Nash Street is a folk music-playing string quintet that ranges in age from 13 to 19. They are playing at the
International Bistro, one of Starkville’s major venues, Saturday night and they are not at all intimidated. The truth is, Saturday will not be the first time the band has played the Bistro, and they have been performing for seven years.
Nash Street will be playing a variety of blues, folk, old-time country and bluegrass Saturday night at 9.
The band is composed of five Starkville teenagers, four of whom are still in high school or junior high. They already have one album under their belt and have been playing regional gigs since 1996.
Norman Mellin, a local teacher, helped the band get on its feet in 1996. Since then, the group has studied the traditional music of Mississippi under such teachers as fiddler Charlie Smith, Donnie Buckner and Larry Wallace of the Cedar Creek Ramblers. The band named Buckner as their biggest influence and mentor. He also helps teach Caroline Melby, at age 13 the youngest member of the band, the mandolin.
Nash Street has grown accustomed to playing in front of large crowds, as they have performed at several music festivals, including Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s “Swampstock” in southern Louisiana.
“We’ve been playing for so long it doesn’t even faze us anymore,” Hannah Melby, one of two fiddlers, said.
Local bands like 17th Floor and Splendid Chaos have gained recognition and popularity in Starkville over the last few years. Competition in a college town can be fierce, but the band members said that the college crowd has been good to them—- very encouraging.
They hope to some day play professionally under the bright lights of Nashville. Caroline and Hannah said they look forward to a career in music as an adventure.
“I would love to. I think it would be really fun,” Hannah said. “You get to meet so many people.”
Nash Street said it hopes to contribute to a “folk music revival.” Most of the songs they play are traditional, instrumental Mississippi folk songs that were never copyrighted and were passed to them by word of mouth. The group does, however, play some well-known country and blues titles like “Milk High Blues.” They have also begun composing their own music.
The band learned much of what they know from veteran fiddler and Mississippian Smith, through a Mississippi Arts Commission grant. The group is part of a current movement, which includes bands like The North Mississippi Allstars, who strive to rediscover the musical heritage of Mississippi.
“We’re working to bring back old-time blues and folk,” Stacey Phillips, the other fiddler, said. “We’re trying to preserve that kind of music that’s basically lost now.”
They is represented by and released their self-titled debut through Columbus’ Luxapilila Records. Their unique sound can be heard on Mississippi State University’s WMSV or by purchasing their first full-length album, “Nash Street.”
For more information on their CD or their upcoming performance, contact Luxapalila Records at 327-0528 or the International Bistro at 323-2591.