Steppin' In It back in the Sun, in northern Michigan this Summer

This article originally appeared in the Northern Express Weekly (May 28, 2002)

Folk and bluegrass music lends itself to dancin' in the sun, and no band knows it better than Steppin' In It. But what does a bluegrass band do when the sunshine fades? They record their second album.

The name of their new project, "Last Winter in the Copper Country", borrows from Joshua Davis's memories of growing up near Marquette, Michigan as a participant in northern Michigan's folk music community. He was once a young attendant of the Hiawatha Music Co-Operative (the twenty-fourth annual festival is held this summer between July 19th and 22nd in Marquette). Now it is an achievement for him to return to the Upper Peninsula as an accomplished songwriter in that tradition.

Steppin' In It (left to right: Joe Wilson, Andy Wilson and Josh Davis) in beautiful downtown Lansing

The title track was debuted live during a blizzard at the Michigan House in Calumet on October 6, 2001. "Winter comes early up there," Joshua reminds us. The new album features ten original compositions, eight of which were written by Davis, that echo the best of what is being written in folk music today. Also included are the arrangements of four traditional tunes and a cover of Bud Green and Sam Stept's show tune classic, "Do Something" (originally published in 1929) in which the band perfectly captures the feel of old-time radio. It seems both a nod to the songwriting giants of yesteryear and the new direction in folk bluegrass, almost reminiscent of the modern classic, "A Man of Constant Sorrow". It's an excellent blend of old and new, traditional and original.

The new album was recorded, once again, at Glenn Brown Studios in East Lansing. Compounding on the success of their debut, "Children, Take Your Shoes Off", the band wanted to take a fresh approach this time around. They recorded more tunes than they needed, and thus arranged things a bit differently. Take for example, "Two Step les Fréres Wilson", a Cajun jig duly-titled for the dual talents of brothers and multi-instrumentalists Joe and Andy Wilson. Joe is a virtuoso on Dobro, steel and acoustic guitar as is Andy on the harmonica, accordion, trumpet and Jew's harp. Both contribute to the vocal harmonies, and Joe also wrote an original instrumental entitled "The Lodge", a lament in which he plays alone, this time on the Dobro.

'We went with an acoustic approach recording live in a circle," said Dominic Suchyta, the band's upright bass player. "Having all of us in the same room helps and being acoustic lets us breathe." This approach brought cohesion to the fifteen selections on "Last Winter in the Copper Country"; the band still capably shifts genre from song to song, yet the project as a whole sounds more unified. Dominic continues, "We were much more relaxed ... just like playing in our living room. We've learned how to get slow and quiet every now and again without losing intensity."

Steppin' In It is now an acoustic quartet based around the core sound of Joshua Davis, Dominic Suchyta and brothers Joe and Andy Wilson. But long-time fans will be thrilled to hear studio versions of a few songs that have long been in the band's live repertoire, including "Gold and Silver" and "The Butcher's Girl". "Four Little Men" also features former regulars Bobby Bryan on washboard and Jonathan Price on the fiddle. The two also appear elsewhere on the recording, and all six of them still play together on stage every Monday at the Green Door in Lansing. "They also contributed much to the sound of the new songs, as they were playing with us while we wrote some of them," Andy mentioned.

The departure of Bobby and Jonathan from the regular line-up came as a surprise or a disappointment to many fans, but Josh Davis and the Wilson brothers kept playing together as a trio while the new album was recorded; Dominic Suchyta was living in Seattle through the winter but returned to lend his upright bass to all but three tracks. Dominic explains, "You start playing over 150 shows a year and priorities change. Some of the guys have families, or good day-jobs they can't leave. I think one of the biggest reasons for the change in line up besides the acoustic direction is having four guys willing and able to tour. Willing to give everything up and drive anywhere that will have us. You've got to be crazy to be willing to live like that."

"This summer we're playing throughout northern Michigan," says Suchyta. They start with a radio performance on WNMC, 90.7fm on Friday, May 31st at 6pm and then the band returns to their home away from home, Union Street Station in Traverse City, for the weekend of May 31st / June 1st. They will also play at The Cabbage Shed in Elberta for July 5th and 6th and at The Key to the County in Lake Leelanau on July 12th. Steppin' In It will be making their debut at Farmfest, in Johannesburg (August 8th through 11th). And there is discussion of a fall tour in Colorado. "It's nice to start thinking that one show could turn into three weeks out on the road. That was simply never an option before." By this time next year, the band is certain to have a few regional tours to their credit and further tales of adventure and brotherhood, as well as dreams of the Prairie Home Companion. "I'd love to be a part of that," Dominic muses.