Our Story
something sour, something sweet
“Grain Thief are pushing bluegrass as a genre, looking forward and exploring new ways and new sounds.”
“Old time music has always been a part of our live repertoire since we started the band” says Grain Thief’s Patrick Mulroy. “Until now, this was never really represented in our recorded repertoire. There was a piece missing in the discography. Thus, our new record Something Sour, Something Sweet; mostly traditional fiddle tunes, with a few extra recordings from the archives.”
There’s something about a record cut by a bunch of folks that have put as many miles on their fretboards of their instruments as they’ve put on the van’s odometer. While Boston, MA quintet Grain Thief's prior releases Animal (EP, 2015), Gasoline (2020) and Stardust Lodge (2018) both explored the boundaries of Americana, while also showcasing the group's core as a roots string band, Something Sour, Something Sweet is an ode to the influences that brought these musicians together in the first place.
Patrick Mulroy (guitar, vocals), Zach Meyer (mandolin, vocals), Michael Harmon (bass, vocals), Tom Farrell (resonator guitar), and Alex Barstow (fiddle) know there’s no room to fake it when it’s just the band, acoustic instruments, and a microphone. “Our goal is to record everything as we would play it live, with as few overdubs as possible” Harmon tells. “We recorded everything ourselves and worked up each tune differently, swapping instruments and recording around one microphone.”
Recorded at Harmon’s Wachusett Recording studio in Princeton, MA, the record features flautist Anh Phung of the band Twisted Pine on the tune “Farewell to Trion”. “We all wound up jamming on this tune one night in Boston” explains Mulroy. “I couldn't get the sound out of my head, so I knew if we were going to record it, we had to have Anh on the track!” As is the case with all Grain Thief records, Something Sour, Something Sweet is imbued with a tangible internal cohesion. They play together whenever possible - and at least twice a week - to maintain their melodic brotherhood at the highest level.
With a sorely missed piece of the puzzle now in place, Grain Thief are once again deep into writing their next record of originals. “It feels great to have the fiddle tune repertoire represented in our recorded material” says Mulroy. Their last record of originals Gasoline was a natural progression from prior releases, and Something Sour, Something Sweet is coming home to their foundational influences. Whatever the bands come up with next, there’s little doubt it will find a place of honor in the ever-evolving canon of American music.
Grain Thief has toured the north, south, east, and west of the U.S., playing stages large and small. They have graced the stages at the Greyfox Bluegrass Festival, Hempfest, Podunk Bluegrass Festival, Thomas Point Bluegrass Festival, Ossipee Valley Music Festival, UMS Music Festival, and Rockygrass, among others. Stardust Lodge reached #17 on the Folk DJ Radio Album Chart, #4 on the Roots Music Report Folk Album Chart, and #1 on the Roots Music Report Traditional Folk Album Chart.
Press for Gasoline
“‘Gasoline’ is a definitive statement of arrival and purpose for a band that is just beginning to flex their impressive musical muscles. It is a statement that can be heard from the tops of the mountains all the way down to the hollers below and echoing through cities across the country. It is a modern-take on a well-worn style that proves there is still much to be discovered in bluegrass and string-band music.
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“Gasoline shows a newfound level of musical maturity that can only be achieved after spending years together on the road as a band. Enjoy the ride.”
“‘Gasoline’ is the sound of a band getting its ‘grass on.
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“Replete with angelic stringed qualities in an authentically raw sound. This album is therapy in disguise.”
“Indeed, this is both a deft and determined set of songs, a confluence of skill and savvy that makes it their most vital and varied effort yet... At this point there’s no doubt that Grain Thief has earned whatever rewards may come their way.
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press for stardust lodge
“Grain Thief’s sound is an amalgamation of influences, pulling freely from various corners of country music. Certainly not afraid to throw off any genre shackles. Highly recommended if your love of country music rivals your love of bluegrass.”
“Boston band Grain Thief distinguish themselves from the legions of fresh-faced East Coast kids packing mandolins and banjos, in that they use vintage Americana rather than emo or corporate American Idol pop as a springboard for their songs. And they tell some great stories, and have serious bluegrass chops.”
“Boston-bred Americana quintet Grain Thief have kept their New England hearts intact throughout the process of putting together their debut full-length album, Stardust Lodge. One reason they’ve received such great feedback on the album is their ability to keep their interpretation of the Americana genre fairly open-ended.”