BOZEMAN, MONT.
Musings From Montana
When people talk about the most exciting music cities in America, the Kitchen Dwellers’ hometown of Bozeman, Mont., isn’t usually part of the conversation. Yet, according to mandolinist Shawn Swain, the sleepy ski town is a hotbed of musical talent. “In Bozeman alone, there’s probably 25-30 people who are some of the best players I’ve ever seen,” he says. After starting out as an informal group of college kids who “hung out, drank beers and played tunes,” Kitchen Dwellers have since expanded their experimental bluegrass sound by embracing their love of electronica, metal, jam music and everything in between. According to Swain, the string quartet’s second LP, Ghost in the Bottle is a watershed moment. “This album, in many ways, is a completely different band,” Swain says. “It was a project of passion, and it was about reidentifying ourselves.” The LP’s star-studded liner notes prove his point—contributors include Little Feat’s Bill Payne, Greensky Bluegrass’ Anders Beck, Railroad Earth’s Tim Carbone and the band’s longtime friend Mihali Savoulidis of Twiddle. Leftover Salmon’s Andy Thorn also sat behind the boards for Ghost in the Bottle. Swain, who grew up listening to Leftover Salmon, first met Thorn when he was still an amateur musician, hanging around after festival sets in the hopes of making a connection. (“Eventually, he had no choice but to remember who I was.”) In time, Thorn became a mentor and a friend. “Every minute of the process, it was super valuable to have somebody like Andy,” Swain recalls. “His insight really allowed for these songs to breathe and grow and have a life of their own.”