Philadelphia-grown Good Old War will make a stop in Columbus on Tuesday night, playing an acoustic set at the Basement in the Arena District with supporting act Joshua Hyslop.
Their latest single, a stripped-down version of “Never Gonna See Me Cry” from their most recent album, Broken Into Better Shape, will give fans a taste of what they’ll hear if they attend a show on their current US tour. Broken is well balanced; while all of its tracks share a common thread of folk wistfulness, there are splashes of pop and alternative rock that keep things buoyant throughout its half-hour duration. Jason Lehning lends his production skills to the album, building his already impressive portfolio that includes projects with Alison Krauss & Union Station, Dolly Parton, and Mat Kearney. Broken is also notable in that founding and current members Keith Goodwin and Dan Schwartz made the leap from being solely self-penned to collaborating with outside composers on this outing – album cut “Fly Away” was co-written with Emile Haynie, who is best known for producing hits for Kid Cudi, Kanye West, Lana del Rey, and Bruno Mars. The amalgamation has worked splendidly – Broken Into Better Shape is solid and is worthy of several listens.
Good Old War is now in its eighth year of activity, having released its first album, Only Way To Be Alone, in the fall of 2008. I recently caught up with Goodwin and Schwartz to discuss the history of their partnership and how it’s informed the work they do almost a decade down the road.
Q: You each played in bands (Days Away and Unlikely Cowboy) before you formed Good Old War. What brought you together?
Keith: “Dan met our drummer (former member) Tim (Arnold) through friends of friends. Dan asked Tim to play with him in Unlikely Cowboy when he wasn’t on tour with Days Away. At some point, Tim asked me to record some acoustic demos for Unlikely Cowboy. I really liked Dan’s acoustic guitar playing, so I asked him to join Days Away for some shows. We started working on songs of our own after that, and that is what became Good Old War.”
Q: What sort of musical upbringing did each of you have and what made you decide to pursue music professionally?
Keith: “We all have parents who love music. Our dads played instruments and loved singing. We started playing at a young age, learning our favorite songs and trying to write our own. Making music at some point became a big part of who we are.”
Q: Your roots are in Philadelphia. I could probably tell you more about what I know about the music from there between the 70s and 90s than now, however. Are there certain things that still make the “Philly Sound” unique now, or has that changed?
Keith: “There is a great guitar rock, and singer-songwriter thing happening in Philly now. Lots of great bands like The Districts, Satellite Hearts, and Dr. Dog; and there’s tons of singer songwriter bands and performers like The Lawsuits and The Levee Drivers that are great. I’m sure there are more scenes than we know about. There doesn’t seem to be a sound of Philadelphia so much as a lot of great music.”
Q: The shows you’re playing on this tour are acoustic – what made you decide to go that route as opposed to backing them with full instrumentation?
Keith: “We write the songs this way and we love presenting them this way. Usually during our full band shows we end up doing a set of songs in the crowd like this, and it’s always so much fun so we decided to give it a go and try full sets like this. It’s a sweet change of pace for us.”
Q: You released a stripped-down version of “Never Gonna See Me Cry” as a preview to the tour. Is there a reason you’ve featured that song in particular?
Keith: “We love this song and we really liked the way it came out. We love all of the new songs really. We recorded almost the entire new album acoustically and will be releasing them all at some point.”
Q: Your producer, Jason Lehning, has worked with some notable artists. Did you find in working with him that any of their influences surfaced in your recording, or did he flex more to your style and sound?
Keith: “Jason has the ability to be totally present in his current project. He never referenced any other projects he was working with us. He really helped us accomplish what we set out to do more than anything.”
Q: You’ve been – and will be – on the road for awhile promoting the album. Are there any tour rituals that are important to you both?
Keith: “We have a little saying that we say to each other before every show, and we also sing the first song of the set a few times before we hit the stage. Gets out some of the jitters. Usually, we run songs for a while backstage, too, so we can be nice and warmed up. Oh yeah – and we warm up.”
Q: Who of your musical peers are you each listening to in heavy rotation right now? Are there any new artists that are particularly exciting to you?
Keith: “I really love the band Phox. You should totally check them out. The song “1936” is my jam.”
Dan: “I love the new Ray Lamontagne album with My Morning Jacket. It’s like a Pink Floyd album.”
Q: Is there anything you’d like the good people of Columbus to know about you before you’re here next week?
Keith: “Do your warm ups and come sing along!”
Good Old War will perform with supporting artist Joshua Hyslop on Tuesday, May 10, 7:00 pm at The Basement, 391 Neil Avenue in the Arena District. Tickets are $16.00 (plus taxes and fees) and are available via Ticketmaster. Seating is general admission, standing room only. More information about the band, including music downloads and other media, can be found on their website.
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