The Steel Wheels

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The Steel Wheels
The Jefferson Theater on February 16, 2019 Charlottesville, Virginia
The Jefferson Theater on February 16, 2019
Charlottesville, Virginia
Background information
OriginHarrisonburg, Virginia
GenresAmericana, Folk, Bluegrass, Rock
Occupation(s)Studio and Touring Band
InstrumentsVocals, Guitar, Electric Guitar, Mountain Banjo, Mandolin, Fiddle, Upright Bass, Electric Bass, Drums, Percussion, Keyboards
Years active2006 to currently active
LabelsBig Ring Records
Associated actsThe Band, Levon Helm, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, The Avett Brothers, The Duhks, Creedence Clearwater Revival, John Prine, Woody Guthrie, Townes Van Zandt, Emmylou Harris, Jason Isbell, Old Crow Medicine Show, Gram Parsons, Willie Nelson, Ry Cooder, Lucinda Williams, Jackson Browne, Lyle Lovett, Robert Earl Keen, Grateful Dead, Ryan Adams, Dawes, Steve Earle, Bonnie Raitt, Sturgill Simpson, The Wood Brothers, Steel Canyon Rangers, Hiss Golden Messenger, Mipso
Websitethesteelwheels.com
MembersTrent Wagler
Jay Lapp
Eric Brubaker
Kevin Joaquin Garcia
Past membersBrian Dickel

The Steel Wheels are an Americana Roots Folk Rock band based in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with members living in Harrisonburg, VA, Ann Arbor, Michigan and Brooklyn, NY.

Biography[]

Simultaneously familiar and fresh, the Steel Wheels bring a singular energy to every note they play and sparkling craft to each song. This potent combination, paired with a robust tour calendar, have made the veteran band hands-down favorites of fans and peers alike. From their base in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, The Steel Wheels have played the most prestigious festivals, listening rooms, and clubs in the world, cementing a reputation as one of the top independent bands on the scene today.

With their 2020 release, Everyone A Song, Vol. 1, The Steel Wheels demonstrate the humanizing power of honest storytelling, setting the personal experiences of their supporters to song.

What started as a ruined touring season turned into a time of great creativity, as the band devised a new model of writing and recording. With the 5 members isolated from each other and their listeners, they quickly shifted from veteran touring outfit to home recording gurus. Songwriter and lead singer Trent Wagler conceived of a project entitled Distance Together, an avenue for fans of the band to commission works and send musical greetings to their loved ones. The initiative sparked a surprisingly impactful and intimate songwriting process, with Wagler setting the personal stories of fans to song and verse.

In "My Name is Sharon", Wagler was tasked with memorializing a young woman and friend of the band, lost at the age of 35. The resulting song remembers details of Sharon's life, in all its profundity and mundanity, and demonstrates the power of remembrance held in saying someone's name.

Album ender “Family is Power” follows the matriarch of a large family, as she looks back on her long life and the family she loves, now spread across the country. “She’s gonna see the truth in me, in the golden hour. Come to the table one and all, Family is Power.” In “The Healer,” buoyant banjo and fiddle lines drive the story of a magnetic personality who, after a lifetime of work and service is denied the opportunity to say goodbye to colleagues in the midst of the pandemic. “Water and Sky”, a tribute to John Prine in its simplicity and depth, paints pictures of a dreamy Kansas landscape, and the strong personalities who hold witness to the ebb and flow of life.

The Steel Wheels have always been fiercely independent, releasing albums under their own label Big Ring Records, with recording locations varying from a Virginia cabin, to a rural Maine studio to various home studios. Now spread across 3 states with many miles in-between, The Steel Wheels have invented an entirely new way of collaborating. Fortunately two of the members, multi-instrumentalists Kevin Garcia and Jay Lapp were already skilled audio engineers with home studios at the ready. Kevin Garcia has mixed and mastered over 100 songs for the band and counting while Jay has come into his own as engineer and video editor. Others, such as fiddle player Eric Brubaker, who had to scrounge together a few mics from the touring van and an old laptop, has had to learn the ropes of digital audio recording on the fly.

According to Brubaker, "Process has a great deal to do with the outcome of a creative undertaking. Some of the pressure is off when you are just at home, instead of at an expensive studio, so you might take some risks that you wouldn’t usually. Also, we were working at a pretty fast pace, so you just had to trust your first instinct and not overthink it.” During the first few months of the pandemic and cessation of all touring, The Steel Wheels recorded over 120 songs in their isolated studios. Some covers, some new editions of their own songs, and some newly penned, the creations generally started with Wagler recording a single instrument and vocals. The tracks were emailed to Garcia, who layered in a backbone of percussion. Next in line was usually Brian Dickel who rounded out the rhythm section with upright and electric bass parts.

Part by part, the songs were arranged and recorded, often with little discussion as to who was providing which part, or even what instruments should be included. The band relied on their years of musical camaraderie and intuition to imagine the whole, adding their voices while being careful to leave room for the next in line. The process yielded some exciting new sounds, from the neo soul vocals and punchy bass lines of “Florida Girl” to the second line swagger of Garcia’s drums on “The Man Who Holds Up the World."

The Steel Wheels have been a band marked by their road tested friendship and desire to build community. 2020 would have marked their 8th year as hosts and curators of their Red Wing Roots Music Festival. Always a high-water mark of the year, the 3 day festival brings together thousands of fans and friends every July to sing and sweat together in the Virginia sun.

Everyone A Song, Vol. 1 was born out of a desire to close the distance created in the midst of the Covid-19 shutdown. “Maybe I was dreaming of being an essential worker,” says Wagler. “It made me ask the question: what’s essential about music? It’s the connection. The understanding. The beauty and magic of melodies that transcend us with the words that say, ‘You there, I see you, and you see me, and doesn’t it feel good to not be alone in the world?’ That’s what art has to offer. Especially right now. And planting real stories right in the middle of it kind of pushed aside any other pretense or distraction about being cool or whatever.”

This project has been further documented in an accompanying podcast, We Made You a Song, on NPR. Each episode dives into the creation of a single song on the album, serving as an in-depth audio liner note. Wagler interviews the band as well as the actual subjects of each song to give a rare glimpse into the creative process, and what it means for someone to have their experience distilled into melody and rhyme.

Trent Wagler is lead vocalist, mountain banjo player, guitarist and the band's primary songwriter. Jay Lapp plays mandolin, guitar, electric guitar and sings. Eric Brubaker plays fiddle and sings. Kevin Joaquin Garcia plays drums, hand percussion and keyboards. Former member Brian Dickel plays Bass and sings. Brian has accepted ownership of Huss & Dalton Guitars and has since amicably left the band. Derek Kratzer will join The Steel Wheels on stage and in the studio starting September of 2021.[1]

The Wheels deliver singularly brilliant songs that form a cohesive document of life in western Virginia. Subjects as diverse as environmental activism and oppression are all firmly rooted in a mural of rural life. At their core these stories are connected to the natural, tangible world, and as such, their struggles take on epic dimensionality, one that we immediately identify with.

— No Depression

Red Wing Roots Music Festival[]

Since 2012, the group has hosted the Red Wing Roots Music Festival at Natural Chimneys Park in Mt. Solon, Virginia. Eight stages in total, the two main stages in "the music meadow" take advantage of the "perfect backdrop" provided by "limestone rock formations towering more than 120 feet above. "[2]

Past musical lineups include: Host band and festival originators The Steel Wheels, Billy Strings, I'm With Her (Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, and Aoife O'Donovan), Peter Rowan, Dawes, Steve Earle, Lake Street Dive, Tim O'Brien, Lucinda Williams, Robert Earl Keen, The Duhks, Bettye Lavette, The Wood Brothers, The Mavericks, Elephant Revival, Asleep At The Wheel, Hiss Golden Messenger, War and Treaty, John Moreland, Josh Ritter, Kuinka, The Secret Sisters, Steep Canyon Rangers, Della Mae, Charley Crockett, Mipso, Darlingside, and Trampled By Turtles

Wagler says of the success of the festival so far:[2]

Last year we crossed over the threshold of eight years together. I know there are those who have said the honeymoon could not last, that sooner or later we'll just be another grumpy old festival losing the luster or shine of yesteryear. But it's not that way with us, Red Wing. Every year you surprise me with something new, something that keeps it fresh.

Musical style[]

The Steel Wheels perform an exciting and original take on folk, folk rock and Appalachian roots music with a modern twist. Their records and performances are dynamic and varied from beautiful heartbreaking songs to wild instrumental frenzy, inspiring a rollercoaster adventure for the audience.

In truth, attempting to compare The Steel Wheels to anyone is an injustice, since after one listen you can hear that they stand very well on their own perch."[3]

— John Walker,

There is purity and power in the sound of this band that few come close to tapping. Tight pickin', passionate energy, and Wagler's voice soars like an eagle."[4]

— Martin Anderson, WNCW Music Director

Honors, awards, and distinctions[]

The Steel Wheels continue to headline major international festivals every year, emerging from the pandemic in 2021 is no different for this ace band. The Steel Wheels received seven nominations from The Independent Music Awards[5] in 2010. Their song "Nothing You Can't Lose" (from the album Red Wing) received the highest award of "Best Country Song" in the 10th Annual IMA Awards, and in the Vox Pop Awards. "Working on a Building" also won "Best Gospel Song" in the 10th Annual IMA Vox Pop Awards. Red Wing earned very high marks from critics and received airplay on radio stations across several markets. The album charted for 13 weeks on the Americana Music Association Top 40 radio charts, hitting No. 15.[6] It also made its way onto the EuroAmericana[7] charts, finding its way into the top 10. It was ranked number two across all independent releases charted by the Americana Music Association, and number 70 on the top 100 Americana albums of 2010.[6]

Discography[]

Albums[]

  • Journal of a Barefoot Soldier Trent Wagler Released: June 6, 2005 Label: Dojo Records
  • Blue Heaven Trent Wagler and The Steel Wheels Released: October 13, 2006 Label: Big Ring Records
  • Adrienna Valentine Trent Wagler & Jay Lapp Released: March 13, 2008 Label: Dojo Records
  • Red Wing The Steel Wheels Released: February 15, 2010 Label: Big Ring Records
  • Uncloudy Day Trent Wagler & Jay Lapp Released: May 10, 2010 Label: Independent
  • Lay Down, Lay Low Released: March 5, 2012 Label: Big Ring Records
  • No More Rain Released: April 16, 2013 Label: Big Ring Records
  • Leave Some Things Behind Released: April 14, 2015 Label: Big Ring Records
  • Wild as We Came Here Released: May 5, 2017 Label: Big Ring Records
  • Over the Trees Released: July 12, 2019 Label: Big Ring Records
  • Everyone a Song Volume One Released: November 1, 2020 Label: Big Ring Records
  • Everyone a Song Volume Two To Be Released: November 1, 2021: Big Ring Records

Live albums[]

  • The Steel Wheels, Live at Goose Creek (Goose Creek Music, 2011)
  • The Steel Wheels, Live at The Station Inn Volume I (Big Ring Records, 2018)
  • The Steel Wheels, Live at The Jefferson Theater Volume II (Big Ring Records, 2018)

Singles[]

  • "The Coo Coo Bird b/w Architect's Daughter" + "With It All Stripped Away" Released: 2017 Label: Need To Know
  • "Working on a Building" + "Red Rocking Chair" Released: 2018 Label: Big Ring Records
  • "When to Say Goodnight" + "Underground" Released: 2020 Label: Big Ring Records

References[]

  1. ^ "(2009). About the Band. Retrieved July 15, 2011". The Steel Wheels. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  2. ^ a b Calello, Monique (February 23, 2018). "Red Wing Roots Music Festival announces full lineup". The News Leader. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  3. ^ Geil, Gregg (March 2, 2010). "American Roots, Defining Americana Music". Americanaroots.com. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  4. ^ "Anderson, Martin. WNCW Music Director". Wncw.org. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  5. ^ "The Independent Music Awards". The Independent Music Awards. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  6. ^ a b Americana Music /. "Americana Music Association". Americanamusic.org. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  7. ^ "The Euro Americana Chart". Euroamericanachart.nl. November 6, 2007. Archived from the original on February 9, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  8. ^ "The Steel Wheels: Americana, Made By Hand" by CLAIRE MARIE BLAUSTEIN, NPR: Song of the Day—May 10, 2012.
  9. ^ Martens, Todd (October 9, 2012). "Stagecoach 2013: Toby Keith, Lady Antebellum top the lineup". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 1, 2012.
  10. ^ "Stickshifts and Safetybelts" performed by the Steel Wheels #smallspaces

External links[]

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