Michael Mahoney and Mark Branscombe of the Gravel-Aires, live at the Princeton, March 8, 2025, by Allan MacInnis
I always think that, when playing live, a band should do the odd cover tune. It's a great way to pay respects to your forbears and provide some context for what you're doing; it can deepen the artists own connection and tap into the joys of music that is not their own; and it can make audience members perk up and get excited, especially if the cover isn't just some mass-appeal dreck -- I ain't talkin' "Stuck in the Middle With You," here; I'll walk out of the next bar I hear that played in -- but something well-chosen, maybe known only to a few people in the audience, but loved by them and felt deeply: suddenly you have enthusiastic rapport where before you only had, say, polite attentiveness.
Case in point: I don't know Justin Townes Earle's catalogue that well, but I've been in love with his song "Harlem River Blues" since I first heard it -- a strangely joyful tune about killing yourself by drowning. I was enjoying the Gravel-Aires set well-enough, opening for Sudden Darts at the Princeton earlier this month -- enough that I broke out my phone to record a clip; it turned out to be a rather transformed version of said Justin Townes Earle's song. As often happens, the vid I shot wasn't actually my favourite song the duo did that night -- an original took that honour, though I wasn't taking notes and couldn't tell you the name -- but it grabbed hold no less, and served as the basis for further conversation... which we now see below.
Thanks to Mark Branscombe, who passed on a copy of their CD to me, and to Michael Mahoney, who unexpectedly partook of the following email interview (two for the price of one set of questions!). You can see the Gravel-Aires tonight at the Dayton Boot Factory in East Vancouver. Not sure if I'll make it -- it's quite a week I've been having, and I'm recovering from a nasty cold -- but if you like roots music (or are curious about local music history, since these guys go way back -- it's bound to be a great show.
True confession: I had never heard of the Frantic Technicians before this interview (just because I own the Art Bergmann book doesn't mean I've read all of it!).
Allan: I saw you the other week without a drummer, but I gather there often is one on your recordings; who will be playing the Boot Factory show - just you two, or is Stuart with you, or...
Mike: We have a lot of fun playing with the full band the last couple of years but our roots are as duet and we decided we'd simplify things and see what new creative ideas emerged.
Mark: Yes, Mike and I returned to our acoustic duet this year. Stuart Bedard recorded the last album Westerly with us and in 2024 we were a five piece with Stuart, Tom Hammel on pedal steel and Bob McIntosh on bass. A full band is a lot to maintain, distance to rehearse, scheduling and motivation to present a quality evening when some shows are not covering much of the expense were a factor for us.
Allan: Mark, you had early dealings with the Shmorgs [Art Bergmann's first band] and history the Mud Bay Blues Band -- you played bass? Do you have any favourite stories from that time, favourite songs?
Mark: With the Shmorgs, not so much dealings; I didn’t play with the Shmorgs but I was a fan; joyful times when the one and only Shmorgs album released at the first local indie record I knew about. Saw a few live shows and loved the energy and the writing that Art was doing at the time; it opened my ears and brain to the idea of original music that was coloring outside the lines.
I met a lot of the South Surrey musical people about that time in the late 70’s and answered a Georgia Straight musicians ad with a local phone number on it ”Bass player wanted for Beer, beans and possible trips down south.” The phone # on the ad turned out to be Art’s and so a few basement sessions later, I played with the Frantic Technicians at a Battle of the Bands at the Commodore. The band was Art, Buck Cherry, Gord Nicholl, Murphy Farrell and Bill Scherk.. if memory serves. Shortly thereafter, everyone migrated to Vancouver and the history continues to be made…
Re: Mud Bay, I knew Slim through a friend in the 70’s and went to a few early Mud Bay dances out in Surrey. At some point they needed a bass player and Slim invited me to a “rehearsal” at The Blues Recluse a house that Gord Nicholl rented out in White Rock. The sessions would commence in the tiny living room close to midnight when Slim would arrive after his shift at a local chicken or turkey plant. The band was never short of refreshment or exuberance in the day.
“Bad British Columbians” was a fave tune that Slim and James Lougheed had written, a rebuttal to Grace McCarthy’s comment on people protesting Expo. During Expo 86 we played aboard a fish packing boat and were given entry to False Creek. From the deck of the boat we serenaded the BC Pavilion… “Bad Bad British Columbians” rang out across the waters…message delivered to the Socreds…um maybe? Other high points with Mud Bay were shows at the Commodore opening for Stevie Ray Vaughan and the James Cotton Blues Band.
Allan: I had missed that there were two CDs of Mud Bay Blues Band stuff put out in 2007... they're on Discogs, but only barely! Is this the sort of thing where Gord Nicholl has a box of them in his closet somewhere that intrepid local music completists can pester you to bring to a show, or are they all gone?
Mark: There are a few uncracked CDs that Slim and the lads might still have. The fellows are now out and about performing as “Sons of Mud”. I’ll check and see what I can find for you!
The Mud Bay discography is:
1. Floyd
2. Death Taxes & The Mud Bay Blues Band
3. Mudified
4. Colebrook Road
5. Best Laid Plans
Allan: Give me a timeline of bands you've been in, locally, since? I bet I know a couple -- were you playing in punk bands and such or have you always been close to the roots scene?
Mark : I was a faithful Mud Bay man 1978 to 2022, so yes kept a boot in the roots; but did play the Smilin’ Buddha and a few of the other spots. In the 70s 80s had internships with I, Braineater and recorded and performed with the Melody Pimps. This century , made a lot of music and video with the Ormidales and did a solo record. Gravel-Aires came together in 2016 and I have done some solo work as well lately.
Allan: What's Michael's backstory? How did the two of you connect?
Mike: I'm originally from Calgary and Ottawa where I experienced the Ontario punk rock scene before moving back to Alberta in 1981 and then Vancouver in 1983. I was a big fan of first wave punk and when that petered out. I went deep into outlaw country, eventually into bluegrass and when I started playing with Mark I was playing reggae.
I'd met Mark pretty much as soon as I had moved here but we never played music together until just over 8 years ago. Mark called me up and wanted to play some acoustic music; I love acoustic instruments and hadn't had much chance to play mandolin and bottleneck slide for a while, so I jumped at the opportunity. I have enjoyed playing with Mark, we've done some interesting music, for the most part original, and mixed up the instrumentation and feels to try all sorts of stuff.
Mike: While neither of us is originally from East Van we've both lived in East Van most of our lives. Gravel seems like East Van's precious stone and is a nod to the working origins of this part of town. The "aire" part is a reference to the old cars like Belairs etc. It was Mark's idea.
Mark: Prairie recollection, riding between small towns in the gravel highways. The rocks would bounce off the wheel wells when dad drove at high speeds. The old-time bands that played the country dances seemed to have the suffix to their band names.
Allan: I was thinking about "Harlem River Blues" and decided that I am puzzled by your version! One of the things about Justin Townes Earle's version I really like is that it has this incongruously peppy, upbeat vibe to it (given that it's about suicide). By slowing it down, you kind of turn it on its head, a bit. On the other hand, I like that you're DOING something with the cover, not just playing it like the original. What's your history with that song and Justin Townes Earle?
Mike: I can't remember where I first heard Justin Townes Earle, but I am mostly a fan of the song. We usually play it in the traditional fashion which is great and with a full band it's a dance song. We just thought it might be interesting to try to draw the emotion out by trying a different feel. It is a very powerful song for me given the toll drugs and alcohol is taking on so many people and the lyrics are extraordinary.
Mark: I was fortunate enough to see Justin play at The Rio in 2011 and was taken by the spectrum of American music styles that he was able to express with his songs; he played solo acoustic with a violinist. I have searched out most of his recorded material; some really great songs an performances.
Allan: The new album has Simon Kendall on it! That seems a curious thing. I assume that is "the" Simon Kendall. Do you have a Doug and the Slugs story for us?
Mark: Yes Simon did a swell job on “You Lost Me.” We met while working on our second album, Headlights in The Rear View Mirror, with Jesse Waldman, and Simon’s name came up for some keyboards on a couple songs. We did discover that we may have both played a show together; Mud Bay/ Doug & The Slugs at the Viking Hall back in the day.
Mark: “Babylon Blue” was on the setlist a lot last year. It’s a bit of a different feel from a lot of our stuff and fun to play, a story of a visitor to our psyches, moving town to town in a non-descript sedan, arriving about closing time in an alley and sauntering in through the back door …he’ll sit down and listen to you ponder your motivations and help you weigh the options.
Allan: About the show tonight: You ever own Dayton Boots?
Mark: YES! I have two pairs, bought them years ago, Romeos, slip-ons, amazing durability, will be wearing them at the gig.
Allan: Why is a show being booked in a boot factory?!! (Is it a functional boot factory? Have you explored it? Did this start with the boot factory ("we should put on shows?") or... someone else?
Mark: It is a functional boot factory to this day, I pass the iconic neon on the way to my doctor’s office and noted they had hosted shows recently. I contacted one of the co-owners to ask about doing a night there and he was receptive to the idea. We met up and he showed me around.
Allan: Anything else I've missed????
Mark: Next show is Country Kits Unplugged at the Painted Ship, Wednesday, April 2nd, 8 pm!
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