Pale Root Quietly Settles Into Its Own Spot in a Crowded Local Scene

In Music, Music Stories by Matthew Everettleave a COMMENT

Jordan Burris and Aaron Freeman didn’t plan on being in a band together. After they were introduced to each other by mutual friends a few years ago, the two singer/songwriters teamed up to share some shows at local bars—Burris would perform his songs, Freeman would play his.

“One evening after a few beers we just decided to try and write something of our own,” Freeman says. “We finished the song that night and sat back and thought, well, that wasn’t so bad, huh?”

The pair’s weekly practice sessions turned into a regular songwriting workshop, and a few months later they acknowledged what was becoming increasingly obvious.

“At some point we’d written 20 or so songs and we’re more or less exclusively playing together only, so we figured we’d make it official and name our little band and cut a record,” Burris says.

That album, the band’s self-titled debut, was recorded this spring at Wild Chorus Studios with Scott Minor and released earlier this month. The disc showcases an enhanced version of Pale Root’s laid-back folk rock, with additional contributions from Daniel Kimbro (bass), Jason Day (keyboards), and Shayne Ivy (drums).

“We wanted a live sounding record, like the Band’s Music From Big Pink, and I think we achieved that tone,” Burris says. “I think having the extra instruments changed the dynamics of some of the tracks but I don’t feel it was ever detrimental to the voice of the songs. The spirit of the work is there but I think the true nature of our sound is when it’s just Aaron and myself.”

Burris and Freeman had followed different routes to becoming solo singer/songwriters. Burris had studied in East Tennessee State University’s bluegrass program and spent seven years pitching songs in Nashville; Freeman had played in a couple of college bands while attending Tennessee Tech, then continued writing songs and performing when he landed in Knoxville. Those pedigrees are reflected in their work together: Freeman’s taste for contemporary songwriters like Ryan Adams and Darrel Scott provides a balance to Burris’ penchant for bluegrass and traditional folk. As Pale Root, they’ve quietly settled into their own spot in Knoxville’s crowded Americana scene—intimate, confessional music grounded in tradition. At various times, the duo’s music recalls Neil Young, Jackson Browne, the Everly Brothers, and the Avett Brothers. It’s a surprisingly full and mature sound from just two people.

“Our overall tone and sound is really just what happens when Jordan and I play together,” Freeman says. “I don’t remember us ever planning to sound a certain way. It’s just kind of how it came out. I’ve got a little more experience with more modern folk, while Jordan has a more of an ear to writers from much earlier on. So, I suppose whatever our sound is comes from that.”

Playing has a duo presents some challenges—a late-night audience at a bar can threaten to drown out the band’s unassuming acoustic songs and intricate harmonies, and there’s only so much you can do with two voices and two guitars. But Burris and Freeman think they’ve only just started to reach their potential together.

“I think being a duo can have limitations if you approach it as two people playing the same song together,” Burris says. “But we approach the songs we write not just in terms of the structure of the chords and the lines in the verses but also from the arrangement of our individual part. We spend an awful lot of time on our harmonies, getting our pronunciations of the words synced up so it becomes one sound rather that two voices saying the same thing. Then we do the same with the guitar parts. Aaron hammers and picks more bass-driven rhythm, while I cross-pick notes in the higher register.

“I think our music sounds fuller than a lot of bands with five instruments—we are a band, just maybe not in the conventional sense of the word.”

Pale Root plays at Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria (200 E. Jackson Ave.) on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 10 p.m.

WHO

Senior Editor Matthew Everett manages the Knoxville Mercury's arts & entertainment section, including the comprehensive calendar section—Knoxville’s go-to guide for everything worth doing in the area. You can reach Matthew at matthew@knoxmercury.com.

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