The Lil Smokies, a band known for its modern bluegrass sound that incorporates musical elements, draws inspiration from everywhere.
Playing Friday at Tico Time’s Bluegrass Festival, the band will make its first journey to the venue just south of Durango.
Andy Dunnigan, lead singer, dobro player and founder of the band, started playing with some of the other members of The Lil Smokies in Missoula, Montana, having met through the local music scene. The band, which formed in 2009, began to find success locally.
If you go
WHAT: Tico Time Bluegrass Festival.
WHEN: Friday through Sunday.
WHERE: Tico Time River Resort, Road 2050, Aztec.
TICKETS: Various passes available.
MORE INFORMATION: Visit ticotimeresort.com.
“As we started progressing, we won some band competitions and we quit our day jobs,” Dunnigan said, describing the early journey of The Lil Smokies. He continued to pursue his musical career with the band, driven by influences across genres and styles. “Newgrass,” a growing label for modern bluegrass, is “an easy blanket term,” but not truly representative for Dunnigan and the band, he said.
“We can wear a lot of hats, and we typically do during a set, so the sky’s the limit as far as the labeling genre goes,” he said.
One hat for many bluegrass bands is “jamming,” which refers to improvisation, typically instrumentally, to play a variation of a live song or something completely new. Dunnigan and the band enjoy a bit of improvisation in their live performances, but are hesitant to call themselves a “jam band.” He believes that jamming is an important part of a live set, but is adamant that it is not the driving force behind the sound of the band.
“Jamming is definitely a focal point of a few songs a set, but it’s not like our identity,” he said, describing the band’s approach to playing shows. Driven by the audience presence at a show, Dunnigan and The Lil Smokies believe that it’s important to cater to the audience, but (they) “don’t want to just cater too much to the demographic.”
“We’d like to at least have a semi-consistent sound and set,” he said.
Even though Dunnigan and much of the rest of the band have been playing on a professional level for over a decade, it hasn’t been easy and still has its challenges. The band is mostly focused on the sustainability aspect, continuing to create. As working-class musicians, they are no strangers to hard work and commitment, which can sometimes interfere with their personal life, he said.
And despite the challenge of balancing music, work and family, the band does continue to create. Their most recent studio album, “Tornillo,” a favorite for Dunnigan, marked one of the largest projects the band has ever done. But with their most recent work nearing almost five years ago, restless fans are left waiting for new music. Luckily for them, The Lil Smokies recently recorded a new album, which Dunnigan expects to be released in early 2025.
Until then, the band prepares for an extensive tour this summer. Dunnigan encourages fans and people who haven’t heard the band to come out and see what they’re all about.
“We’ve got a really super busy summer so we'll be playing coast to coast,” he said. “You can find us in every little nook and cranny this great country has to offer.”
Finley Jeansonne is an intern at The Durango Herald. He is a junior at Animas High School.
