To learn more about the band, visit www.thesteelwheels.com
The Steel Wheels hit the stage with songs grounded in the old-time music of the rural south, but with lyrics that tell a decidedly modern story.
“We bridge the mountain music with singer/songwriter sounds and original songs that are important to us,” says Trent Wagler, the group’s leader. “We write songs that may sound like they come from the old American songbook, but are interlaced with current themes or experiences.”
The Steel Wheels, which features Wagler on guitar, Eric Brubaker on fiddle, Brian Dickel on bass and Jay Lapp on mandolin, takes its place among a growing group of young string bands (think Old Crow Medicine Show and The Infamous Stringdusters) that go back to the well of traditional music for inspiration.
Stylistically, the band’s repertoire runs the gamut, drawing from diverse genres such as bluegrass, Cajun, blues and gospel. What really pulls the music together is Wagler’s superb songwriting. Audiences find themselves captivated by powerful a capella gospel songs like “Rain in the Valley,” quiet, dreamy love songs like “Corrine,” and uplifting selections such as “Go Up That Mountain.”
Threading the groups’ music is Wagler’s raw, sparse vocal style, which is reminiscent of the singing of old Appalachian Mountain balladeers. What really gives the band its signature sound, though, is the magnificent four part harmonies, which can be heard on such songs as “Lay Down, Lay Low” and “Breaking Like the Sun.”
“In our band, we share, kind of by accident, a Mennonite heritage,” says Wagler. “We all grew up Mennonite in different parts of the country, and we found that that common heritage has a lot to do with our harmony singing.”
Beyond informing the group’s vocal artistry, growing up in religious households has influenced the band in other ways, says Wagler.
“Some of the themes and language that we use in our lyrics have biblical imagery, particularly in our gospel and a capella music,” he says. “But we try to open the lyrics in such a way that the most religious of Christians will feel at home, but people outside of that tradition can also feel that it is a song that they can get behind.”
Their Mennonite roots even influenced the choice of a band name.
“We were looking for a name that would have a couple of meanings for where we were coming from,” said Wagler. “It reminded us of Amish and old-order buggies that you’ll see using steel wheels, but it also brought up images of the train era to which we owe so many early Americana songs.”
The band is also aware of the “Steel Wheels” album that the Rolling Stones put out and the historic tour that they launched to promote it.
“We don’t want Rolling Stones fans to think that we’re some kind of a cover band,” said Wagler. “But we liked the connection. Bands like the Rolling Stones created their own style by taking the country blues and making it different. We’re doing the same kind of thing.”
The group has recorded four CDs during the last four years, including the latest, “We’ve Got a Fire, Winter is Coming,” released on April 1. The band tours frequently throughout the United States and is a favorite at many festivals, including Merle Fest in North Carolina, where it’s playing for a second year in a row.
“When we had the opportunity to bring them back to the festival this year, we knew we had to do it,” said festival organizer Steve Johnson. “They have a very unique and energetic sound, and we know our audience will enjoy what they have to offer.”
The Steel Wheels perform in a concert sponsored by the Susquehanna Folk Music Society and Greenbelt Events at the Abbey Bar, Appalachian Brewing Co., 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg, at 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 6. Tickets and information are available at www.sfmsfolk.org. To learn more about the band, visit www.thesteelwheels.com.
