Rocky Mountain quintet Steaks place in bluegrass scene, headlines local festival
Trout Steak Revival has earned a place in the mountain states bluegrass scene, performing to sold-out audiences, winning the 2014 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Competition, appearing on the Today Show in 2015, and even winning an Emmy Award for a soundtrack with Rocky Mountain PBS. From beginnings as an informal jamming unit during treks through the peaks of the Front Range, Trout Steak Revival has evolved into one of Colorado’s most tightly knit, hard-driving bluegrass bands. Their brand of heartfelt songwriting blends dynamic musicianship with intricately woven harmonies, all tied together with the unmistakable sound of their years of friendship. Whether playing in sweat-soaked clubs or at beautiful mountain festivals, the five-piece has shown a tenacity for quick-picking and all the right polish without sacrificing the raw feeling of well-executed bluegrass. Keeping an eye on traditions of the past but boldly forging into new territory,
Trout Steak Revival takes us back to memories of whiskey, laughter, and the misty high country where the band was born. The Denver-based group is comprised of Casey Houlihan (bass), Steve Foltz (mandolin/guitar), Will Koster (dobro/guitar), Bevin Foley (fiddle), and Travis McNamara (banjo). In anticipation of their headlining performances at the 10th Annual Bozeman Bluegrass Festival, the Rolling Zone spoke with Bevin, the Trout Steak fiddler, about creating music rooted in tradition, taking it on the road, and having plenty of fun along the way.
RZ: Hey Bevin. How are you? BF: I’m doing great. How are you?
RZ: Really well. So to kick things off, a large number of bands have a “lead” musician the public can familiarize with. Trout Steak is comprised of five members—all prominent—who contribute equally to live performances and studio recordings. Does this arrangement keep the music at the forefront? It seems like music is the sixth member of the band. BF: I think it does keep music in the forefront. We put a lot of importance on keeping the band the band and the lineup the same. It allows us to have a consistency where we are always writing together. It does keep the songs at the forefront.
RZ: You’ve had several releases since forming in 2008, the most recent being Brighter Every Day. How has the group’s creative process changed and/or remained the same since the recording of your self-titled first album? BF: It’s changed a lot. As far as writing goes, on the first album, one of the original members was the primary songwriter. It’s become a lot more collaborative over the years. We’re working on a new album and its very, very collaborative, where some of the songs have been written by all of us.
RZ: Being unsigned can bring about certain difficulties, but freedom from a label’s control has to have its perks. How has this reality been for Trout Steak? BF: Well, we would love to be signed.
RZ: Of course. BF: It is nice to be able to be completely in charge of the process, too. The difficulty is just finding the right support to record and release an album. If we had a label, that would be less difficult. But It’s really nice for us to be in charge of the creative process and be able to work with the people we want to work with, and take our time and not feel pressured to release stuff on a certain timeline. We have the luxury of releasing in our own time and making it the best product possible.
RZ: Though the focus is probably on your upcoming tour of the Northwest, how is the planning and recording for the new album going? BF: I think we’ve finally decided to record in the spring in Denver. That’s the big decision that’s been made. [We’ll] hopefully work with some awesome people [in terms of] producing and different stuff like that.
RZ: Are you guys still writing and preparing for that album? BF: We’re actually going through our harmonies right now at a practice, just trying to make sure we’re all singing the right notes. Hopefully we have time this fall and winter to write a few more tunes, and maybe that magical song, you know?
RZ: Absolutely. So let’s talk about performing versus recording. How do these very different experiences stack up? Does this group have a preference? BF: We love performing, touring around and seeing the country, [and] making friends on the road and all of that. There’s nothing that can compare to that. You just get to be a really nerdy perfectionist in the studio, which is beautiful too. We listen to live recordings and are like, “Oh that note!” or “Ahh!” You a little more freedom to play it again and get the right take in the studio, which is nice, but it’s also kind of high-stakes. You don’t have the audience participation and that magic that happens in a live performance.
RZ: You’re coming to Montana to headline the 10th Annual Bozeman Bluegrass Festival, an event that, like you, has gained prestige in a reasonably short amount of time. What draw does this sort of stage have for Trout Steak? BF: We love festivals like this because we get to meet so many new people who wouldn’t listen to your music maybe, or [who] know another band that’s playing. We love Montana. It’s such a treat. We’re going to be able to spend a week in Montana on this tour, and I think we’re all just really excited. It’s beautiful out there.
RZ: What can fans and other concert goers expect from your live sets at the Festival? BF: Probably just to have fun. It’s always a good multi-generational crowd that come to our shows. A lot of positivity and good vibes.
RZ: Awesome. Will you be using any of your new material on this tour, at these Bozeman shows? BF: We will. We’ve been trying out everything, preparing for the CD recording. There’ll be some new tunes and old hits. Hopefully everybody likes it.
RZ: Should be a nice little shindig. For fun, can you tell us the story behind the name ‘Trout Steak Revival?’ BF: I wasn’t actually there when they named the band, but the legend has it the guys were on a camping trip. They just all moved out to Colorado from the Midwest. They had planned on catching trout and eating the trout for dinner, so they didn’t bring as much food as they probably should have. It rained all weekend, so they huddled all of their little two-man tents around in a circle with the doors towards the inside. Steve had a mandolin with him and they would just sing songs and drink. One of the guys was a fly fisherman and would go out in the rain and try to catch some fish. They started yelling out, “Bring me a trout steak!” So when they were walking down from a mountain they hiked, they decided that they should start a band, and because of all the silly chanting of “trout steaks,” they were like, “We should be Trout Steak Revival!” That’s what I’ve heard. RZ: That’s a great story. BF: Yeah, it’s pretty cute.
RZ: Where do you see this band in 10 years? BF: Hopefully still working. We all have our eyes set on longevity—putting out better records every time we put out a record, growing personally and growing as a group, and always being happy and still being able to go on the road and play music.
RZ: In closing, can you share one of your greatest memories from your time as a part of this family you’ve all made? BF: In 2015 when we played the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, after we had won the Band Competition the year before. It was just such a special experience for us because we had all gone to that festival together for years and years. Being on that stage on the wrong side of where we usually were, looking out at our friends, that was probably hands down the most special for everyone.
RZ: Well congratulations on all of your success. You guys have something special going. We’re really looking forward to your show in Bozeman. BF: Thanks a lot!
Come see Trout Steak Revival in the flesh at the 10th Annual Bozeman Bluegrass Festival, to be held Saturday and Sunday, November 12th and 13th at the Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture. The event will include tons of live music by Trout Steak, the Bridger Creek Boys, Laney Lou & the Bird Dogs, The Dirt Farmers, The Fresh Boys, and the Growling Old Men. Artisan pizza, beer, and wine will be available for purchase throughout the festival by Red Tractor Pizza. Tickets are $20 for Saturday, $30 for Sunday, or $45 for a weekend combo and are available at Cactus Records in downtown Bozeman. •
