Molly Tuttle
As Nashville shut down back in March in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, musicians across the spectrum of genres were left wondering how they would make ends meet until it’s safe to have live shows again. Folks who are part of Nashville’s bluegrass community are part of a decidedly low-tech tradition, but they are finding creative, technologically savvy ways to stay afloat.
Many bluegrass artists tour year-round, with a minimal social media presence compared to artists in the mainstream of pop, country or hip-hop. That changed significantly as entire tours were canceled in the span of a few hours as part of the response to the coronavirus. The members of Brooklyn’s Gangstagrass, who make a thrilling combination of rap and bluegrass, have been working on records from their separate homes and maintaining a busy streaming schedule on Twitch. Chicago trio Henhouse Prowlers, known for a wide-ranging set list that includes bluegrass covers of Nigerian hip-hop hits, launched Bluegrass Academy, a streaming program designed to employ bluegrass players to teach children around the globe.
In Nashville, the response has been just as robust. Guitarist and singer-songwriter Molly Tuttle, who made history in 2017 as the first woman to win the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Guitar Player of the Year award, has started her own weekly livestream on Instagram. She says there’s been plenty to learn.
“I had probably done one or two livestreams ever in my life,” Tuttle tells the Scene. “I didn’t know you could bring a guest on, which was cool to realize. There’s a learning curve.”
Tuttle isn’t surprised that younger musicians, even in the bluegrass world, are using platforms like Twitch, which she streamed on for the first time recently. Her recent single, a cover of Neil Young’s “Helpless” featuring Old Crow Medicine Show, wasn’t finished before the lockdown began, and some of the band’s parts had to be recorded remotely. She says taking advantage of newer technologies is especially important.
“Bluegrass bands might not have the [digital] infrastructure other genres would,” Tuttle says. “It’s a small part of the industry.”
Other musicians in town share Tuttle’s concerns and are already thinking beyond the coronavirus to what comes next. Tristan Scroggins, an award-winning mandolin player, teaches frequently at music camps for kids, most of which he expects to remain closed for the rest of the year. He understands the financial pressure put on businesses and bands as a result of closures, and says the industry may never return to the way it was.
“Not all the things that were there before will exist,” says Scroggins. “There’ll be some bands, performers, websites, pubs, that probably won’t make it through this. Business as usual will look different.”
Luckily, Scroggins says he felt somewhat prepared to transition to digital income streams. He’s able to give more private lessons online, something he couldn’t do when touring constantly. He also transcribes popular bluegrass tunes into sheet music so others can learn (he’s also part of a team helping the late John Hartford’s family with archival work), and says he doesn’t completely mind staying at home more.
Scroggins isn’t alone in having the social media following and know-how to adapt to our current situation. Venues and organizations around town have offered financial support, education and expertise to bluegrass musicians and bands. The Station Inn, a bluegrass institution in Nashville since 1974 and a mecca for fans and bands the world over, installed permanent cameras in 2018 and began streaming shows on its Station Inn TV platform in 2019. In the first few days of venues shuttering, musicians streamed live from the empty venue, but once Metro’s stay-at-home order went into effect, the venue ceased live performances and began streaming previously recorded concerts to Station Inn TV subscribers.
Jeff Brown, the club’s marketing director, says subscriptions have increased 30 percent, keeping the business in the black, and that a combined 600,000 people around the world have watched the streams. Venues in Chicago, Raleigh and other cities are now asking the Station Inn for help in setting up their own streaming systems.
The International Bluegrass Music Association, headquartered in Nashville, is offering resources to both local and national bluegrass artists. The organization maintains a Bluegrass Community Resource Page that includes information on financial aid, health and safety and more, as well as a streaming concert calendar and an instructor database. In early May, the IBMA also signed onto a letter to Congress along with 40 other music organizations to advocate financial relief for musicians.
Nashville’s array of music communities has been affected in devastating ways by the pandemic, in no small part because the deadly March 3 tornado struck just days before public spaces had to be shut down to fight the virus. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and discouraged by the unpredictable nature of the pandemic. The determination and ingenuity — across the bluegrass community and in others — is at least one sign to be hopeful about.
