11 Questions with Caroline Pond

 

From her Bio:

Caroline Pond is the front woman for Snake Oil Medicine Show.  From Asheville, North Carolina she has been a touring musician for 15 years.  She delights audiences with her vocals, fiddle and her Martin ukulele.  Her original songs are catchy, uplifting, positive and just plain fun.  Caroline dips through many styles of music, from Bluegrass, Old Time, Jazz, Reggae, Ska and funk.
Caroline Pond is an ambassador of peace through her music, art and positive outlook on life.  Her travels have spanned throughout Europe, North America and Jamaica.
Caroline has shared the stage with many artists/heroes including: Vassar Clements, Larry Keel, Yonder Mountain String Band, Leftover Salmon, Acoustic Syndicate, Donna The Buffalo, Mad Tea Party and so many more amazing musicians.

Caroline has a released a new solo album this winter entitled Follow Your Heart.
Special guest musicians appearing on the CD are Asheville artists Ben Scales, George Pond, Ami Worthem, and Jason Krekel.

Black Betty and I are big fans of everything Caroline and I was thrilled to be able to ask Caroline 11 questions for the new year, 2011.

1 Your new album is called Follow Your Heart. Do you have a favorite song on the album? I think the title track "Follow Your Heart" is my favorite.  I wrote the song on my back porch hanging with my dogs and thats when I dreamed of making the album and doing a tour.  Also, its a strong message for us to Follow our Hearts.  You can control your dreams and make your days the best days ever, whether you are in your most happiest spot like your back deck with the sun shining or having to wait in line at the Driver's License office.  Its what you make of it.  Follow your heart people.

2 You sing in Babies On The Lawn that babies don't belong in Babylon. Who would you say does belong in Babylon?  SO this song was spawned from a play on words Baby Lawn,Babylon, Babies on the Lawn.  And, I hear many Reggae Artists referring Babylon, as a negative place, like places of murder, disease, Corporate America, Wal-mart style places.  And I know that Babylon, used to be a beautiful place, the Ancient Mesopotamia with its Hanging Gardens, so its really interesting how a beautiful place has become known as an area of constant revolt. So, the answer to your question, no one should belong in Babylon.  I like to think of myself as an ambassador of peace through my music and so if i can spread the word by singing Babies on the Lawn don't belong in Babylon, then that's what I got to do.

3 We see you with Snake Oil Medicine Show, The Pond Farm Pickers, and sometimes with Sugar and Spice. Do you have any plans for 2011 yet?   Well my plans are to still play in heavy rotation with Snake Oil Medicine Show, we are taking a bit of time off this month for recording and the Pond Brothers are brand new daddies.  Also, I plan on averaging one show a month with Sugar & Spice with Ami Worthen.  We sure do have a blast.   I play in an old-time band called Tater Diggers and we have many shows and a new cd to share in 2011.  In addition, I plan on fine tuning my solo career and want to travel through the United States again.

4 You took your mother along for a cross country tour this Fall, playing solo shows and staying with friends and fans. What was that like?  I had a blast and was so grateful that I got to share that solo tour with my mom.  We managed to get along really well, except our nerves were getting challenged while driving through snowy conditions in Colorado.  We survived driving over Vail Pass.  My mom hula hooped at the Winter Park, Colorado show and all the kids were loving that.  Mom and i also got to spend a week with my sister in Southern California and that was such a lovely vacation family time, hanging out in warm climates and sitting by the poolside.  I am so grateful to all those people in my home country that supported me on my pathway and providing us with soft landings and yummy food.

5 Name one artist or band (someone you've never played with) that you'd jump at a chance for a 2011 collaboration.  I dig Jason Mraz and his positive music.

6 Your Snake Oil Medicine Show performance at Bishop's Cafe on 11-13-2004 has an amazing 500,00 downloads on Internet Archive. What if anything do you remember about the show?  This is sooo amazing to me that we have this many downloads.  I remember having to take a ferry to get on that island, which I believe was called Vashon  Island and I remember that not many people were at the show, but our host Alex and all the people that were there were so sweet, supportive and dancing their butts off.  I also remember loving just being with my Snake Oil Family and just being on tour together in such a cool spot.  Also, I was wearing a brand new dress that made me feel like I was rocking my mojo.  Music has definitely taken me places.

7 What is it like to be part of the Asheville music community? Everybody plays with everybody. We have an open and supportive group here.

8 Name five non-Asheville area groups on your IPod today.  I have some random stuff and groups on my Ipod and mostly they are Zydeco bands from rural Louisiana. These bands feed my soul. 1. Little Nathan and the Zydeco Cha-Chas, 2. Keith Frank 3. Brian Jack  4. Chris Ardoin & Double Clutch   5.  A non-zydeco band that I met in California,they are a swing band called Steve Lucky and The Rhumba Bums.

9 What is one regional music festival that you would encourage someone to try to attend this year?   I just love the French Broad River Festival.  Its held every year in lovely Hot Springs, NC.   Last weekend of April.  Family friendly, great bands, awesome folks, amazing vibe, on the river, across the street from the hot springs, cute little town and I emcee the fest. 

10 Your blog is called Caroline Pond's Earth Adventures and you sing a wonderful song called I Am Only Human. I'm also pretty sure that I once heard Col. Bruce Hampton refer to you as an alien. Are you really trying to convince us or is it you?  Well, Colonel Bruce definitely cracks me up, it takes one to know one.  As far as being an alien, its confidential, if I told you I would have to kill you.  Ha ha.  Just kidding.  The song I am only Human was another song written in my yard underneath the sunshine, it just all came out smooth as butter, between sips of coffee and ukulele strums the song was born. 

11 How can someone get a copy of Follow Your Heart?  you can directly order it from me.  I accept paypal, check, deed to your tropical vacation home and cash.  You can go to carolinepond.com  or email me at scarycaro@hotmail.com   Soon the album will be on i-tunes.

Music on the Mountain Top

Black Betty and I had a great time of fun and music (and nothin' but fun and music) at the Music on the Mountain Top Festival in Boone, NC on Saturday. We spent the day with our favorite groups Snake Oil Medicine Show, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, Acoustic Syndicate, Toubab Krewe, Sam Bush, and Railroad Earth. They rocked us like we needed to be rocked. We're some happy Festivarians, indeed!

The Keel Family Function 2010

Black Betty and I are back from an absolute gem of a little music festival, which was held at the beautiful and idyllic Cherokee Farms near LaFayette, Georgia. This was the second installment of the Keel Family Function, named for our favorite flat pickin' guitar guru, Larry Keel.

The festival crowd was small, friendly, and intimate; the music was the finest, anywhere, anytime, and the camping was perfect. There was plenty of space to spread your camp out on the grassy green fields on the rolling farm land. We quickly claimed a breezy hilltop, overlooking the main stage area on which we set up our festival camp also known as "Gnometown". We were joined there by a couple of families from the Atlanta area, with whose company we enjoyed the weekend. There were lots of family and kid friendly activities including a Saturday moring kids jam. As usual, Black Betty and I brought our bicycles along and had fun riding up and down the hilly property. There was a small vending area set up around the two stages with limited food, beer, artist merchandise, t-shirts, tie-dye, and assorted hippie arts and crafts. One unique thing about the festival was the stages were wind and solar powered, with a back up bio-fuel generator to keep things green and off grid. The music went long and late into the night. Friday night the sleeping was somewhat difficult, but by Saturday night, I was so exhausted that I just slept right thru the late-night jams.

This year Larry's family included, among many others, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, Col. Bruce Hampton and the Quark Alliance, the Pond Farm Pickers, The Mosiers Brothers featuring David Blackmon, Bobby Miller and the Virginia Dare Devils, Lefty Williams, Donna Hopkins, Jeff Sipe, Ralph Roddenbery, and the Josh Phillips Folk Festival. I must say at this point that I have failed to mention all the talented musicians in attendance, and for that I do apologize. Everyone really kicked ass!

The highlight (musically speaking) of the weekend for me ended up being the two Saturday afternoon super sets of songwriter showcases in which many of the musicians shared the stage together, talked about and sang their songs, and jammed with each other. Let me tell you, it was some hot stuff! These super jams were worth the price of admission on their own. We are definite converts to this little festival in the NW Georgia hill country and hope that The Keel Family Function resurfaces in 2011, so that we can again attend!

From Keel Family Function 4410

Little Festivarian Anna, chillin' at her 2nd Keel Family Function

From Keel Family Function 4410

Hometown hiker with the Pond Farm Pickers

From Keel Family Function 4410

Black Betty with her favorite bad man of bluegrass, Larry Keel

From Keel Family Function 4410

Super jam on stage with L>R Michael Tolcher,Lefty Williams, Donna Hopkins, Jeff Mosier, Larry Keel. Erin Zindle on Fiddle.

The Overtakers!!!!

The Overtakers from Jamaica rocked Asheville last night at the Grey Eagle Music Hall.
We were fortunate enough to be there on a Wednesday night, and got to listen to Ruben, Ruth, and Leroy sway the crowd with their own brand of roots rock reggae.
Positively ASSKICKING!!!