THE MCLOVINS

What will you remember most about 2011?

2011 was a huge year for us as a group. We grew leaps and bounds as individual musicians as well as played some of our biggest shows. Playing of the Main Stage at Gathering of the Vibes was a moment in our lives that not one of us will ever be able to forget. It was incredible to have experienced a show of that magnitude so young in our careers and we all feel blessed to have gone through it together.

What albums appear most in your iTunes or iPod?

Jeffrey: If you were to sort my iTunes by number of plays, you’d find a lot of AIR up at the top. Specifically, 10,000 HZ Legend, an album by AIR, is one of my favorite electronic albums ever recorded. Anyone that likes dark and ambitious electronic music should go out and buy to it. You’ll also find the Steve Vai album Flex-able up there in my Top Plays. It’s definitely another one of my favorites.

Jake: Paul Simon is a recurring theme in my top 25 played songs playlist. Graceland, Rhythm of the Saints, and his newest album The Afterlife have all been played hundreds of times. Another great album at the top of my list is One by Thin Veil which is a dark, beautiful and poetic mix of blues, roots and Americana. The mastermind behind Thin Veil is Jim Oblon, who is one of the most incredible musicians I’ve had the pleasure of knowing.

Jason: For the past few months I’ve been really listening and studying Bitches Brew by Miles Davis. There is a lot going on in that album and I really am trying to figure it all out and understand it.

What was the best musical discovery you made in 2011?

One of the best musical discoveries was Bon Iver. I decided to buy his debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago, earlier this year, and became hooked on the raw emotions in every one of the songs. I recently went out and got his newest record, which I’m loving just as much as the first one. I really get into the guy’s use of auto-tune. He takes a tool that one normally associates with corporate pop music, and uses it to enhance the emotion in his songs. Really sweet stuff.

What was your favorite show or tour of 2011?

It was a total treat to see Buddy Guy play a local Connecticut show this year, at a gig where the McLovins opened for him. We don’t even say this to boast about a gig that our band played. It was simply awesome to see and hear Buddy Guy for the first time. His piercing notes definitely get to you when you hear them over a recording, but there’s nothing like hearing it in real life.

What musicians should readers look out for in 2012?

There’s this great jazz trio, BADBADNOTGOOD, that does renditions of some older hip-hop songs. They’re a super tight and technically skilled group of guys, but their music isn’t for “intellectuals only.” It’s just plain awesome music, and it’s easy to get into. It wouldn’t be surprised to see them make a rise later on in the next year.

Are there any musicians you would like to collaborate with in 2012?

Obviously there are a ton of musicians we’d love to collaborate with, from John Scofield and Medeski Martin & Wood to Trey Anastasio. But from a realistic perspective, a great collaboration would be Grace Potter, an artist we’ve encountered in real life a few times. It’s exciting to see that her music, which attracts the “jam-band” community, is gaining so much notoriety. It would be really cool to play with bands like moe. and Umphrey’s McGee too, who are other bands that we look up to in the scene.

How do you plan to ring in the New Year?

We’ve got a show set for December 30th, at the Pearl Street club in Northampton, Mass. It’ll be a little New-Years Eve-Eve party, and we’re planning on it being a really awesome time.

Do you have any New Year’s resolutions?

We hope to release our third album in 2012. Anthony Krizan and Tom Marshall helped us write more songs and have been incredible mentors in producing and using studio time. We hope to play more main stages at festivals and hopefully branch out farther in our travels. Most importantly, though, we want to keep growing as musicians and people. Hopefully 2012 will be twice as incredible as 2011 was.

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