The Glade City Rounders
Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2010
Music
Press
Listening to the sound of the "Glade City Rounders" is like taking a step back in time to when the music had a story to share with its listeners. Think Bonnie and Clyde meets the sound of the Station Inn in Nashville. The music is reminiscent of the days of Prohibition when everyone in the holler would meet at a neighbor's barn to celebrate an occasion, or just to be able to feed everyone a good meal for a day. It is un-canned, unrestricted, good-ole-fashion music...usually unplugged!
The group plays a variety of "old time" style of music ranging from hokum and jug band to blues and string band. It is foot-stomping, high-energy music that will have you dancing a jig, either on the dance floor or in your chair. The demeanor of the band is high-energy, smiling, joking, have a good time, which is absolutely contagious. If you are having a bad day, just turn on one of their tunes and you will be smiling within seconds.
The breakdown of the band members starts out with Lucious F. Smith, rather imposing in stature, but kind in heart, the man is both a guitarist and jug player. In the middle, you have the talented and ever bare-foot Fiddling Billy See whose talents include the fiddle, guitar, kazoo, and vocals. Rounding out the bunch, is one of the most hilarious musicians to grace the Nashville stage, Richard "Squirrel" McClain, playing banjo and kazoo, not to mention adding some pretty impressive vocals.
Recently, the band taped a performance on "The Chico and Bman Show" in Nashville, TN. Everyone is raving about this new and inventive entertainment show. Of course, the hosts of this show are funny enough on their own, but when you add in the antics of "The Glade City Rounders," you have a recipe for over-the-top hilarity.
Prior to their taping on the "The Chico and Bman Show," the fellas played the "Muddy Roots Festival" in Cookeville, TN, just outside of Nashville. Known for providing an array of folk/alternative roots music, the "Muddy Roots Festival" is creating a huge following across the country. Without a doubt, "The Glade City Rounders" band was quickly welcomed into the fold of the festival's growing fan base.
Keeping track of what these guys are up to and where they are playing next is best left to following them on facebook (until they get their own page up here on notemote.com). How do I know this for certain? Well, I just had a facebook notification that the group's banjo player "Squirrel" is currently competing in a banjo-playing contest at the 35 th Annual "Bellwitch Old-Time & Bluegrass Contest" in Springfield, Tennessee.
So, until we have corralled this wily bunch and developed a page for them here on notemote.com, you can always check here for updates on the group's bookings or check them out on facebook under "The Glade City Rounders." If you are looking for where to hear their music other than hearing them live and in person, look them up on YouTube. The group has several videos downloaded for your enjoyment. -
“I LOVE these guys because they leave me wondering WHAT they will pull off next to amaze me. I LOVE ANYTHING Pre-1930’s and I LOVE to learn or be triggered to delve into someone. “Georgia Crawl” was next and through all the jokes and comedy these guys entertain you much like Riders In The Sky or Mike Snyder. It’s just plain fun and it’s FUNNY, it’s just down home simple humor everyone can listen to. The played “Whoa Mule” before the Gus Cannon song and went into “Fly Around” and an Uncle Dave Macon song.” - Gary Hayes Country Music
“This middle Tennessee string band self describes as a group of jug blues players. The trio exists individually as talented multi-instrument players. Josh Smith plays guitar, claw-hammer banjo, and is a skilled jug player. William See plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo. Lead singer Squirrel McLain plays banjo and has been described as a vaudeville-esque crooner. Together they combine for a sound similar to the Freighthoppers, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Pokey LaFarge, The Horse Flies, and Foghorn Stringband.” - Mason Jar Magazine
“...."The Glade City Rounders play a genuine brand of traditional 'old time hillbilly' music but with their own idiosyncratic modern day stamp on it. They have a powerful individuality and an obvious pleasure in playing this music with friends, as well as a total immersion in traditional music, enabling them to imbue every song with a deep passion and vitality. They are a trio of multi instrumentalists who play classic string band music with a huge depth of feeling and richness, as well as a tremendous virtuosity. The trio is made up of William See, who sings and plays fiddle, kazoo and harmonica, Josh Smith sings and plays guitar and jug and Squirrel McLain sings and plays banjo and kazoo.".....” - American Roots UK
“By far the most popular band format at Muddy Roots is the “string band”: banjo, fiddle, guitar and upright bass, often with some additional homemade percussion, like a washboard, or, in the case of Murfreesboro’s own Glade City Rounders, the jug, played by Josh Smith. “I think the only thing Josh does better than play the jug is tune the jug,” joked the Rounders’ banjoist, kazooist and vocalist Richard “Squirrel” McClain. “If you know what I mean.” In an impressive display of stamina and control of his lungs, Smith blew sharply across the mouth of his ceramic jug, making a hollow, resonant hoot in time with the sawing rhythm of the Rounders’ energetic brand of country blues. The Rounders played Sunday morning, taking the Big Tent stage immediately following a church service and open bluegrass jam, and playfully acknowledged that it might not have been the most pious time to play “hokum” music, an early-20th-century tradition of sexually suggestive blues lyri” - The Murfreesboro Pulse
“How about a little bit of middle Tennessee string and jug-band music, courtesy of the three-piece combo called the Glade City Rounders? The band members are Josh Smith, William See and Squirrel McLain -- and folks, this bunch are just a lot of fun to listen to, infectious even, and I imagine their live performances are more of the same. It’s pretty hard to go wrong with that. There is only one original song on the album, but the remaining traditional tunes are played with so much joy and fire that they simply come alive; real nice work, fellas.” - KDHX online
“The Glade City Rounders begin with the truism, that ‘it takes a smart man to play a banjo too’. Maybe that is the reason, but no matter the cause the trio has a target on their back, admitting “They’re After Me”. Luckily, this is one helluva self-contained business. The band are the prey and they are the entertainment as they provide stepping moves to keep them far ahead of trouble.” - The Alternate Root
Discography
They're After Us- 2014- Muddy Roots Record Label
Photos
Bio
The Glade City Rounders formed Hailing from Middle Tennessee, each member contributes their own element to create a live show that is truly unique. William When this bands takes off on a tune, you can bet there will not be a still foot in the audience.
out of a love for traditional string band, blues, and jug band music. While their music is strongly influenced by
musicians from the state of Tennessee and the Tennessee River Valley
region, their musical influences stretch from
Memphis to Bristol and from Louisville to the Mississippi River Delta.
See was raised in the Middle Tennessee music tradition. He is an award winning traditional fiddler
and banjo player, with family roots deeply planted in old time music. Richard
‘Squirrel’ McLain is an award winning old time banjoist, and has a very archaic, almost
lost, style of banjo playing known as the upstroke. His vaudevillian
singing is reminiscent of Uncle Dave Macon, Stringbean, or Grandpa Jones. Josh Smith is both plays and studies old time
music. He is also a highly regarded old time guitar, banjo, and jug player. His major influences on guitar are
players like Riley Puckett, Doc Watson, Norman Blake, and he has also learned from many local players. His jugging is considered second to none. The trio met at Cedars of Lebanon many years ago and have played together since. They even take their name from a fictional city on the Cedar Glades.
Band Members
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