How Can It be Wrong if It Grows Wild?

Sipping a pint of beer in the back of the Wicked Weed Funkatorium in the South Slope neighborhood of Asheville, North Carolina, Charles Humphrey scans the wide room, a vaulted ceiling hovering high above the quickly assembling audience.

It’s mid-March and his group, Songs From The Road Band, will soon take the stage at the Funkatorium. The performance that evening—a crossroads of Americana, string and bluegrass music—became the last live music showcase in the city limits due to the current coronavirus pandemic and cancelation of all large gatherings. 

Even at that moment, Humphrey was well-aware of the impending shutdown of the entire music industry, atop of seemingly everything else in our society coming to an abrupt halt. And yet, he takes another gulp of his craft beverage and smiles while shaking his head in awe of time and place and how crazy it all is within the grand scheme of things. 

You see, Humphrey was a founding member and beloved performer with The Steep Canyon Rangers. Aside from a Grammy award and playing some of the biggest stages on the planet, the group has risen to become one of the most successful string acts of the 21st century. 

And not too long ago, Humphrey decided to respectfully bow out of the Rangers, a decision that left his schedule—literally and figuratively—open to pursue his deep, personal passion and side project that is SFTRB.

This spring and summer was gearing up to be the breakout year for SFTRB, an Asheville-based string act that has become a wild sensation in underground scenes and festival circuits. And here the band remains, ready to roar down the road to a stage near you, only to remain in a holding pattern until further notice. 

But, that doesn’t deter Humphrey. He’s never been about the immediate and urgent nature of an unpredictable music industry. It’s always been about the long game for him and his bandmates. This shutdown is not an obstacle, but an opportunity for SFTRB, who have been lately utilizing online streaming for live performances and song cultivation. 

This new and unknown melodic landscape is something of an adventure for the ensemble, a challenge they’ll have to virtually navigate until they can return to the regularly scheduled program of actual touring as a well-oiled road dog machine aiming for a spot in the bright lights of musical stardom. 

When you were with The Steep Canyon Rangers, you always had Songs From The Road Band somewhere in the background. Was that your way to decompress and do what you wanted to do on the side from the Rangers? 

It was an outlet for songs. And we made albums. We were a recording band and we had radio success. We were getting played on satellite radio. And so, we kept doing it. 

Then, our record [“Waiting on a Ride”] came out last year, which was the first time we made a record with a touring band. And now we’re going back into the studio [this spring] to record our sixth album. 

It was always about the craft of the song, you know? I’ve always felt the support of these guys believing in the songs, the music, and wanting to tour. So, that’s what pushed the band into a full-time opportunity where we could make a living doing this. 

It was the music [with Songs From The Road Band] that drew me to wanting to do this full-time—my heart has always been in this band. 

So, is this a full circle thing for you, to make this your main priority? 

Oh yeah, it’s been great. You know, we’re going back and playing places I haven’t been to in 15 years, seeing folks and absolutely loving it. Every single person we meet is gold. 

When you’re just starting out, it’s great. It’s really full circle now, literally an open canvas to do whatever we want. We’re doing it because we love it. The creativity within this group of guys—there’s nobody else who I’d want to travel with or arrange songs and record with. 

You’ve been on the road playing music and in the studio creating music for most of your adult life. Why was this your path?

I just love songwriting and creating something out of nothing. And the short answer of it is spreading joy through music. My goal is to become a better songwriter, and if we play the songs or somebody else plays the songs, it’s rewarding and I just love it—it makes me happy. 

How do you approach songwriting? Do you look at it as more of a craft or waiting for inspiration? 

It’s a craft. I do a lot of co-writing and I’ve been blessed to have some opportunities and learn a lot from established writers like Milan Miller, Jim Lauderdale, Shawn Camp, Darren Nicholson, Phil Barker, people like that.

You always learn something new and it’s fun. You know, I’ve been lucky to work with some really talented people and get some good songs together. 

Right now, I feel the band is on the cusp of a whole new level. You’ve spent the last two years woodshedding and touring. Your group is this shiny vehicle that’s ready to just blast out there. What do you see when you look at the landscape pushing ahead, in terms of where you are and where you’re going?

I see a hard-working band. I can’t say how hard anybody else is working, but I know we’re working hard and we’re not slowing down. We’re in the transition. We could benefit from a larger team outside of the band. But, sometimes, those things come to you. You can’t just go out and get them all the time to find the right fit. 

I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I think if people like good songs and, you know, especially in hard times, people want to forget about that stuff and hear music or go out to a show. I think that they’ll find that if they stumble across our band—it’s about connecting the dots and connecting the people.