While recording their most recent album, “From the Forest to the Sea,” the musicians of Southeast Engine holed up in the auditorium of a 19th-century middle school.
“The school is out in the country of Athens County and removed from the distractions of being in town,” says Adam Remnant, singer and chief songwriter of the Ohio-based band. “The feel of the old school is sort of spooky as well. Some of the songs on the album have a darker tone, which the dark summer nights and antiquity of the building helped influence.”
Formed in 1999 during Mr. Remnant’s time at Ohio University, Southeast Engine has since amassed a loyal following with its blend of street-smart rock ’n’ roll and countryside twang. The singer credits the Midwestern enclave of Athens, Ohio — the band’s official headquarters — as the inspiration behind the group’s wide-ranging sound.
“It has a combination of Appalachian culture and a scholarly atmosphere,” he says of the town, “both of which certainly influence our writing and music. In terms of Ohio, Athens is a sort of black sheep; it definitely attracts a nonconventional population, which breeds a lot of creativity. Having a university here, new young people are always coming into town, which allows for a continually fresh audience.”
“From the Forest to the Sea” is the band’s fourth album, an ambitious offering of folk, rock and rustic balladry that was recorded in five short days. A narrative runs throughout the album’s 12 songs, which describe a man’s quest for success at the expense of his family, his faith and the surrounding environment. As religious overtones mix with ecological concerns, “From the Forest to the Sea” emerges as a surprisingly complex work.
“Writing from your own perspective is always pretty cathartic, for obvious reasons,” the singer says, “but I find that writing from another perspective can be just as cathartic. By writing about corrupt characters, you can investigate any corruption you find in society or in yourself by personalizing it and understanding it from the inside out.
“Writing is also very premonitory for me,” Mr. Remnant continues.… “[It] can be a great teacher, leading you in directions you would not expect, allowing you to discover latent possibilities.”
Southeast Engine’s tour will bring the group through the District, a town Mr. Remnant knows well. Tommy Britt, a filmmaker who shot footage of the band’s recent recording sessions, lives in the area, as do several employees of Southeast Engine’s label.
“Tommy also shot our video for ’Black Gold’ at the National Mall,” Mr. Remnant says. “In the video, we’re wearing a respirator that could double as a gas mask and walking around with mysterious packages at the National Mall. We were worried about getting arrested and thought, for sure, someone would stop us and ask us what we were doing.
“Surprisingly, no one did. I think we were giggling too much to be seen as any real threat.”
• Catch Southeast Engine’s performance Saturday evening at 9 at the Red & the Black in Northeast. The show also features performances by local group the Laughing Man and two additional bands. Tickets are $10.
Bonnaroo turns eight
Once the exclusive domain of Deadheads and Phish fans, Bonnaroo is now one of the country’s premier music festivals, a four-day event whose lineup boasts unparalleled diversity and star power.
The festival launched in June 2002, when more than 70,000 people flocked to Tennessee to watch inaugural performances by Trey Anastasio, Widespread Panic and Phil Lesh. Bonnaroo steadily evolved throughout the subsequent years, welcoming an eclectic array of artists into its fold while fostering ties with the local community of Manchester, Tenn.
The festival’s organizers, Superfly Productions and AC Entertainment, own the land on which Bonnaroo takes place. This makes Bonnaroo an in-house production — a rarity in the festival world, where organizers often are expected to lease the land and erect temporary infrastructure. The festival’s relationship with local officials is equally exceptional, as Bonnaroo makes yearly charitable donations to the local economy. Manchester’s population swells from 10,000 to nearly 100,000 during the event, and local revenues soar accordingly.
Bonnaroo celebrates its eighth birthday in June, and the festival continues to grow as it approaches double digits. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will share top billing with Phish this year, merging the festival’s jam-band roots with the broader scope Bonnaroo has since adopted.
Other A-list acts include Elvis Costello, Nine Inch Nails, Beastie Boys and David Byrne, while celebrated indie artists such as Neko Case and Andrew Bird also will perform. A comedy tent, air-conditioned cinema, beer garden and classic arcade provide diversions from the music.
General admission tickets hover around the mid-$200s, while VIP packages cost approximately $1,400.
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