The Americans Talk Shop Before their Show at The Peppermint Club 9/1

Showcasing an undeniably fresh approach to a tried-and-true genre with unparalleled proficiency is the acclaimed Los Angeles-based Americana band The Americans who have been making waves the past few years. Upon hearing Stand True — the band’s latest 11-song, sophomore studio LP (via Loose Music) — it’s evident why revered producer T Bone Burnett raved, calling them, “genius twenty-first century musicians that are reinventing American heritage music for this century. And it sounds even better this century.”

The band's distinctive, powerful works have captured the attention of a number of stars. They've backed Nick Cave, Lucinda Williams, Ashley Monroe, and Devendra Banhart, and twice joined Ryan Bingham on national tours. They worked closely with Jack White and T Bone Burnett, joining Nas, Elton John, and Alabama Shakes in the PBS primetime series American Epic. Their live show, honed over many hundreds of performances, is something to behold.

We had the pleasure of speaking with Patrick Ferris, frontman for The Americans, as he takes us into their creative process and upcoming show Thursday evening at The Peppermint Club in Los Angeles.

It's been a long couple of years with the COVID pandemic. How did you handle creating during this time as a musician?

It's been hard. I wish I'd spent the whole time writing, but it was a dry spell. Something about the way time stood still made it difficult.

We're back to live music finally! What did you miss most about not being able to perform during those dark months?

Playing songs live is my favorite thing in the world to do—it's the best part of being in a band. So being without it has been tough. I'm glad we're back at it.

For the show, do you have any surprises up your sleeves in terms of any new songs, or possible stage collaborations?

We're playing a bunch of our newest songs, some of them for the first time ever!

A Los Angeles native, what do you love most about playing shows in the city?

Los Angeles is such a diverse city, with all sorts of musical tastes. Plus, so many people here are artists or involved in music themselves. It's an educated audience.

With the release of your new album, “Stand True” how do you think your musical stylings and possibly performance has evolved from your prior work?

Stand True is more focused and stripped down than our last album. It's a step closer to the thing we're aiming for.

This Thursday night you will take over The Peppermint Club with an epic live set; have you played the venue before? What are you looking the most forward to that evening?

We're just so glad to be able to play a show in our hometown again. It'll be our first time there.

What is your dream venue to play? In Los Angeles, in the U.S., and internationally?

We'll play anywhere.

What are you excited most about when getting back onto the stage?

When you write and record a song, you set that creation in stone, where it stays until you bring it back to life on stage. At a live show songs are created anew, with the emotion of the moment and the energy of the crowd.

Catch the show !

Thursday, September 1, 2022 at 7:00 PM
Peppermint Club, 8713 Beverly Blvd, West Hollywood, CA, 90048
More info: https://www.peppermintclub.com...