Blogs > Indie Outing (the secret jambands roots of indie rockers)

Indie Outing: Tune-Yards

Indie-Jam Connection: You could tell Merrill “Tune-Yards” Garbus was a hippie before she outted herself as a former jam-head to Pitchfork earlier this week: she plays the ukulele, spent time making puppets in Vermont and even released her first album using recycled materials. Plus, she lived in Northampton, MA as a undergrad student at Smith College. Her brand of experimental, R&B/folk also feels like a natural extension of the honest, humble, coffee shop sounds one could hear at jamband festivals in the late ‘90s and early ’00. In a recent interview with Pitchfork, Garbus reveals that—like many musicians now in their early 30s—the control of corporate radio stations in ‘90s led her to classic rock and vintage ‘70s music. From there Garbus discovered Phish, Dave Matthews Band and Ani, as well as the other jambands playing clubs around her Connecticut hometown.

Notable Jamband Moments: Though we wouldn’t be surprised if some DMB songs dotted her early repertoire, Garbus’ early, solo acoustic shows felt more in line with Ani than Trey Anastasio. But in many ways Garbus is a prime a example of how for many teenagers growing up in New England during the Clinton years the jamband scene was Garbus’ first exposure to true “alternative music.” The scene’s grassroots approach continues to define her independent spirit.

Lot Talk: “I listened to a lot of Dave Matthews Band and Phish and Ani DiFranco,” Garbus told Pitchfork. “In the 90s, they were on my— whatever it was at that point, probably a cassette player. My sister and I got really into Phish. Dave Matthews Band had these really lush orchestrations and I cringe when I listen to it now. But I was, to be overdramatic, a completely hormonally destroyed teenager. To listen to this extremely dramatic, romantic kind of music, it was kind of perfect. Same with Ani DiFranco, another badass woman”