Gravy Train is a six-piece bluegrass band that has began turning heads and peaking interest around the music scene in Winona. With a lot of Winona’s music culture focused around rhythm and blues, the members of Gravy Train fit in nicely with their catchy choruses, rhythmic verses and relatable lyrics. The band consists of Andrew Hudson (vocals and guitar), Jay Nelson (mandolin and vocals), Connor Halloran (harmonica and vocals), Isaac Sammis (banjo) Doug Gorand (bass), and Jimmy Clinton (drums and percussion). Andrew joined me to give us the low down on what Gravy Train is all about.
How did Gravy Train form?
“Jay and Connor have always had the idea of a band called Gravy Train, it was sort of a joke at first, they ended up meeting Isaac who I was living with at the time. He introduced me to them and Doug, and we later added Jimmy to the lineup and it all just kind of fell into place.”
When did you guys officially become a band?
“This was around spring of 2013, my junior year.”
What bands do you draw inspiration from?
“With six of us, we have six different backgrounds, but I would say mostly classic rock and folk music. The Avett Brothers and Dr. Dog are definitely huge influences as well.”
How do you write songs as a group?
“Usually, one person (band member) will write it and bring it to the group. There’s been a few songs that have been a complete collaboration of writing, but most of our songs are written and brought to the group. As far as individual parts go, we’ll work with chords and eventually work on dynamics as far as breaks and solos. We kind of format it that way.”
Craziest experience as a band:
“I’m not sure as far as crazy, but really great experiences, we played at People’s Fest in Hillsboro, Wisconsin which was a blast. We played at Boats and Bluegrass Music Festival for the first time this year. That was an awesome festival to be a part of.”
Have you noticed recognition around Winona?
“Somewhat yeah. We’ve been getting a lot of recognition around campus. We’ve been playing a lot of community events through the university, or events on campus as well.”
What does the future look like for Gravy Train?
“As long as we’re all still around each other, we’ll always keep playing.”
For info on upcoming shows and updates, check out their Facebook