The Road to Mountain Music Fest: Casey Cranford & Jesse Hensley of Big Something May 17, 2022 20:53

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Interview by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen
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As countless music fans prepare for this year's Mountain Music Festival at ACE River Resort in Oak Hill (WV) on June 2-4 (2022), we're sitting down with a number of this year's performers to get a better feel for what fans can expect this year. This festival was established in 2014 and has proceeded to solidify itself as one of the most anticipated jam-focused events of the year. As the festival has continued to evolve and grow over the years, there's been one clear constant. That's the powerhouse known as Big Something.
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They're back for an eighth consecutive year, and this time, they're headlining Saturday night. I was lucky enough to discover this band nearly ten years ago (Thanks again, Sirius JamOn), and it's been an incredibly fun ride watching them grow. Festival season is already in full swing for these guys, and they've only scratched the surface.
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Earlier this week, I had a chance to sit down with Jesse Hensley (guitar) and Casey Cranford (EWI/saxophone) in preparation for MMF. They've been back to the grind, touring across the country, and simply loving that they're allowed to perform on a regular basis. You won't find a more genuine, hard-working group of guys, and they've most definitely earned every bit of their continued success. 
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Hope both of you guys are doing well today. I thought we'd get started by touching on how this year is going for the band. You've been hitting the road hard, as usual. Festival season has officially begun. Let's walk through some of the highlights thus far. 
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Jesse: Yeah man. It's been a blast just getting back out there and seeing everyone at shows. People want music again. Well, we've all been wanting it, but we're all actually seeing it come back now. Getting back to live performances with live audiences has felt amazing! 
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Festival season has been crazy good. 420 Fest was killer. A lot of cool stuff coming up too. Beaufort Music Festival coming up this weekend. Summer Camp and Revival Fest are around the corner. But yeah, I think everyone has been really anxious to get back out and get going again. Super pumped about it.
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Right on. How's 2022 been treating you, Casey? 
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Casey: I think the highlight has just been getting back out on the road. We recently played Austin, TX with Papadosio and some other really cool bands. We've been down to The Spirit of Suwannee a few times, which is always great. Working on our new music has been really cool too.
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I'm glad you mentioned that. Somehow, it's been a few years since the last album release. I know that the band has debuted several new originals over the past year. "Bob and Weave" has become a real favorite of mine. Can you tell me a little bit more about where you guys are with new material?
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Casey: I think we have debuted two new ones, "Chemistry" and "Algorithm." I'd say we have maybe 8 or 10 more.
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Jesse: Yeah, 8 or 10 more. I think we're still kind of hashing out parts as we go. It's been really cool. We've had a lot of production practices getting ready for festival season. That's been super helpful to get together, write, and actually play on a stage. We've set up in a few venues, gone through our entire rig, made sure the cables are good, and everyone is happy with their in-ear mixes.
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In the process, we've been knocking away at some of these new songs we've been working on. It's been super helpful for that. We're pumped to get back in the studio and get cracking on some of this stuff. I think there are some plans for recording sessions later in the year. 
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Casey: Yeah, hopefully we will have some progress. It's hard to say when, at this point. We're really looking forward to that though. 
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Oh, I'm sure. I know there is a lot that can happen between now and next month, much less now and the end of the summer. Having that new material in pipeline has to be a nice feeling. Testing the audience's reaction as these songs are debuted live will be plenty of fun. 
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Jesse: Yeah absolutely. It's always nice to have some new things in our pockets and ready to throw out at the crowd. 
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In just a few weeks, we've got Mountain Music Fest coming up. Very familiar territory for Big Something. It seems like y'all have become such a staple of the festival. You've even played the resort as a one-off show outside of the festival weekend. How has this relationship been? What has the Mountain Music Fest experience been like?
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Jesse: West Virginia has almost become a second home for us. Several years back, we played in so many different towns and venues across the state working our way up through the festival circuit. It's been awesome to get to meet and hang out with all of those people. We've built some great relationships there. 
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It's always a staple, man. Mountain Music Fest is such a blast every year. There's always a bunch of crazy things happening on site (Laughs). The lineup and the bands are always killer but they also have tons of daytime activities to enjoy like whitewater rafting, mountain biking, swimming at the waterpark, ziplining or just taking a beautiful hike. It really packs the biggest punch, in terms of the time you spend at the festival, and things you can experience while you're there.
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I remember the year I finally got to see The Wood Brothers for the first time. I'd been listening to them for years. There is always that band who really speaks to you every year. It's just been awesome to have that experience every year and keep coming back. It's been really fulfilling.
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Casey: I just feel honored that they keep having us back. I believe they have had us every year. They're a great team over there. The venue is beautiful. So many things to do outside of the music, like rafting and swimming. I think there may be a rope course too. It's always been a super welcoming experience. The crowd is always super hyped for us, which we really appreciate. We're just happy to be returning. I haven't had a chance to see Galactic in a while.
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Jesse: Yeah, I'm pretty pumped about Galactic too!
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Very excited about Galactic. Somehow, I've only managed to see Galactic a few times, and they've all been during the day. I know they are known for being one of the best late night bands around. 
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Jesse: Oh yeah. It's gonna be a party.
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Casey: They are from New Orleans....
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Watch Big Something perform "Bob & Weave" at Mountain Music Fest [2022]
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Looking at the lineup for Friday, you have Galactic at 10PM. Then there is the TAUK Paper Scissors following at midnight.
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Jesse: I'm really pumped about that too. A lot of cool stuff is likely to happen during that set.
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Absolutely. That's a ridiculous group of players. 
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Casey: Yeah man. Karl Denson is one of them.
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Jesse: Is this the one that Antwaun Stanley is a part of?
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That's correct. They've also got Jen Hartswick, James Casey, Jason Hann, Clyde Lawrence... So many exciting names. I'm super excited to see how that whole situation unfolds. 
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Jesse: That is for sure. 
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I'm sure it's even extra exciting being the final headlining act this year. I believe there is a late-night set on another stage, but Big Something is essentially closing out the whole festival. You've got Doom Flamingo and Cory Wong leading up to your set. What a night that will be. 
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Jesse: Absolutely man. We're totally pumped.
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Well fellas, aside from everything we've covered thus far, what else is happening in the world of Big Something. Anything in particular that we should touch on before we wrap this thing up?
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Jesse: You got anything, Casey? (laughs)
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Casey: Well, we've got Summer Camp coming up. We've got Rooster Walk coming up, which is up closer to Mountain Music Festival. In addition, we're also moving our own festival, The Big What?, to Pop's Farm in Martinsville, VA. 
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Shit, I nearly forgot to even ask about The Big What?. What are the dates again?
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Jesse: It's going down on August 4th-6th. Just a few months away. 
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Casey: That's right. It will be a fun three nights of music. 
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Jesse: And Pop's Farm is in the southern part of Virginia. It's a beautiful place, man. The setup and the infrastructure are just top touch. Pretty pumped about having all of that at our disposal this year. I also wanted to mention that The Ride Festival is coming up in July. We're always stoked to get back out to Telluride. That's one of our favorites, for sure. 
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That's right. And that's another one that y'all seem to be playing every year, right?
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Jesse: Yeah, man. It's been awesome to be able to make that trip just about every year now. 
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I can imagine. The view from that stage looks about as beautiful as anything you could imagine.
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Jesse: It's pretty breathtaking, for sure. 
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That's right. Well, just one more thing before we wrap this up. Jumping back to The Big What? for a minute. Over the years, whether it's The Big What?, The Werk Out, DomeFest, or even Summer Camp & Hulaween, that concept of a band initiating and curating its own festival seems to be invaluable. How important would you say that this festival has been for Big Something?
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Jesse: I think it has been huge. In past years, It's really just felt like a BIG family reunion with bands that we get to play shows with throughout the year. We might play all over the country with a group, but sometimes we never get the opportunity to bring them back to our neck of the woods. It's really nice to be able to share that music and those personalities with our homies at home. 
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To me, that's the most fun part of it all. Getting to turn people on to new artists and seeing their reactions to the music that has inspired you. That's definitely one of my favorite things about the festival.
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Casey: Yeah man. That's it right there. Jesse nailed it. 
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I'd love to find a way to make the trek up there this year. I'm always super jealous when I see the footage and setlists rolling out that weekend. 
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Jesse: Come on with it dude!
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Casey: We've gotta get you up there man. 
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I'm gonna do everything that I can. That would be a highlight of the year. No doubt about that.
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Jesse: Well, we'd sure love to have ya. 
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Absolutely man. Well, once again, thanks for your time today guys. Always a pleasure getting to catch up with y'all. Can't wait to kick it here in a few weeks in West Viriginia.
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Jesse: Can't wait man. We will see you there!
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Casey: Thanks so much, Jordan!
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