Virtual Listening Party: Chicken Wire Empire, ‘Growing Pains’
The Wisconsin band leads us through their latest album, which weaves old-time and modern bluegrass together in creative and highly listenable ways.
Chicken Wire Empire’s Growing Pains album artwork.
For about a decade, Wisconsin-based band Chicken Wire Empire has been honing their unique brand of contemporary bluegrass, releasing a half dozen albums and touring the U.S. and Europe. Their sixth and latest album Growing Pains reveals a band at the top of their game in both songwriting and instrumental chops. (Guest appearances by bluegrass giants Jerry Douglas and Kyle Tuttle speak volumes about the band’s cred!)
From the wholesome fun of “Fiddle and Song” to the angsty lament of “Lonely Night” and experimental musical breaks in “Illinois,” Chicken Wire Empire demonstrates their ability to stretch the bounds of a distinctively tradition-rooted genre. They even daringly put down their instruments—the bedrock of bluegrass music—to close the album out with an a cappella number. This is newgrass with something for everyone, perfectly melding old-time string-band sounds with modern melodies and lyrics.
We invited the band to what we like to call a “virtual listening party,” where they can tell us a little about each of their songs. Feel free to stream the album on your platform of choice and listen along as you read Chicken Wire Empire’s thoughts!
1. Manz Vibez
This was a last minute addition to the album. We were in the studio looking for a way to stretch our ears and warm up one morning. This track was the result.
2. Say Goodbye
This is the first full song on the album. It features a heavy groove and an attitude that makes you want to listen in closer. I think it’s a good tone-setter for the rest of the album.
3. Fiddle and Song
This track captures some of the sights and sounds of the road. This was the first song Starr brought to the band, and we immediately took it on as an anthem of our travels. The chords wind around a lot, giving a sense of constant movement that compliments the song’s message. Dobro legend Jerry Douglas played on this track, really bringing the song to life with his tasteful fills and tones.
4. Lonely Night
This is a hard-hitting song. The lyrics are blue and lonesome but the feel of the instruments is thunderous and intense. After all, there’s nothing peaceful or serene about a lonely night.
5. Anomie
This song is about the chaos that ensues when we try to go through life directionless, stubbornly acting against our own better judgement. It started as a simple, folky-sounding skeleton of a song and we arranged it to add more rhythmic texture and dynamic shifts.
6. I’ll Be Gone
This track brings a whole new feel to the album. It’s laid back and easy to groove with. Jordan played electric bass, and the mandolin plays a really basic half-time chop throughout the whole song. There’s something catchy in its simplicity.
7. Illinois
Named after the longest state in the Midwest, this is the longest tune on the album. The initial riff came from banjoist Lincoln Hensley of the Tennessee Bluegrass Band. Our banjo player Jon grew the song from a simple lick to a wide-open two chord jam vehicle that features Grammy-winning banjoist Kyle Tuttle. Kyle sat in with us at the Ozark Mountain Music Festival in 2024 and thought up a catchy twin banjo melody for this tune on the spot. We immediately knew we wanted that sound on the album. His playing brought a whole new creative flavor to “Illinois.”
8. Asheville
Jordan wrote this song with former CWE mandolinist Ryan Ogburn. It’s a song about life, time, and perspective. The mountains of Asheville knocked loose an existential thread and this song came pouring out.
9. Me & You
This track started as a four chord bluegrass song but grew into a more layered arrangement with a lot of moving pieces during the recording process. Nick Lang provided kick drum on the track, which gave it a more pop-style groove. Then Jordan and Ernie wrote cello and violin parts into the song for more harmonic texture. Those parts were played by Ernie’s brothers, Viktor and Kristian Brusubardis. The string section adds a whole new sound to the album that catches your ear but still feels natural among the other instruments.
10. Ocean Tiger
This song is about perspective. Time has a sneaky way of adding meaning to the moments that stick with us, but you never know which moments will stick until you’re already stuck.
11. Time To Waste
This is the first a cappella song CWE has ever recorded. Jordan wrote the lyrics and Jon arranged four new harmony parts so the whole band could sing along. Taking away the instruments really puts the emphasis on the message of the song: we ain’t got time to waste.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carol Roth. Photo credit: Dan Lee.
Adventures in Americana co-founder Carol Roth is a novelist who publishes both under her name and the pseudonym T.A. Berkeley in a range of genres, from horror to thriller to YA. She loves to play guitar and sing and occasionally write songs. Her wide-ranging passions also include vegan cooking, personal finance, watching queer romance TV/movies and learning to speak Thai. By day she’s a marketing writer/brand strategist.
