You guys have a new album in the works. Is that right? Do you have any concrete information on that in terms of a title or a release date?

We just have so much material from before that we never completed, and a lot of new material we’ve been writing through the years, the 8 years we were on a break. So we don’t know if it’s necessarily going to be a full album or if we’re gonna do one track at a time with a video with some information, maybe some live video to go along with it. But we are in the studio working on new material and working in that capacity. We’re working with Sean McLaughlin, 37 Foot Productions. He’s down in Rockland, Mass., south of Boston.

Creatively speaking, how different is it approaching an album or creating new music now as it was back in the Color in Bloom days? How is your creative process shifted?

I think it’s more realized. We’ve always had a end goal and a vision of how we wanted for how we wanted the music to come across, but that’s been refined through the years just through the trials of life and maturing in general, but also understanding more what our roles are within the band. Being able to clearly define that as well as not step on each other’s toes helps in the process towards getting to a result in the studio.

Are you pleased with the cohesion of the band right now?

Oh absolutely. We’re very connected in that way where it’s always felt like we’re thinking each other’s thoughts and understanding where the guy is going before they get there. It’s very much locked in that way.

A lot of that is trusting each other, knowing each other and getting out of your own way and getting out of each other’s ways. Giving each other space.

Do you guys go to shows? Are you a fan of any jambands on the scene right now?

Well, when we played Jam Cruise, we were on there with Turkuaz. We really enjoyed them. I actually played drums on a few gigs with Pink Talking Fish. We’re always following Phish around and big on what’s happening with the Grateful Dead right now. I’ve actually sat in a couple times with Oteil [Burbridge] up in Stowe, Vermont. So we’re always tapped into that scene.

You work with at risk youths in terms of bringing them music. Can you tell me a little bit about the work you do?

I work for an organization called Plummer Youth Promise. The main mission of the organization is to place kids that otherwise would not have families either into a foster care or find them permanent families. I work at one of their centers called the OnPoint Center where I’m doing music therapy as well as just overall mentoring and coaching anything from philosophy and meditation to music and sports. So just any type of medium possible to reach them, give them hope and give them opportunities and give them some strength.

That’s wonderful. The power of music is a very healing thing and I think that there should be more of that type of work in this country for sure.

Absolutely. It’s amazing to see the effects it can have on people who otherwise wouldn’t have it in their life.

Do you ever play them any Percy Hill stuff?

I do. You know, a lot of these kids that I’m working with, the population is really mainly into hip-hop and some harder concepts, so they see me as a little bit of like an uncle or dad figure with what I bring to them. But I try to expose them, yes. These kids are ages 10-16. I had a Led Zeppelin day the other day here and it went over half good, half a little tough.

Do you see a younger generation coming to the Percy Hill shows? Because I think the jam scene is really getting revitalized right now. There are a lot of teens and 20-somethings who are finding bands like the Grateful Dead for the first time and really diving in.

That is true. I have seen that. We did New Years’ Eve at the Palladium and there was a much younger crowd out there singing along. It was nice to see that they were picking up on it. They were connecting to it.

A lot of people are looking for solace or joy.

A safe loving place to be. That’s what we try to provide.

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