Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
March 27, 2008 issue
Asheville’s Dehlia Low Makes Old Music Sound New Again
Band Plays Black Cat April 5
Story by David Brewer
For bands in Western North Carolina, roots music-oriented radio station WNCW is an indispensable part of gaining wider recognition than touring alone can offer. However, talented bands that work long and hard don’t always get the airplay they need, while others seem to just be in the right place at the right time.
In less than a year, up-and-coming Asheville roots band Dehlia Low has managed to meet, gel as a band, record a debut EP and tour beyond the borders of North Carolina. Lately, the band’s song “Yellow Mountain” has been receiving a generous amount of spins on WNCW, spreading the band’s name as they prepare for their first national tour. The band will make their first foray into the High Country with a show at Black Cat Burrito on Saturday, April 5.
Dehlia Low features the talents of fiddler and vocalist Anya Hinkle, guitarist and vocalist Stacey Claude, Dobro player and former Boone resident Aaron Balance and mandolin player Brian Clendenin. Leaning heavily in the bluegrass direction, the band also has an affinity for traditional country music, while also revealing progressive acoustic sounds, old-time and traces of modern singer-songwriter folk.
“I think we’re definitely rooted in old style traditional country, bluegrass and old-time,” said Balance. “It’s not just straight bluegrass. We don’t have a banjo player and I think that helps distinguish us from other bands.”
What truly sets Dehlia Low apart in the crowded Asheville music scene is the mesmerizing harmony vocals by Hinkle and Claude. Upon hearing Hinkle sing at a jam session at Asheville music mainstay Jack of the Wood in May 2007, Claude insisted that the two put their voices together. The pair’s earthy mountain sound immediately struck a chord with fellow musicians and by mid-summer, Dehlia’s Low’s original lineup was cemented. Soon after, the band made their stage debut at the venerable Grey Eagle and has been turning heads ever since.
“I think we’ve been real fortunate to get some gigs,” said Balance. “We’re contributing original songs and ideas and learning how to work together.”
In addition to the female harmony vocals, instrumental breaks by Balance and Clendenin keep the songs fresh, providing solid lead runs without stealing the show. With no banjo, Clendenin’s role as timekeeper and stringed percussionist is prominent in the mix.
Last month, Dehlia Low released their self-titled debut EP. Recorded at Ticknock Studio in Lenior with engineer Patrick Crouch, the eight-song effort is a stellar introduction to the band’s distinctly mountain sound and songwriting. Inspired compositions by Hinkle and Balance reside alongside a country weeper “Go Away With Me” by Dan Welch (recorded by George Jones) and the Stanley Brothers classic “If That’s The Way You Feel.”
“We just tried to attack the songs and keep that live feel to it,” said Balance. “It was just an honest and bare-bones attempt at grabbing our sound at the time.”
With their calendar beginning to fill up with festival appearances and out-of-state shows, Dehlia Low is taking their still-evolving acoustic roots sound to the masses. Committed to the music and each other, it’s likely that their upcoming Boone debut won’t be their last.
“We all came to Asheville for a reason and I think we all feel very fortunate to have found each other,” said Balance.
To preview Dehlia Low’s music, click to www.myspace.com/dehlialow.
Want To Go?
Date: Friday, April 4
Time: 10:30 p.m.
Location: Black Cat Burrito
Cost: $5