The bluegrass and old-time music of Squash and Gourds is a family affair

Band profile by Jeff Trippe

 

The good father looks at his children, tries to envision their future, and thinks:  Cracker Jack prizes, or Pulitzer Prizes – doesn’t matter.  He merely wants them to be self-satisfied, to find their way, to be happy.  Bonus baby athletes or baby-diapering experts – doesn’t matter.  Rhodes Scholars or… road scholars?

In the case of the kids who make up the better part of the local bluegrass band Squash and Gourds, the road might indeed be part of the near future.  Unlike some young musicians who light out on this often lonely life without help or support, the Pierce children (Jack, Samantha, and Tucker,) and young Sarah Logan may do that, someday, not only with their dads’ blessings, but with their dads driving.

When Dan Pierce and Carter Logan first conceived the idea of a combined family band, they really did not know how their respective youngsters would respond.  But the combination of regular Sunday gigs at the North Star Music Café in Portland and other venues, the adrenalin rush of playing on stage (playing very well!) to the ring of genuine applause, and the unconditional support of a few seasoned, grown-up performers, has sparked the bluegrass fires in these young eyes.

This is not to minimize the role of genetics.  Every banjo player, such as Jack Pierce (pictured below), 13, needs someone close to him who plays guitar, and in this case, it happens to be Dad.  Dan Pierce is a veteran flatpicker and rhythm man; sister Samantha (pictured at left), who is 11, plays upright bass as solidly as many of the brawny men hereabouts, and little brother Tucker (pictured front and center in the full band picture above), 9, shows no shyness at all in stepping up to the old-style condenser mic and ripping through a double solo on the mandolin.

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Fiddler Sarah Logan (pictured at left with her father Carter) is 11, and her easy but heartfelt delivery reflects her admiration for Alison Krauss, another fiddler who started young.  Carter Logan is pretty well known around southern Maine for his work on banjo and dobro with the Jerks of Grass.  Carter is also highly regarded as a teacher of stringed instruments, and in fact Squash and Gourds found its genesis at 317 Main Street, the Yarmouth studio where he and the other members of the Jerks give lessons.

“We owe so much to 317,” Dan Pierce says.  “That’s where it all got started.”

As for their name, as with so many other bands, no one recalls exactly how it came to be – just a rambling conversation in the car someplace.  These days Jack argues in favor of “Squashing Gourds,” a la the Smashing Pumpkins, and that’s how they are usually billed at the North Star.  The group is also actively playing and pursuing other venues, but because of early bedtimes and school, the late-night scene is not part of the calendar.

“Obviously, the bars are out,” Carter says.

However, festivals may not be.  Audiences at these events respond well to family bands with whiz-kid musicians, and there are a number of them:  the Burnett Family of Arizona, the Rigneys, of Nashville, and the popular group Cherryholmes.  Accomplished young performers have long been favorites of bluegrass fans down through the years, and acoustic teen sensations of late have included California guitarist Paige Anderson and the amazing mandolinist Sierra Hull. The Gourds have a unique lineup in that they are comprised of two sets of fathers and their kids.  Their repertoire features vocal numbers and instrumentals, with fathers, sons, and daughters trading off on breaks.

Acoustic music camps, of course, are also an important part of the Pierce/Logan regimen.  Last year Jack attended the high-powered fiddle camp hosted by Mark O’Connor (his favorite musician).  “Just amazing,” he says.  “You meet so many people.”

If all goes well, they will cross paths with many more people connected to bluegrass, and some of them will want to meet Jack, Samantha, Tucker, and Sarah.  In the meantime, they should take pride in knowing that they have already added their voices and hands to a great American tradition.