The Infamous Stringdusters is making music the same way the band’s bluegrass, banjo-banging forefathers did—all together and all at once. When gathering in the studio to record their recently released album, A Tribute to Flatt & Scruggs, they pressed record and started jamming away, capturing the magic live. “This album is special to me because it gave me the opportunity to dig deeper into what made [American bluegrass duo] Flatt & Scruggs so influential,” says Travis Book, the band’s bass player. “And because we recorded it pretty old school—all at once, all together, without a lot of messing around. We just let the tape roll.” And roll it does. The album is a high-energy collaboration of banjo picking, folk stories, and upbeat tempos. There is a throughline of loneliness in the lyrics, though it doesn’t come across as melancholic, but rather as if we’re hearing from a wanderlust traveler wary of settling down anywhere for too long. The Dusters authentically capture Flatt & Scruggs’ lilting, swooping vocal style and the easy bounce of the rhythm section. You can hear them for yourself at one of their many upcoming Colorado shows: Aug. 4 at The Mishawaka in Bellvue; Aug. 5 at the Dillon Amphitheater; Aug. 6 for Rhythms on the Rio in South Fork; and Sept. 6 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre when they open for Dierks Bentley.
