because I loved what Pioneer was doing and the songs were great. From there, it just took off in the direction you hear now. Tyler and I just added a bottom end to the sound, which now allows us to create different styles. During the recording of our first record we toyed with the idea of piano, organ, etc., so there is much more to come in developing our sound further.”
JACQUELINE KURSEL: “The addition of Shawn and Tyler is really what shaped Pioneer. Tyler had such a great point of view when he joined the band. Kenny and I already had our parts and he wrote in exciting new parts that I think really enhanced the songs and make some really great suggestions for how to change what Kenny and I were already doing.”
Wisconsin Heritage is a big part of your vision. What does Heritage exactly mean for you, and how do you incorporate it into your music and daily life?
JACQUELINE KURSEL: “To me Wisconsin Heritage is about being proud of where you are from, obviously, and it is about supporting all the creative pursuits of fellow Wisconsinites.”
What is the music making process like for Pioneer? Do you guys create the songs as a band or do the pieces get created individually and then get glued together?
TYLER DITTER: “When I first joined I was given a tape of all the songs and I came up with bass lines in my room. Shawn and I later spent a good deal of time (during full band rehearsals) working out our parts together to create a strong rhythm section. Since Ken and I live in the same house, it has been easy for us to sit down and arrange new songs at our leisure.”
JACQUELINE KURSEL: “For the most part Kenny writes the songs in advance and then presents them to the band. Tyler and I will write parts around each other and Shawn will work his parts individually as well. As of recently though, things have been much more collaborative. Tyler is a great songwriter and we’ve has been working out a lot of new things that Pioneer potentially could play. As a group we often rewrite areas that don’t seem to be working and rearrange songs.”
You just got done recording your latest album recently — how was the recording experienc? Were there any unexpected hardships? Any funny stories worth mentioning?
JACQUELINE KURSEL: “Recording was great. Ricky at Science of Sound really gave us everything we wanted and more. He also has tons of animals to hang out with during all the down time of recording.” [See accompanying photo]
TYLER DITTER: “The big problem we faced was trying to track everything that we wanted on the record with the time we had. But we worked extremely well together in the studio. There aren’t fights in this band. It’s kind of nuts.”
SHAWN PIERCE: “It was a very laid back, good experience. We spent a lot of time making sure our surroundings were what we wanted and in turn, it made for a relaxed situation that affected our performances in a positive way. Plus we got to hang out with Tito (Ricky’s cat), which was great. There was also plenty of coffee on hand.”
All Pioneer members play in other bands, such as Surgeons in Heat and Julian Lynch’s live band. Do you think this adds to the creativity of Pioneer? Do these bands influence the band’s sound?
TYLER DITTER: “Playing in other groups adds to the comfort of making music in Pioneer. We understand each other’s strengths, which saves us time and stress when making decisions on how we will approach a song.”
Wisconsin Folk Fest is around the corner. Have you ever played with any of the bands that you will be playing with? What should Wisconsinites expect from the show?
SHAWN PIERCE: “We have played with some of the people performing that night. Aside from Pioneer, we will all be making some appearances on the stage throughout the night which could lead to future collaborations but who knows…”
What is your favorite spot for a show in Wisconsin and where would you like to play the most in the future?
JACQUELINE KURSEL: “The Shitty Barn in Spring Green. We could play there all day long every day and die happy.”
TYLER DITTER: “They have been very good to us. Also, we have come to really appreciate house shows with no P.A. system and everyone is dead silent when you play.”