Bluegrass Sojourn – What does Kentucky sound like?
What happens when you mix a little bluegrass and a little hip-hop? For this group of Kentucky musicians, a RUX intercultural microgrant gave them a chance to come together to write and record a new song.
Top (L-R): Max Erskine, Ekknowledge, Brother Sage, Aud, Jack Calhoun. Bottom (L-R): Alexis Erskine, Lauren Calhoun. Not pictured: Griffin Fletcher. Photo credit: Max Erskine.
Seven musicians from Northern Kentucky, Louisville, Owensboro, and Franklin, Kentucky met on a beautiful spring day to jam, write, and record a song together. The collaboration blended hip-hop sensibilities and traditional folk/bluegrass instruments – but more than the musical genres, it allowed a point of connection and sharing across differences of geography, age, race, and gender.
We asked a few of the participants to share reflections on the experience, and when asked what members were proudest of about the project, they responded:
Brother Sage – We all overcame some adversity, people dropping out, writer’s block, car trouble, etc., but we met up and got it done.
Aud – I’m really proud of the experience and the process itself. I value growth and experiences in the moment more than the outcome sometimes kuz I always look for how things I learned from every experience helps me better than the next, and this one was a very impactful one.
Ekknowlege – I’m proud of the work that went into creating this song, everyone’s contributions worked to make the song what it is and I enjoyed exploring different genres to make the song work.
Jack – Being able to bring something to the table with other very talented musicians, it was very unique and a great experience.
Lauren – I’m proud to have played a small part in bringing this song to life. The young people who play on this record have something really distinct to say, and I think it comes through clearly in the way they wrote it. It’s just so honest and vulnerable, and I feel lucky to have been in the room.
Aud poses outside ThunderSound Studios. Photo credit: Ekknowledge.
Many of the participants learned a lot from this experience. For some, it was a first time recording; for others, it was the first time songwriting, or songwriting in a collaborative way. They shared some of their lessons and takeaways:
Jack – I’ve never played for a recording and it is very different than what I have done before. I also got to see other musicians with many talents that I don’t get to see very often, it’s cool how music is different from place to place and was awesome to mix it all together. For me, it helped me to see how everyone can throw ideas together and how to work as a team towards a musical goal.
Ekknowledge – What I learned from this process is definitely how to be more of a team player and also being open to other people’s ideas or suggestions.
Aud – I learned a lot more about the studio process even broader than my own experience before and outside of RUX, plus the process of collaboration between us all was interesting and provided further insight for handling partnerships and responsibilities for my future.
Lauren – I feel like I learned a ton from this; by watching how Max and Griffin worked together in the studio, by seeing the collaboration between Aud and Ekknowledge as they wrote their verses, and the way all the groups interacted to create something cohesive. Everyone was so generous, wanting to incorporate everyone’s ideas and input and finding ways to communicate with each other.
Brother Sage – I learned about the process of making one song and how tedious it can be. This experience reinforced the fact that Kentucky has some hidden gems and Thundersound is one!
Max Erskine, Banjo/Mandolin and recording engineer, and Griffin Fletcher, Bass, jamming in the studio. Photo credit: Ekknowledge.
Alexis Erskine and Griffin Fletcher look on while Max Erskine, Lauren Calhoun, guitar/vocals, and Jack Calhoun, drums, play through the chord progressions. Photo credit: Ekknowledge.
This project was not without its challenges, delays, and setbacks. The logistics of getting people together across distances was one of the biggest obstacles. Illness, job changes, and a number of other issues further complicated things. Apart from logistics, finding the right idea and theme to build the song around and then fitting the pieces together were the biggest challenges.
At the end of the day, group members were feeling really inspired and positive about the experience. Some members offered thoughts about how this project influenced their view of Kentucky:
Aud – It broadened my perspective of Kentucky in the musical and social sense, showing me and clarifying how few differences we have whether we’re rural or urban.
Lauren – I think this experience further solidified what I’ve been learning about Kentucky over the last several years, which is that Kentuckians are capable of incredible kindness, creativity, ingenuity, and fun when you throw them in a room together with a common goal.
Ekknowledge – This process changed my view on Kentucky a lot, it really made me understand that there are very talented people out here. Also, Kentucky has some beautiful scenery.
Alexis Erskine, Ekknowledge, vocals, and Brother Sage George, piano listen in as Max mixes down parts of the recording. Photo credit: Ekknowledge.
Aud records his verse on Bluegrass Sojourn. Photo credit: Ekknowledge.
And what they would be taking forward as artists after working on this project together:
Lauren – For me the biggest thing I’m taking forward is just admiration for every single individual involved in this project, and gratitude that I could play a part. I also loved watching Ekknowledge freestyle during our jam session in the morning. Every bit of songwriting I’ve tried to do in the past has felt so in my head, and seeing him just let the words come as they may was really eye opening for me. I’m planning to try incorporating some freestyling into my musical practice in the future.
Ekknowledge – The one thing I’ll be taking forward with me are the memories, I loved getting to meet everyone and just enjoyed the process of creating this song overall. It has shaped me as an artist by letting me understand what it is like to work in a professional studio and working with such a large group. Being able to witness the process step by step was very eye opening in understanding how these types of things come together.
Aud – it has given me a lot of background knowledge and insight on how things are done and provided a larger perspective on not only studios and their sessions, but also how big and important it really is throughout Kentucky even breaking some stereotypical thinking about rural areas especially kuz I come from the city.
Brother Sage – I will take from this experience a new music group if we are serious about it. The Grasshoppers!
We hope you enjoy our song “Bluegrass Sojourn.” HUGE thanks to Max Erskine and Thunder Sound studio, and to Griffin Fletcher, without whom none of this would have been possible. Please visit their website at www.thundersound.com and follow them on Instagram @thundersoundstudios and on Facebook @Thunder Sound Recording Studios.
The Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange (RUX) Intercultural Microgrant Program launched in 2023. We are deeply grateful to the Pluralism and Civil Exchange program of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Kentucky Foundation for Women. Their support helped us launch this microgrant program and invest in our alumni network to employ the skills they’ve learned in the RUX program to the benefit of their state and local communities.