The Road to Mountain Music Fest: George Norrell of The Talismen May 20, 2022 13:12

Photo by Nicholas Jude Photography

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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. While MMF features major national acts such as Galactic, Cory Wong, Big Something, & Spafford, one of the Southeast's hottest up-and-coming acts, The Talismen, will close out The Lake Stage at 4:00 PM on Saturday, February 4th.
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Since their formation as teenagers in 2015, The Talismen have evolved into a four-piece, progressive rock powerhouse. Hailing from Montgomery, Alabama, their days as popular college band have come to an end, and they're hitting the road as hard as anyone in 2022. Fresh off a recent run with Papadosio, this band is poised to continue building momentum and solidifying their place in the jam/festival circuit. 
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Earlier this week, we had a chance to sit down with George Norrell (drums) just ahead of Mountain Music Fest. As you will read below, George and his bandmates have an incredibly unique bond as lifelong friends. Their musical talent and professional work ethic knows no boundaries, and the ceiling is incredibly high for this group. Check out the full conversation below and make sure to follow the band on Instagram and Facebook to stay in tune with all of the latest happenings. 
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Alright George...This has clearly been a big year thus far for The Talismen. The band has been playing just about every weekend, with a few more extended runs mixed in the schedule. Tell me about how things have been going for you guys thus far.
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George: It's been really great to have these opportunities to do what we love on a regular basis. We sure hope that things do not slow down anytime soon. It's been especially great to hit so many new markets in the past few months. Going into a new city and playing a venue for the first time can be a bit of a toss up, but the reception continues to be really positive. That's something we are super grateful for. I think all of us are just focused on carrying that momentum into the summer.
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We were right at that point of taking the next step as a professional, touring act when the pandemic hit in early 2020. Our EP, Extra Vehicular Activity, was weeks away from the release date, and things were really moving in the right direction. We were able to get in the studio with Kevin Scott and Jason Kingsland, who recorded and produced the EP. Everything seemed to be falling in place for a big year, and we all know the rest of that story.
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That time allowed us to really get in the practice room, focus on our original song-writing, and continue building our chemistry. Things seem to be getting back to normal this year, and we're just stoked to have the opportunities in front of us. We've had a busy spring, and our summer calendar looks promising. Definitely excited to share more on that here soon.
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I bet. I know that y'all just wrapped up a run of shows with Papadosio. That had to be an exciting opportunity for you guys. How did those shows go?
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George: Yeah, it was great to get to meet and share the stage with those guys. They've already seen so much success, and it was pretty special to play a few shows with them. Anytime we have the opportunity to get to learn from a band of that caliber is invaluable. Definitely hope to cross paths with them again at some point.
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I'm sure that made for some great exposure. When you look back at the year thus far, are there any other highlights that stick out?
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George: We've had a bunch of really great shows. Earlier this year, we played our first true theatre gig with Big Something in Knoxville. We really look up to those guys and appreciate the opportunity to share the stage with them. We had another great night at The One Stop in Asheville a few weeks ago. That's a place that we really love playing. We've had a lot on fun the road so far, and we're going to keep hitting it hard.
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That's great to hear. Mountain Music Festival is coming up in just a few weeks. This takes the band all the way up to West Virigina. I'd imagine the excitement level is mighty high for this one.
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George: Absolutely. You look at the lineup and see Galactic, Big Something, Spafford, Cory Wong, and the list goes on. This is exactly the type of lineup and atmosphere that we want to be involved with. We just finished up a few shows in Virginia, and we couldn't be more excited to see what West Virginia has to offer. 
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For those in attendance who will be seeing The Talismen for the first time, what would you say that they can expect from this performance?
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George: Mostly original music that is based is progressive rock, with elements of jam, funk, jazz, and a healthy dose of improv. We definitely strive to provide a totally unique show every time we step on foot on stage. I can tell you that our level of excitement for Mountain Music Fest is through the roof. Those who catch our set will definitely be able to feel that energy. We're hoping to maybe even have a special guest or two join us for a tune. We'll have to wait and see how that plays out. 
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Love to hear all of that. I know that the band has released a few new singles in recent months. What can you tell me about these latest tracks?
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George: We decided to take on an exciting project at the beginning of this year. We converted our guitarist Jack Bennett's basement into an incredible rehearsal space and recording studio. We've already spent countless hours practicing and down there, so it made since to take on the challenge of recording and producing our own music.
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Thus far, we've released two singles: "Savage Road" and "Lockwood." These are two originals that have been in the live rotation for a few years now. Bringing them to life in the studio was such a special process. Our friend Casey Cranford from Big Something even stopped by to lay down some EWI on "Lockwood." We're shooting to have a total of 6 new singles by the end of the year. Stay tuned, because we're currently working on the next one. 
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That's exciting news. I know your fans will be excited to hear there is more new music coming soon. Before we wrap this up, what else is the horizon for The Talismen in 2022?
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George: Well, we're dropping our summer tour dates early next week. In terms of festivals, we're stoked to be playing CBDB’s Deebs Day Festival, Kampout at Cave Springs, Alex City Jazz Fest this summer. We have our first headlining gig at Druid City Music Hall in Tuscaloosa. We’re hitting several more new markets. I know we have at least one more festival to announce, and we're hoping to add a few more along the way. It's going to be an exciting year. That's for sure. 
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I'm glad to hear it and hope everything continues moving in the right direction. Thanks for taking a few minutes to chat today, George. Looking forward to the set at MMF.
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George: Absolutely. Thank you sir!
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