According to The Washington Post, The North Country sounds “exceedingly confident, highly organized and maybe even a little hopeful.”
An experimental pop collective fronted by Andrew Grossman, the band has earned a reputation for pairing compelling, contemplative songwriting with colorful, raucous shows. Based in Washington DC, their upcoming record “Born at the Right Time (Exquisite Corpse)” marks a new stage of creativity and collaboration, written and recorded entirely remotely during the height of the Covid lockdowns.
Andrew Grossman / Austin Blanton / Jon Harmon / Kirk Kubicek / Laurel Halsey / Margot MacDonald
Thank you for taking this interview! What has 2022 been like for YOU as artists?
Wait, what year is it?! Is it 2022? Good lord! Good so far. The world is a dystopian nightmare but hey, at least we can rehearse in person! Can you tell us how you've transformed from the beginning to now as an artist?
When we started as a band it was my goal to sound like mid-70s era Bob Dylan. I don't think we ever really accomplished that. Now it's our goal to sound colorful, fun, groovy, thoughtful, and entertaining. I think we come much closer to that goal. How did you come up with your latest project?
Our new record Born at the Right Time (Exquisite Corpse) was made during the depths of the covid lockdowns passing files back and forth online. The idea was originally just a way for us to keep busy and not go insane. Part way through making it though we all thought, "hey, this is kind of cool" and so we decided to release it. Full record drops July 29 on Misra Records! Vinyl Pre-sale here: https://thenorthcountry.bandcamp.com/ Where are you from originally?
I grew up in suburban Maryland. Where do you live now?
I live in Washington, DC. Do you think where you live impacts how your music is made?
Where you live definitely impacts how one's music is made. Context is everything with art. What was the inspiration to make music your career?
I had no choice. It chose me. How do you want to shape your career?
I just want to keep writing better songs, keep playing better shows, and keep making better albums. Whatever I can do to further that end is what I want to do. Do you work on a tight timeline always or do you go with the flow when it comes to your music?
We've started using deadlines more often and I kind of like it. Without deadlines there's too much pondering going on. How did your latest title of your music come to be?
Exquisite Corpse was named after the drawing game where you fold the paper and only see on bit at a time, because that sort of resembled our process for making the record. Is it hard to let go of the music when it is done?
Not really. On to the next one! Do you feel an emotional attachment with your music?
I think it would be pretty sad if an artist had no emotional attachment to their music. How would you describe your music in one word to someone who hasn't listened to it yet?
Kaleidoscope. Where do they go to listen NOW?
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2ePDWKisYScdi7gDb8WOEO?si=d4-nWwWxRu6wgknEr0_9JQ https://thenorthcountry.bandcamp.com/ What has been the best fan reaction to your music?
We made a video in our bassist's backyard just as the lockdowns were easing up. After we put it out a friend who I hadn't seen in a while sent me a handwritten postcard telling us how much the song meant to her, especially given all that everyone had been through the past two years. Is there anything exciting coming up for you?
Our new record Born at the Right Time (Exquisite Corpse) comes out on Misra Records July 29! Record release tour second half of July. Follow us for tour dates!
https://www.instagram.com/thenorthcountry/ Are you performing the song anywhere LIVE?
Brooklyn Record release July 22 Our Wicked Lady DC Record release July 29 DC9 Give us all your socials and links so fans can link up with you! Thank you for this interview!
https://www.instagram.com/thenorthcountry/ https://twitter.com/THENORTHCOUNTRY https://www.thenorthcountrymusic.com/ https://linktr.ee/thenorthcountry https://www.facebook.com/thenorthcountrymusic