Louisville.com: What are some of the challenges with working with such a large band?
Letts: Honestly I don’t feel like it is a challenge. This is how I always wanted. Each of us is a great musician with our own voice. If anything time schedules. It is hard to find time to record all the songs and deciding which songs go on the album.
Louisvile.com: Speaking of time, you all have been touring a lot and have becoming more and more popular. From what I’ve read you all are temporarily on a tour break until September, but I heard about your DVD “Big Easy Express,” which documents your 2011 tour with Old Crow Medicine Show and Mumford & Sons. Can you tell me a little bit more about that experience?
Letts: It was the coolest thing. The art deco train had a bar car and a lounge car. We had a jam room and our own bartender we called King Willie. The food car had ‘cup cuts’ that were bloody good. There was such an infectious energy and sense of being. We have so much more to learn. Everyone was so nice no egos at all. It was great to see the country and having the train as our background to shows. It was incredible to see a family grow. The train tour was the most beautiful thing I’ve done, so beautiful.
Louisville.com: Like many other listeners, your hit song “Home” was the first song to really capture my attention. After listening to the album that song in particular really stands out. What was the inspiration behind it?
Letts: Alex and Jade hanging out. It is a love song in a sense. Not necessarily girl and guy, girl and girl, guy and guy. It’s brothers and sisters, mothers and daughters. Friendship. The whole meaning of love. You know the lyrics, “Alabama Arkansas I sure love my maw and paw” it’s an expression of pure love.
Louisville.com: Well I look forward to hearing you all at the Iroquois Amphitheater in Louisville on Sept 26th. Is there anything you’d like to say to the readers out there?
Letts: Every night is so different. Each show is unique. We never play the songs the same way, and we don’t use a set list. We play what feels good. It will be a fun experience with lots of dancing.
Louisville.com: Thank you so much for talking with me.
Letts: Thank you!
Photos: courtesy of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros website
