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Everything is new for Old Crow Medicine Show
By John Benson
Apparently you can go home again.
That’s what Critter Fuqua (vocals, banjo and guitar) discovered recently when he rejoined Americana string act Old Crow Medicine Show, which he left in 2007 to get sober and eventually attend college.
“It wasn’t really hard to be away from the music because I wasn’t really away from music,” said Fuqua, calling from Nashville. “For me, it was being away from touring life. I still kept in touch with the guys. There were some hard parts but I was really interested in what I was doing at the university. As far as returning to the band, it was just one of those things. There was no real planning involved.”
The reconnection with Old Crow Medicine Show began in earnest when Fuqua and his old musical partner Ketch Secor hit the road in late 2011 as an acoustic duo. Not only did the jaunt help Fuqua get his musical chops back, but it confirmed the time was right for a return to the group he helped form in the late ’90s.
Even better for Fuqua was a pressure-free environment considering the group had already written and recorded its latest studio effort “Carry Me Back,” which was released last year. This allowed the Virginia native to ease back into the swing of things while performing material that he describes as traditional.
“It was a good fit,” Fuqua said. “Stylistically, I loved it. It wasn’t hard at all to get back on it with that album.”
Already the act is looking ahead to its next studio effort, with Fuqua saying the band has written about 30 new songs it hopes to record this fall. There’s also a chance fans can hear the unreleased tunes at the group’s Friday show at the Ohio Theatre in Cleveland. When asked to characterize the sound of the new tunes, Fuqua said it was hard to explain.
“It’s definitely brand new,” Fuqua said. “We’re really at our best right now and some of the stuff is a real departure. Some of the stuff is very traditional. Some of the stuff is really classical Crow stuff. It’s got some elements of swamp rock, very traditional old-time music, some ballads, even some reggae stuff. It’s varied. It’s pretty good.”
When discussing his second go-around in Old Crow Medicine Show, Fuqua said the band is inspired and feeling momentum. It’s been a long haul for the group since it formed in New York City. During that time, it has toured the world, sold over 700,000 albums, played hallowed stages like the Grand Ole Opry and inspired musicians to pick up a banjo.
Therein lies the one aspect that Fuqua admits is different. Today’s music scene is folk-friendly. When he left the band in 2007, the outfit had a decent-sized cult following. Today in the middle of the folk-Americana zeitgeist with bellwethers Mumford & Sons and The Avett Brothers leading the way, Old Crow Medicine Show is riding atop a wave of mainstream attention.
“It’s different for the better,” Fuqua said. “When we were doing this thing 15 years ago, we were kind of alone in Nashville doing what we’re doing. Now there’s this big Americana-folk thing. It’s just great now I can say younger people are doing it. And it’s good for everybody and a real movement we can all be a part of. People understand it.”