Jef Fretwell and The Detractors
Ashland, Oregon, United States | SELF
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Jef Fretwell and The Detractors have dubbed their new brand of music "rural electric."
"Rural" in that the guitar-playing lends itself to old-fashioned country and honky-tonk. And "electric" in that, in addition to vintage amplifiers, the band utilizes a 1974 Fender Rhodes electric piano.
Most bands tend to forgo the vintage piano for newer, less cumbersome models, but the presence of the old piano is huge, says guitarist Fretwell.
It's the sound that automatically gives the band a distinct sound," he says. "The digital keyboards don't make the same sound."
Fretwell and The Detractors will present their electrified, piano-driven country at 9:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19, at Alex's Plaza Restaurant, 35 N. Main St., Ashland.
The Detractors are bassist Dave Hampton, drummer Steven Lindley and pianist Dal Carver. The group, with the addition of Sage Meadows (The Maybe Sometimes) and Rich Diamond, started playing together 10 years ago as The New Autonomous Folksingers. The group, often pigeonholed as a bluegrass band, played regular gigs at the Wild Goose in Ashland, but as kids and careers came into the picture, the gigs became less frequent. In the past year, Fretwell and the others picked up where they left off — but with a new identity and a new sound.
Unlike smooth, Nashville country, The Detractors play edgier, Bakersfield country with a rock influence reminiscent of Merle Haggard. The group plays country "back when it was raw," says Fretwell.
"My approach to guitar-playing is a 40-year-old amplifier with one volume knob and no tone controls," he says. "I don't have any tricks other than to play the instrument and coax the sound out of it that I like."
While the former Folksingers borrowed songs from Merle Haggard, The Dillards, Dwight Yoakam and "Doc" Watson, The Detractors perform primarily original songs, depending on the length of the set.
When songwriting, Fretwell pays special attention to the rhythm of the lyrics, manipulating them so they are in sync with the rhythm of the music. Typical "another day another dollar," "take this job and shove it" and other working-class themes form the foundation of his lyrics, which he overlays with his own world views and life experiences.
"I tend to write songs that are built around an idea that is mimicry of old country radio songs," says Fretwell. "I like to think that I juxtaposed some broader ideas and slightly more complex song structure."
The Jeremy Hickman Band, a guitar- and mandolin-based bluegrass trio will open the show at Alex's. The cover is $5. Call 541-482-8818. - Ashland Daily Tidings
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Still working on that hot first release.
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Bio
Jef Fretwell and The Detractors boast a sound that draws from traditional folk and American roots music. The songs have a vintage quality, as if they might have been written yesterday or 70 years ago. Grounded in honeyed harmonies and spirited pickin’, it lies in a nowhere land between distinct styles: It’s not quite bluegrass or blues or country. Still, there are elements of all those in songs that paint pictures of empty train stations and nights of passing a jug of brandy wine around.
These are the musicians who play for the love of music:
Jef Fretwell, a Georgia native, found the guitar at the age of 13 and hasn't put it down since. A natural at any instrument bearing strings (and even a few that don't), his smooth guitar picking and a voice reminiscent of a young Willie Nelson matches up beautifully to his original songs that can only be described as timeless.
Accompanying him is Sage Meadows. Sage has been singing since she was able to make noise as a baby and luckily she hasn't stopped. Opening for the likes of Charlie Daniels, the Avett Brothers and more, it is an honor to have her join Fretwell to produce harmonies together for over 10 years.
Dal Carver has been a grand supporter of all things music for as long as he can remember. And even longer is his career on the piano. While he had a very successful pop band back in the 80s where he was touring the US non-stop, he's settled in to the slower-paced life of a highly respected musician in town and owns a local restaurant that supports live music 7 days a week with no cover.
Steven Lindley is not only a drummer for The Detractors, but a highly gifted pianist. He has also played with Fretwell and Meadows for nearly 10 years and the foundation he set for this band is irreplaceable.
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