Features

Summer Stars: The Infamous Stringdusters

Our Summer Stars series features a variety of groups making the rounds on the festival circuit. Today we look at The Infamous Stringdusters. For more of our Summer Star pieces, click here .

“We worked with a brilliant producer/engineer that’s given our music a much thicker and heavier sound—our recordings don’t sound like a few stringed instruments in front of mics,” bassist Travis Book says of The Infamous Stringdusters’ fifth record (and fourth studio release) Silver Sky, released in March. “You can play Silver Sky in a set with Radiohead, Snoop [Dogg] and Phish, and it doesn’t sound weak or out of place.” The self-described “high country” five-piece first came together in 2005 in Nashville, Tenn., but are now based in Charlottesville, Va. The band members have backgrounds in classical, electric and shred guitar, as well as classic rock and electronica. “The more life you experience, the more clear the message becomes. We’re continuing to explore life and observe the world around us,” Book says, also mentioning that the band recently took a field trip to see Pretty Lights perform. “We’re into everything—and everything that gets into our ears gets in our music.” The newgrass group will be heavily touring behind the record throughout the summer, including stops at DelFest, Summer Camp, Wakarusa, Electric Forest and more. The Dusters will also host their own festival in Charlottesville from Oct. 5-7 called The Festy III. In fact, in 2012, the band is most looking forward to “bus touring and festival season,” says Book. “The summer festivals are the best time of the year. We’re outdoors, get to check out other bands, do a lot of beers and soak up the sun.”

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Best album for a warm summer night: Neil Young, Harvest Moon

Favorite summer vacation location: Targhee, Wyo.

This one time at a festival: I watched Larry Keel stuff his guitar into a fire mid-solo. I was not hallucinating at the time—it’s well documented.