Photo of Nick Veine (left) and Ben Traverse, by Wild Subterranean Photography.
By Carmelitta Tiffany
Contributing writer Carmelitta Tiffany enjoys the music of and is a promoter for the Earthwork Music Collective.
In support of their Nov. 3 album release of Irish music called, “Me Grief and Tears to Smother: Traditional Songs and Ballads of the Irish Diaspora”, Michigan artists Nick Veine and Ben Traverse will perform at 4 p.m. on Nov. 12 at the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts in Manistee, one stop on their two-state tour.
“It’s a traditionally rooted, yet modern-sounding interpretation of some classic Irish tunes,” Veine said of the album. “It should be a very fun show, complete with music and folk history.”
According to the duo’s news release, their full-length collaborative album of Irish music includes “sweet ballads, raucous drinking songs and every other manner of song celebrating the historic traditions of Ireland and its expats.”
During the mid-19th century, the Great Potato Famine in Ireland killed or displaced millions of Irish and Gaelic people, leading to a large Irish diaspora. Today, the total population of the island is less than seven million, but multitudes of those who consider themselves an expatriate of Irish descent are spread throughout the world, including an Irish American population of more than 35 million.
The pair spent two years putting together the album, which was recorded at the Earthwork Farm in Lake City, as well as their homes. The music was mixed by Veine, produced by Traverse and Veine and mastered at TreeTone Studios in Grand Rapids, Michigan, by Michael Dause (Moss Manor, Treeskin, Shantyland).
Their release states: The musical journeys of old friends Nick Veine and Earthwork Music member Ben Traverse have long been intertwined, with both calling Manistee their hometown. Nick, with his award-winning band Awesome Distraction, provided Ben with his first performing experience. The pair went on to explore different parts of the rich tapestry of American music⸺Nick pursuing jazz in academia and Ben digging deep into the traditions of folk music. This mutual love for music, history and community gave rise to the new collaborative release.
“Ben and I have been working on this as a passion project for the last⸺I don’t know⸺ five years?” Veine said. “We started recording it about two years ago but had been conceptualizing it and coming up with a song list for a few years before that. It’s music that’s very important to us⸺Ben because of his immense folk catalog, and me because … well, frankly, it’s fun music. I like the storytelling and melodies and they’re timeless tunes.”
Traverse is described as “a modern-day Pete Seeger” by the Accidentals, the nationally touring and award-winning band with roots in northern Michigan, who added that he is “a musical archeologist who writes songs that sound like they’re from a hundred years ago.”
“Nick and I have been playing music together for over a decade now, and Irish music has been a key part of our individual repertoires the entire time,” Traverse said. “This album pays homage to our decade of friendship and mutual love of traditional music while celebrating our different approaches to music. I’m so grateful the stars aligned and am so excited to share this album with everyone.”
“Me Grief and Tears to Smother” will be supported by a release tour of Veine and Traverse, who will be joined by friends Josh Holcomb (Dede & the Dreamers, West Michigan Symphony) on fiddle and viola, Manistee resident Noah Cameron (Forest Trail Music Festival, Kanin Wren) on drums and bodhrán, and Carsten Forester on upright bass.
Tour dates and locations are listed below.
11/8 Goshen Brewing Company, Goshen, Indiana, 7 p.m.
11/9 The Clover Room, Kalamazoo (with special guest Brian Koenigsknecht), 7:30 p.m.
11/10 Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill, Grand Rapids (with special guest Keala Venema), 8 p.m.
11/11 The Workshop Brewing Company, Traverse City, 7 p.m.
11/12 Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts, Manistee, 4 p.m.
11/16 The Robin Theatre, Lansing (co-bill with Micah Ling and Molly McBride), 7:30 p.m.
Tickets to the Manistee Manistee performance at RRCA are $15 and may be purchased online at https://ci.ovationtix.com/35295. Call RRCA at 231-398-9770 or email info@ramsdelltheatre.org. The Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts is located at 101 Maple St.
Listen to “Road to Dublin”, a track on the new album, HERE. For more music by Ben Traverse, go to: https://bentraverse.bandcamp.com. A partial catalog of Nick Veine’s music can be found at: https://nickveine.bandcamp.com.
Carmelitta Tiffany resides in Mason County, where she spent the last 30-some years enjoying the blessings of rural life. She is a semi-retired journalist who serves those needing “wordy” advice.
