Are you about to make the drive to college for yourself, a kid or someone else? I have the perfect road trip album for you, Funeral Flowers by The Farewell Season. Also, you can see them at Capital City Fest in St. Paul on Sept. 13.
Please tell us about The Farewell Season
Taylor Stein: The Farewell Season is an Americana/Folk Rock band that splits time between the Twin Cities and Omaha, NE. Nate Gasaway is out front, singing and playing acoustic guitar and harmonica; Paul Gedbaw is on electric guitar and Justin Crow is on bass. I play drums. We were all veterans of the Nebraska music scene in various other projects, but I moved up north over a decade ago. During the pandemic, Nate and I started trading song ideas as a way to pass the time and eventually I was like, “We should record this,” which turned into, “We should play a show,” which turned into, “We should make this a real band.” So, I recruited Paul and Justin. We’ve had some great guest players who have joined us here and there from both Minnesota and Nebraska, but that’s the core. Tregan Albers, from the Omaha scene, has been playing keys with us the last few shows as well.
You have bandmembers in the Twin Cities and Omaha. How would you compare the two communities for music and music appreciation?
Justin Crow: I’m from Lincoln, Nebraska, so not being from either of those communities it’s been great to see strangers come out to a show and be engaged, truly supporting the arts. It seems like both communities are very supportive for something other than a cover band. There are so many good musicians out there, you’re bound to find something you dig.
Paul Gedbaw: The Omaha music scene has been a huge part of my life for as long as I’ve been old enough to go to shows, and it’s been cool to see it evolve and grow to make room for all different styles and genres and ages. The music scene in the Twin Cities has been really welcoming and it’s been easy to make friends and get our foot in the door.
Funeral Flowers has such as unexpected joyful sound, given the somber idea of funerals. What was the inspiration for the songs and the uplifting sound?
Nate Gasaway: It sort of happened organically. Taylor forced me out of songwriting retirement.
Stein: That’s true. You’re welcome, World. Plus, I had a couple songs ideas that I thought fit Nate’s style really well, so I threw them at him and let him work his magic.
Gasaway: Some of the songs I dug out of the archives, others were newer. After we recorded one, Taylor was like, “We should record more!” So, we kept going and the songs just sort of fit together. I joked with the guys that I’ve never written happy songs until this band, but the title of the album is still Funeral Flowers, so I guess it’s all relative.
Stein: I thought Funeral Flowers was a great title for the album, because it fit the overall vibe of the music. There’s a duality – like you’re saying goodbye to something, but there’s another something on the horizon. Same with the band name. Nate and I were co-workers at a TV station, so the band name also has a television element to it too. When a show has it’s “farewell season,” it’s both a celebratory thing and sort of sad that it’s ending. People give each other flowers, sort of like a funeral, so the title fit. Plus, it’s a single-worthy title track, so that helped.
I often ask where an artist where/when/how is the best way to listen to an album. Your website says, “The Farewell Season plays music made for a long drive down a back highway.” That’s great but I wonder if that’s planned or natural? Did the idea of road music come first or did you listen and think – this is meant for a journey? (I think Funeral Flowers would be a great album for a road trip.)
Stein: For me, Nate’s music has always been perfect for road trips, so I thought it was apropos to describe it that way. As the person who maintains the website, that’s how it ended up in the “About” sections. His songwriting is top-notch, plus you can listen to an album front-to-back and suddenly be an hour closer to your destination.
Gasaway: I travel for work sometimes and will get an idea as I’m driving down the road. I’ll pull over occasionally and write down lyrics. Maybe that plays into it?
Crow: Well, I usually listen when we have a practice coming up and I have that, “Oh
shit,” moment because I haven’t played these tunes in a minute. All joking aside, I find myself listening to this album when I’m winding down. Maybe a cocktail or smoke of your choosing and let it take me where it takes me. I’ve never been a part of an album that sounds like this and has so many different colors to it, I’m always finding little things I enjoy each time.
Please tell us about the upcoming show at the Capital City Fest.
Stein: We’re excited to be part of Capital City Fest in St. Paul on Sept. 13th. We’ve heard great things about this city celebration. Lots of food trucks, vendors, a car show, and I’ve heard they even amateur wrestling going on somewhere on the grounds. Should be a party for sure! There are a lot of music acts from many different genres, so we hope people can stop by and check it out. We hit the main stage at 3pm.
Mostly Minnesota 