Lunch w/ Across Tundras

A lot of the artists who have participated in the Farm to Artist project are involved in a diverse array of activities.  Some enjoy to garden, some have gone further and worked extensively on farms, but Tanner (guitar, vocals) from Across Tundras, as the founder of Ramble Hill Farm near Nashville, TN, is the first farmer to participate in this project.  Tanner, along with Casey (drums), Dennis (bass), and Taija, joined me at Wealth Underground Farm for a tour and a meal.

I said this during the meal but I didn't immediately enjoy the music when I first listened to Across Tundras.  I cut short the first spin of their album and didn't come back to it until about three weeks before the band rolled through Portland on tour.  I'm not sure what happened, maybe it was all the Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns and John Wayne movies I binged on or maybe I cleaned out my ears but when I relistened to Sage it suddenly resonated and I couldn't stop repeating it over and over again.  The tracks skillfully blends doom, country, psychadelic, and Americana in a way that, when you close your eyes, paints in broad swaths the mountains and plains, the mystique and allure of the American west.  It's also catchy and fun, there is a progression I occasionally get stuck in my head that I've realized is from the opening track, In the Name of the River Grand.  I would love to see this band score a movie some day as the music is incredibly visual and can really get under your skin.

Due to van trouble, they were only able to make it to one of the two Portland shows they were scheduled to play.  A sidenote, the van trouble ended up cutting short their tour and cost them a fair amount of money, so please consider purchasing their album (links at the bottom of post).  The turnout at Plan B was low and I have to think that not enough people have listened to this band because anyone who here's the recorded music will want to see them live.  They played a strong set and were then followed by Farm to Artist alum Megaton Leviathan.  The two bands were musically and thematically complementary and, though the show stretched late into the night, it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Thanks to Across Tundras for joining me at the farm.  You can hear their music, including their most recent album, Sage, at their bandcamp page or purchase the Sage double lp here.