Passerine
For those unfamiliar with birding terms or ornithology, a passerine is a bird that is able to perch—an adaptation that all songbirds happen to possess. For those unfamiliar with Sarasota folk and bluegrass bands, Passerine is a local Americana quartet that is able to play some damn fi ne music, and as such, has garnered quite the following since its formation in 2009. However, there have been some changes since then, and its current members have all been playing together since 2014. These members include Carmela Pedicini on guitar, David Brain on dobro, Sara Stovall on violin (and vocals), and Doug Conroy on bass.
Passerine’s songs can effortlessly transition from knee-slappin’ bluegrass to soulful ballads, all held together by descriptive storytelling and the instrumental cohesion of a band that’s been playing together their whole lives. For those curious about their style, think Neko Case meets Old Crow Medicine Show. Having recently released a new album, Passerine sat down with me to talk about the music, where they’re at today, and where they hope to go in the future.
Passerine’s songs can effortlessly transition from knee-slappin’ bluegrass to soulful ballads, all held together by descriptive storytelling and the instrumental cohesion of a band that’s been playing together their whole lives.
Something unmistakably noticeable about the band is Stovall’s voice and violin, both of which croon and crescendo with ease, but know when to drift harmoniously back in with the rest of the music. And her getting involved with the band happened to be a bit serendipitous.
“We really wanted a violinist to round out the band,” says Brain. “We had interviewed and auditioned a couple, but the problem was that they all had classical training and wanted to know where the charts were.” That wasn’t a problem for Stovall. She had just returned home from a European tour with a punk band called River City Rebels.
“Sara came to an open mic that Carmela was running and played a couple songs with us,” Brain says. “And eventually she came to rehearsals and played for hours with us. She didn’t need charts, so she was hired.”
And because this is a band that requires active listening from its audience, don’t expect to see them playing local pubs anytime soon. They much prefer to play in listening rooms like Fogartyville in the Rosemary District, or one of their favorite local venues, Cafe in the Park. “The thing we like about Cafe in the Park is that’s where our local people come in … in numbers,” Brain says. “When we first played at Cafe in the Park, I think we overwhelmed their capacity.”
To understand why Passerine has such a dedicated local following, simply give their new album Shiny Things a listen. Personally, I’m drawn to the track “Now It’s Time” for its undulating melody and expert fingerpicking. And the new album is their most polished to date. Passerine spent hours in the studio working on the sound, with many of the songs evolving and maturing as the band played session after session, methodically listening to the melodies, harmonies, and vocals.
“I think we all came to the table and said, ‘Here’s the skeleton of a song, here’s what I want to say, here are the chords I want to use’ and then we’d throw it into the hopper and all try to get our arms around it. Put meat on the bones,” Stovall says. And it’s that kind of collaborative spirit that makes Passerine such a fun band to listen to.
I could go on about Passerine, but words can only do so much justice. To truly grasp this group and their passion, stream their new album—or better yet, go see them play live at Cafe in the Park in downtown Sarasota. Few things are better than a cold beer and bluegrass under our beautiful blue sky.
