Drew Emmitt Goes Steep.
On Sunday I spoke with Drew Emmitt, the lead singer and mandolin player for the popular jam band Leftover Salmon. Emmitt, 47, lives in Crested Butte, Colorado, and is an avid skier and mountain biker. He also fronts the Emmitt-Nershi Band and the Drew Emmitt Band. His third solo album, titled Long Road, comes out next month. —Abe Streep
Outside: It seems like you’ve played with every act on the main stage this weekend.
Drew Emmitt: I knew it would be busy. I made a point to get here on Wednesday, and I’ve been lucky to get three good nights of sleep. I’m not going to the campground and staying up playing until dawn, like I used to.
O: Does skiing translate to your music at all?
DE: The progression of skiing is very similar to the progression of learning an instrument—there are so many subtleties to each. I’ve been skiing for 35 years, as long as this festival has been going on. I still learn something every time I go onstage, and I learn something every time I ski.
O: What’s your favorite run at home?
DE: Probably the Glades, off of the North Face lift.
O: Telluride is a little different from other bluegrass festivals—the crowd and music are more eclectic. That seems to fit your style.
DE: Yeah, I love that. There have been so many different influences here over the years, from bluegrass to jamgrass to rock. This festival is sort of the culmination of all of that. You look out in the crowd and see the glow sticks and the people in costumes, as well as the traditional bluegrass fans.
O: Do the people in costumes remind you of Crested Butte?
DE: I think a lot of them are from Crested Butte.
O: How long have you lived there?
DE: For eight years. I lived in Boulder for 18 years, but I wanted to get off the Front Range—I always wanted to live in a ski town, so eight years ago I just did it.
O: Do living in a ski town and working as a traveling musician mix well?
DE: It’s great. Living in a town like Crested Butte keeps you healthy and younger—it’s a wonderful counter to road life.
O: Your mandolin playing style differs from that of more traditional players.
DE: I love traditional bluegrass. I studied Bill Monroe. But my style is a little more in-your-face. The mandolin is a percussive, exciting instrument. It lends itself to rock and roll; you can make a lot of noise with it. It’s got a quick response and it handles corners well. I think it’s a lot like electric guitar, which I started playing at age 10.
O: What’s your ski style like?
DE: That’s a good question. I’m not a radical skier, but I’ll ski anything in Crested Butte. I love the steep and deep.
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