Like the title of its latest album The Carpenter — released the day before they entertain Wednesday’s City And Colour crowd at the Molson Amphitheatre — North Carolina’s Avett Brothers are in the midst of constructing an enduring legacy modelled after the career of a good friend of theirs, Dave Matthews.

Bob Crawford, Seth Avett and Scott Avett are the Americana act The Avett Brothers, opening for City and Colour on Wednesday in Toronto.

By: Nick Krewen Special to the Star, Published on Mon Sep 10 2012

Like the title of its latest album The Carpenter — released the day before they entertain Wednesday’s City And Colour crowd at the Molson Amphitheatre — North Carolina’s Avett Brothers are in the midst of constructing an enduring legacy modelled after the career of a good friend of theirs, Dave Matthews.

For a decade, Scott and Seth Avett have been leading a five-piece ensemble that includes banjo and cello through a rotating series of EPs, studio albums and live albums that seems to echo the modus operandi of the South African guitarist. Just as one can expect a live album to follow a Matthews studio effort like clockwork, the Avetts — whose country-bluegrass-rock sound seems to defy absolute categorization — bridged the gap between 2009’s breakthrough I and Love and You and this year’s The Carpenter with a 2010 set titled Live, Volume 3.

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Speaking over the phone, Seth Avett, who sings, plays guitar and plinks piano for his outfit, is flattered by the comparison.

“I love the difference between live and studio interaction, and attention, and presentation,” admits Seth, at 32 the junior brother by four years.
“I see them very differently, as two separate entities. And Dave is a friend of ours: We’ve learned a good bit about touring just from playing some shows with him . . . They treat people so well and they have such good systems for touring and running a business well.”

The Avett Brothers also had another role model to teach them the ropes: their father Jim, a welder who often hired out a crew to help build bridges.

“We grew up watching our Dad run a blue-collar small construction business from our household, and our Mom would help with writing the cheques for the guys, so we actually patterned our band after that,” Seth explains, adding that early on the musicians become The Avett Brothers Incorporated.

After eight years of being independent, churning out meaningful songs that reflect philosophical slices-of-life such as The Carpenter’s “February Seven” interspersed with the tender romanticism of “Through My Prayers,” the Avett Brothers signed with Universal Music and landed Grammy-winning visionary Rick Rubin as their producer.

Rubin’s approach: Leave well enough alone.

“Rick doesn’t have a real domineering voice,” says Seth Avett. “It’s quite the opposite — he’s very open and willing to listen and to learn. He’s willing to speak up when he has a thought, but he never brings thoughts as if they’re the be-all and end-all.”

Rubin’s work on I and Love and You helped bump the Avetts up in the music world, from venues like the Horseshoe to the Phoenix and the Danforth Music Hall in recent shows here. Subsequently, Seth credits Rubin with helping the band attain a new plateau of professionalism, reflected within The Carpenter.

Says Seth: “When I hear I and Love And You, I can hear some of the hesitancy and the lack of familiarity with this level, and with The Carpenter, I feel like we have our sea legs, so to speak. I’m proud that we’re able to present songs on a big level in a way that’s confident and not self-doubting.”

With Hey Rosetta! and Grey Kingdom sharing the bill besides the Avetts and City And Colour, the concert kicks off at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday.

 

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2012/09/10/avett_brothers_work_at_great_concerts.html