Grant Farm band: where roots music meets story

By Lyndsie Kiebert
Reader Staff

Grant Farm may be labeled an Americana band, but there’s no doubt this Colorado-based four-piece can adapt to just about any scene.

In Sandpoint, the band has played the Eureka Institute’s SummerFest — band founder Tyler Grant mentioned the band loved the “hippie” scene — and this weekend they’ll play the Heartwood Center in a show put on by Takin’ Time, a local nonprofit which strives to make “quality music and art available to those who typically do not have access to it.”

Grant Farm plays at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado. Photo by Showlove Media.

“(The show) is going to be a good cross-pollination of the scenes we’ve been a part of in the area,” he said.

The Takin’ Time show is Saturday, March 31, with doors opening at 6 p.m. and the show at 7. All ages are welcome. Grant Farm is known for high-energy shows filled with Grateful Dead covers, lots of originals, and plenty of dance numbers mixed in, Grant said.

“We’re just looking to give everybody a good time,” he said.

Grant Farm describes their sound as “Cosmic Americana,” with a special emphasis on storytelling, Grant said. The band’s 2016 album “Kiss the Ground” pays particular homage to working class people.

“That is just something we‘ve all been through — trying to make a living like everyone else,” he said. “And so are the people at our shows. That’s a common thread along our travels.”

The ever-growing web of musical storytelling is something Grant Farm wants to be a part of according to Grant. As a result, their original works aim to build on the many characters of American mythos.

“We don’t want to just write about, ‘Oh honey honey, baby baby’ — we want people to connect on a deeper level,” Grant said, mentioning his admiration for Bob Dylan and other songwriters who wrote meaningful songs about real, hardworking people, adding with a laugh, “We aim high.”

Grant Farm dropped a live album this month — “Meeting on the Mountain Live, Vol. 1” — and Grant said if there was ever a time to experience those live vibes in person, it’s now.

“We’re feeling great. We’re better than ever,” Grant said. “It’s a good time to come see us play.”

Tickets to Saturday’s show are $12 in advance, $15 at the door and children under 12 are free. Find tickets at Eichardt’s, Loaf and Ladle, 7B Grooves or takintime.org.