By Michael Swanger michael@dmcityview.com

They love to jam, but don't want to be labeled as a jam band. They're bluegrass influenced, but use drums and amplifiers. And they play songs that last 16 minutes, but songwriting is their focus.

Such statements might lead one to think Railroad Earth is a steamrolling contradiction. But somehow, some way, this Stillwater, N.J., band, as evidenced by their new double-disc live album "Elko," manages to convince listeners everything they say is true.

"The thing about the jam band moniker is a lot of people would write you off, because if you're interested in songs you're interested in singing and the term 'jam band' will tune you right out," says 24-year-old singer-guitarist Todd Sheaffer. "We do have songs, and a lot of harmony vocals and the arrangements serve the song. A lot of people play solos that go on and on, but that's not what we really do. The voice of the band is the material and the singing, and we don't want to be limited."

If you had to put a label on Railroad Earth's sound, the best one might be the one coined by fiddler-singer, Tim Carbone - "country and eastern."

"That might lead you to believe it's in reference to New Jersey, but it's also the Appalachian area, and you can keep going east to India because Timmy brings an Indian influence of ragas to the band," Sheaffer says.

When they formed in 2001, Railroad Earth didn't worry about what they were called, they were just a bunch of guys interested in playing their acoustic instruments. Some had already played in bands together and others were longtime friends who knew one another from the Jersey club circuit.

"The band formed and evolved more on shared musical interests and backgrounds than any vision of what we wanted to be," Sheaffer says.

During its first six months, Sheaffer began introducing original material to the group's budding repertoire. From that, they took five songs to the studio to record a demo. Their manager sent the demo to a number of festivals and, to their surprise, they were booked to play the prestigious Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Soon after, they recorded five additional tunes and released their debut album, "The Black Bear Sessions."

"This whole thing started with rather informal get-togethers," Sheaffer says. "And we've been at it ever since."

Along the way, people in the jam-band and Americana circles have taken notice. To date, Railroad Earth has released four albums, amassed a loyal fan base that follows them from show to show and received the stamp of approval from Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh, who has invited them to open for him. He's even used them as members of the Phil Lesh & Friends band.

Because improvisation is a big part of Railroad Earth's music, Sheaffer says it thrives in live settings where it can explore its creative boundaries and improve its musicianship on a nightly basis.

"We've changed quite a bit from our simple pickin' stuff. Our improvisational skills have more focus," he says.

Sheaffer says the band decided to capture their progression on tape by recording their entire 2005 spring tour, which resulted in the release of "Elko."

"The songs have grown into live entities that are above and beyond the studio versions," he says. "We picked moments we stretched our boundaries and explored territory we thought was exciting."

And though Railroad Earth aims to please its fans onstage every night, it continues to strengthen the core bond that brought them together with after-show jams on the bus or backstage.

"We still do a lot of hangin' out and pickin' sometimes until the sun comes up," he says. "It's part of the program at this point. When we finish the show, we get down to the pickin' party." CV

Sample Clips

Mighty River MP3 | Real Audio
Good Life MP3 | Real Audio
Long Way To Go MP3 | Real Audio

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