All this month we are talking to Americana and indie-folk band Wayward Vine. The band are from Boston and last month released their brand new album. I wanted to talk to the band to find out all about them and delve into their musical world. Today we talk about the music scene in Boston, adventures in music and inspirations.

Hello Wayward Vine lovely to meet you all ! How did you get into music?

Greg Lawrence: My dad was an acoustic guitarist and for a brief stint was in a band in the early ‘70s, playing around his home town of St. John’s Newfoundland (where I myself was born). And my mom had a pretty singing voice and sang in the church choir. At family gatherings people would often ask them to sing together with my dad playing one of his acoustic guitars. The one request they always got was “Four Strong Winds” and to this day I remember the gorgeous sound of my mom’s voice as my dad strummed and picked and sang the lower harmonies gently to her soprano pipes. I guess that rubbed off on me.

My dad had three or four vintage guitars around the house which gave me something to mess around with when no one was looking. It also so happens that my grandfather (my dad’s dad) was also a musician, and so I guess it ran deep in my family. My Uncle John, who’s a half generation older than me, was also an influence as he played fun and cool stuff like the Stones and the Band and loved to put on a show.

I should also mention my late Uncle Dave (John’s older brother), as he was a showman as well – the biggest personality in the room.  He couldn’t play guitar for shit, but he could riff off improvised lyrics to any melody you played for him. He was a freak of nature in that regard, lol.  

Valerie Rachel: I’ve been playing music in various forms since I was in kindergarten – I was trained classically on violin, piano, and voice, and even thought about pursuing a career in opera for a period of time (though that never felt quite right for me). My parents encouraged me to practice if I wanted to keep taking lessons, and while I complained at the time (as my own kids do now), I’m very glad they did. I never quite figured out where I fit in musically and thought classical music or possibly musical theatre was the only possible path until I started hearing music by the likes of Tori Amos, Kate Bush, etc., and realized I didn’t necessarily have to sound like anyone else to create music.

I actually got a master’s degree in musicology from Northwestern thinking I would be a music professor, but I learned fairly quickly that my passion was really for making music and performing and not on the academic side. I didn’t actually start songwriting, however, until around 2019, after thinking I had given up music for good while dealing with young kids at home and a full-time job. At that point songwriting became an emotional outlet for me and I realized how much I needed to keep music as a part of my life in any way I could.   

“…we have a really vibrant and friendly music scene and a city that still tries to support and boost local musicians...”

Rachel, Wayward Vine

Where did the inspiration for the name of the band come from?

Lawerence: It was a process, to be sure! We wanted to choose something that was distinctive and cool (to us anyway) and described the mood and themes of our music. A lot of our music is about life’s twists and turns, like relationship transitions, heart wrenching decisions, and so forth. Our process involved writing down a number of themes and moods we wanted to convey with the name (matching those of our songs) and then key words that fit within those themes. It felt like we went to the end of the earth and back, and then stumbled on the word “wayward” as a descriptor of those twists and turns. And then I guess “vine” just followed naturally as vines twist and turn in a wayward fashion and also, a vine provides a real tangible symbol that resonates in things like visual art. You see that in some of our band artwork where we have a combination of sprawling vines wrapping themselves around the human heart, conveying an image that captures the essence of our music. 

Rachel: Agreed, and in addition to the twists and turns that Greg describes, to me “Wayward” also signifies the mistakes we sometimes make as humans which can lead us astray, but the “vine” suggests our ability for growth and healing. Those themes are also reflected in our music. 

What is your favourite thing about the music industry?

Rachel: I enjoy how independent artists now have a lot more freedom and control in how their music reaches the public. While the music industry has definitely become a lot less lucrative for most artists in a monetary sense, I appreciate having the ability to reach others across the world when we share our recorded music electronically. I also love the connections and bonds that we form with other musicians when we perform with them. Many artists that we perform with end up becoming good friends and collaborators, and we try to help each other navigate through the Boston music scene. 

Lawrence: Yeah, the best part for me has been bonding and collaborating with other like-minded musicians and supporting each other with shout-outs, co-bills, and so forth. Val has even contributed artistically to one of our favourite local bands (and friends), Kier Byrnes and the Kettle Burners, by playing fiddle on their last album. 

Tell us about your music – what sort of genre of music do you perform?

Lawrence: We like to think of ourselves as a fusion of different influences and styles, rather than any one genre, and what you hear in one song in terms of a genre will be different from what you hear in the next one. But if we were to try to pin down the individual parts of the fusion, you’d probably hear notes of indie folk, rock, Americana and even some theatrical pop / rock. Stepping away from traditional genre labels, what we hope our audience hears is emotional, authentic music that stirs up something inside.  Also, equal parts powerful and dramatic, yet easy to listen to. 

Rachel: To add to what Greg said, our music tends to have warm harmonies, catchy riffs and instrumental hooks, but our lyrics sometimes can be quite a bit darker than the music, adding a bit of irony.  One example of that is in “Implode,” which is an upbeat ‘80s throwback rock song exploring themes of recklessness and personal chaos. 

Lawrence: Oh yes – I love the irony in some of our lyrics!

You are also from Boston; what is the music scene like there?

Rachel: While Boston may not get as much attention as Nashville or Los Angeles, we have a really vibrant and friendly music scene and a city that still tries to support and boost local musicians. It’s been amazing collaborating with local indie and Americana bands such as Other Brother Darryl, Damian & The Displayers, Three at Home, and Kier Byrnes & the Kettle Burners, who also, I should mention, put together an entire Americana festival from scratch. Boston is also home to Berklee College of Music and every time we hear one of their students or graduates play at local songwriter rounds (the most recent one courtesy of Americana artist Erin Bonnie), it’s awe inspiring. 

“…We wanted to choose something that was distinctive and cool (to us anyway) and described the mood and themes of our music…”

Lawrence, Wayward Vine

Who is your favourite musician?

Lawrence: It’s soooo hard to pick just one! That’s just not fair and feels limiting, but OK. I don’t know if they’re my indisputable favourite, but I discovered Watchhouse about six years ago and I just love them. I mention them specifically here because of their similarity in some respects to what we do (and maybe sound like). 

Rachel: I have a pretty eclectic taste in music which has definitely led to diversity in our song writing, but a lot of my core influences are amazing female singer-songwriters across different genres such as Tori Amos, Alanis Morrisette, and Sara Bareilles. I also love the musical duo The Civil Wars, who no longer exist as a group, but there is something so beautiful and haunting about the harmonies of their voices.  

If people want to follow you on social media where can they visit?

Website: Waywardvine.com

Facebook: @WaywardVine

Instagram: @Waywardvineband

Thank you again for all your support in reading and engaging with the website.

If you want to help support the website then you can! You can buy Holly a cup of tea (and a biscuit!)