Sprung from fertile soil in midcoast Maine come the spritely surprises of the Toughcats, a tight-knit newgrass crew that has reimagined what a banjo, a guitar and creative percussion are capable of together. A Toughcat tune is typically a short gem, two or three great ideas woven together with a surgeon’s precision. They are understated, simple and crazy catchy, which is what has loyal fans pining for a follow-up to 2010’s “Run To The Mill.” Expect exciting progress from these guys, who have converted honest energy to records that age supremely well. Prior to tonight’s show at Guthrie’s, GO asked feisty-for-bluegrass drummer Jake Greenlaw where the Toughcats have been sinking their claws lately.
How did the Toughcats originally come together?
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We met on the Fox Islands. Colin (Gulley) and I were on North Haven and Joe (Nelson) was lobstering on Vinalhaven. Colin put together a benefit concert event on North Haven at Waterman’s Community Center one night. Joe was playing a few solo songs and I was playing with a different band. The three of us made a last minute decision right before the show to play a few songs to fill up some time. We had never played together before. But it went over well and we instantly felt like we had something going on.
What distinguishes your work from the scores of would-be roots up-and-comers?
I think one thing that is different about our band is that we don’t just consider ourselves a roots band. We don’t belong to one genre. We have always had a hard time describing what we sound like because we incorporate so many of our favorite genres without thinking about it. We are fans of a whole variety of different music. From folk to ’80s pop, to rock ‘n’ roll, to bluegrass. We have always tried to play what feels right to us. We have a banjo, drums/suitcase and resonator guitar so we have to try and make a big sound with a pretty simple setup. Our instruments together create a unique sound that we believe is pretty different. Our songs tend to be kind of short and to the point. Our live show is really in your face and raw but it can also be beautiful and calm at the same time. We have always tried to make our shows a “show.” We love performing and I think the audience picks up on that.
How did the state of Maine inform your initial ambitions for the band?
We started out just playing on North Haven and Vinalhaven. People were pretty supportive from the get-go. Midcoast Maine has always been so supportive of the Toughcats. Starting a band in a small town on a small island like North Haven made it easier to be whatever type of band we wanted to be. There was no big music scene. When we made our first album, “Pinata,” in 2006, we got some really positive feedback, so we started to think about playing out more. We love playing in Maine — it is a big part of everything we do. In our seven years together, we have also done a lot of touring, including a cross-country tour, three trips to the West Coast, and a trip down the East Coast each year to end up at the True/False Documentary Film Festival in Columbia Mo. We never would have done this without the support of our Maine fans.
What was your favorite collaboration, live or in-studio, in recent memory?
A couple of summers ago we got to play a couple of shows with Ketch Secor from The Old Crow Medicine Show out on the islands. He is such a incredible musician and performer. We learned some Old Crow songs and he learned some of our tunes. It was a lot of fun. We learned how to play “Thunder Road” last minute, so that was a plus.
Have you broken ground on the follow-up to “Run To The Mill” yet? What can we expect?
We have six or eight new songs that we are working on. We have been playing some of those live. We are feeling good about our new songs and can’t wait to find some time to record. So yeah, hopefully in the near future. We have an idea of what we want the next album to sound like and we are going to try our best to get it.
If you could add one additional player for the band, living or dead, who would it be?
Darryl Hall or Christine McVie.
Who calls the shots in the Toughcats?
We do a good job deciding most everything as a whole group. But if Joe Nelson snaps his fingers and tells you to “jump,” you better jump.
Mike Olcott is a freelance writer who lives in Portland and Boston.
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