I was invited to interview The Sheepdog’s (website) lead dog, Ewan Currie, for my Music People Project (website) at Levon Helm’s house in Woodstock just before soundcheck at the band’s gig later that night.  It was my first interview of someone that was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. Yup.

By the way, I never brought it up in our interview. They are so much more than that now. I think he appreciated the focus of our discussion.

The coolest part of the whole event was setting up shop (camera and tripod) with Ewan down at Levon’s famed pond. Levon’s property is hallowed ground for most that run in my music circle, and the pond is ground zero of cool. Yup.

The first time I saw The Sheepdogs in 2012 at the Mountain Jam Music Festival, I fell hard for their music and thought they were the real deal.  One of the lesser know bands at the time, and know as the guys who won the Rolling Stone magazine best amateur band contest that landed them on the front cover… The Sheepdogs (like Sister Sparrow) played two sets that year. 

One inside the ski lodge, and one outside early in the day.  Both sets were crazy good (like Sister Sparrow – click here for that story).  Over the years I shared their music with many friends and saw them a few times when touring through NYC. Gritty “Rock and Roll” fur sure with a solid catalog of songs.

Talking music with Ewan was a real treat. The interview covers a bunch of topics… some about the band, and most about him and his influences.  After talking just a few minutes on our walk out the lake, it was no surprise to learn that Ewan comes from a musically family (his dad was a big time classical composer in Australia).  As I hoped, I was able to get Ewan to open up about the difficulty of writing new songs after the first big hit album (“Learn and Burn” for them).  Ewan’s focus and the band’s talent allowed them to go beyond where most bands stop. I have always used that as a marker of really good band.  (See Dawes – click here for a 2011 story I penned on them). 

The Sheepdogs next four albums are filled with great songs that are uniquely theirs.  We specifically talked about the making of “Future Nostalgia” produced by Black Keys drummer and cited by the critics as new territory for the band.  Click here to see the interview and read more about our ramble… Ewan Currie was Music People Project interview #25!

Later that day at the show, our gang was perched behind the soundboard and had a great birds eye view of the place.  The band’s set was crazy solid and a nice mix of old and new tunes.  It is hard to not be blown away by Ewan’s voice.  That man has killer rock and roll pipes. I’d love to see him duet with Sister Sparrow or Grace Potter. I also think that band could use a lead guitarist like Scott Sharrard (website).