A cover of Paul Simon's Graceland

[Maddie Witler]

Here's a cover of Paul Simon's classic, Graceland, performed by my group the Lonely Heartstring Band.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mro-R8LRRj4

We're currently in the midst of our kickstarter campaign to raise money to record our first full length record. Contribute to or learn more about the campaign at:
http://https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1019026124/the-lonely-heartstring-band-full-length-album?ref=nav_search (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1019026124/the-lonely-heartstring-band-full-length-album?ref=nav_search)

Thanks!

[JEStanek]

Nice!

Jamie

[Peter Coronado]

Really nice! Matt, would you say a few words about how you approached this on mandolin? Looks like you did mostly or all percussion without chords.

[roysboy]

Superb . I might suggest utilzing the lead instruments a bit more...fills, color, dynamics, ....think Punch Bros. Best of luck with the album .

[UsuallyPickin]

Nicely done fellows .... maybe a little spare ... but better that way than too busy ..... everybody supports the song and the singer... I am curious to hear your recording when it arrives.... R/

[Steve Ostrander]

Very nice. I like that a lot. The banjo is playing the lead, the guitar plays the rhythm, the mandolin plays the snare drum part, the fiddle adds the strings. Good job on the backing vocals, too; that's not an easy part to sing. I'm not sure I would add a lot of fills. This is very close to the original arrangement, just different instrumentation. I think a lot of fills would muddy the waters. Just my opinion.

[Mark Wilson]

Well done!

[Bertram Henze]

My hat is off to the banjo player and to his ways of managing.

[Maddie Witler]

Really nice! Matt, would you say a few words about how you approached this on mandolin? Looks like you did mostly or all percussion without chords.

Thanks! My band has worked up a number of covers of pop and rock tunes. In particular we spent the first year of our existence as a Beatles cover band. With most of our arrangements of these songs we try to be as true to the original recording as possible. This means assigning the individual sounds of a pop band to our bluegrass instruments. Usually the mandolin ends up playing the role of the drums. I think in the earlier stages working up the arrangement for Graceland I may have tried a more strummy approach mixed with chopping, but I think that just made it feel cluttered. Sometimes all a song needs from the mandolin player is a well placed chop.

If you’d like to hear any of the Beatles material, we recorded an EP a couple of years ago that you can download or listen to at this link:

http://lonelyheartstringband.bandcamp.com/

The EP has five Beatles tunes, one original tune, and one bluegrass number.

[Charles E.]

I got to see this band a couple of times during the IBMA last Oct. They were a blast to see. The bass player is all over that tune!

[ianbarton]

Matt,

Been listening to your stuff on bandcamp, I am assuming the original number is Until I Cross That Line? Great stuff! Definitely dig into originals some more, you guys have something there! Some pretty slick pickin on Ole Slewfoot too, I'm impressed man.

Ian

[montana]

I could play the mandoline part.

[Tony Pearce]

Nice cover.

[Maddie Witler]

Here's our latest video. A more straight ahead cover of a Bob Dylan tune.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyOjsIMgwus