TODD LILIENTHAL
ARTIST Biography
FEATURED ARTIST • FEBRUARY 2020
Todd hails from Northern California and currently makes his home in Denver, Colorado. He is a founding member of The Lonesome Days and brings a driving, bluegrass oriented sound to the groups songs. Todd is the son of a bass player and music teacher and grew up surrounded by the Funk, Jazz and Rock & Roll scene in the Bay Area.
It wasn’t until going to college in Boulder, Co that Todd discovered bluegrass and became obsessed with learning the 5-string. While living in Boulder, he worked at the Fox Theater and this was where he was first introduced to bands like Leftover Salmon and and the banjo playing of Mark Vann along with many others in the Colorado scene. Aware of Todd’s love for the instrument, his dad got him a banjo for Christmas and he was fortunate to study under Sally Van Meter. Sally instilled a deep love for the traditional playing of Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley and JD Crowe. She also produced The Lonesome Days self-titled debut album released in 2017.
The Lonesome Days is a 5 piece, high energy, modern bluegrass ensemble from Denver, Colorado. Blending heartfelt songwriting and powerful vocals with precise instrumentation and undeniable groove, they have charged their way to the forefront of the Colorado bluegrass scene and are carving out their own niche in the national bluegrass arena. Songwriting is a major focus for the band but listeners can always expect a unique repertoire of standard bluegrass and other cross-genre covers. They were the winners of the 2017 FreshGrass Award and play nationally as well as all over the state of Colorado.
Todd Lilienthal is a professional musician, banjo player and founding member of his Colorado-based bluegrass band The Lonesome Days.
ARTIST MUSIC
Released August 25, 2017
ARTIST INTERVIEW
The Banjo Reserve interviewed Todd Lilienthal, here’s what he had to say…
I understand that you received banjo lessons from accomplished bluegrass musician Sally Van Meter, did you have any experience with a musical instrument prior to lessons with her? Was Sally’s instructional approach immediately comfortable for you, take you out of your comfort zone…can you summarize the path she took you down?
Sally is one of those people that is amazing at everything she does musically. Her presence and skills go so far beyond what she plays on the dobro and I don’t think I would have learned the banjo if it wasn’t for her approach, knowledge and patience. Her approach is simultaneously comfortable while also pushing you out of your comfort zones. Sally is a true lover of traditional bluegrass and our lessons were heavy on Scruggs and Stanley. Her sense of timing is second to none and we spent countless hours looping licks and rolls to a metronome. She’s one of those teachers that shows you how to learn on your own while you’re in a lesson. We became such good friends during my first couple years playing banjo that it was a no-brainer to have her produce our first album in 2017 and we look forward to doing more band work with her in the future.
Have you found any other learning methods particularly helpful?
Nothing can top transcribing songs or passages. When you slow something down and transcribe it, there are obvious details that don’t get transmitted well in tab. I love the “amazing slow downer” app for this as it lets you loop sections and slow them way down to figure out what the player is doing note by note. I’m also a huge fan of Artistworks.com. Having personal access to Tony Trischka is a real blessing to the banjo community and I’ve learned so much from him through that site. The Artistworks model allows the student to submit a video of themself playing the lesson and Tony will give feedback. Knowing that Tony will be examining my playing was great motivation to play the lesson 200 times before submitting the video and that alone ensures that you’ll retain what you’re studying.
Your father, Tom Lilienthal, is an accomplished professional musician, music teacher, and bass player, for many years playing with some of the biggest names in the entertainment and music industries. Have your skills, style or attitude as a musician been influenced by your father and the creative environment you grew up in?
My dad’s attitude towards music has always been a motivating factor. His ability to have fun playing music while using it as a language to relate to the audience and his band mates is something I’ve admired forever. Whenever we have a big show, he’s always encouraging, excited, and reminding me to have a great time. It’s really great to have this type of influence.
Growing up, he exposed me to endless genres and instruments and I’m really grateful for that. Some of his favorite music is blues, funk and soul and this got embedded in me at an early age. I’ve always gravitated to playing the bluesy side of bluegrass and that’s what drew me to the music in the first place.
During the early stages of learning to play the Banjo what did you find most challenging? What was your approach to overcome these challenges?
Early on, I was nervous to play with other people. I wanted to figure out how to improvise but had a tough time playing anything that I hadn’t memorized. I started going to as many jams as I could and it really helped me get over these challenges. I would go to 3-4 jams a week and it was so helpful to be exposed to people that had been playing much longer than me. The jams exposed me to tons of new music and songs to learn and really inspired me to practice and get better every week.
What specific challenge(s) are you working on today?
So many things! Playing wise, I’ve been working on stringing together sections of single-string, melodic and Scruggs style. When I listen to guys like Scott Vestal play, it always blows my mind how he seamlessly transitions between these approaches. I’ve also been trying to play with more intention: focusing on grace during slow passages, power during sections that need it, and always trying to figure out ways to phrase things better.
The other thing that I’ve been working on a lot is how to get the best live tone. Experimenting with different things in different settings, for example: stuffing the inside of the banjo in rooms that are super resonant and loud or ones that don’t have the best sound. For rooms that have better sound, I’ve been using a mic in addition to the pickup to get more of that natural banjo tone which helps so much. I play through a Grace Felix and I’ve been learning the capabilities of that Preamp. It’s really amazing how you can use it to dial out bad frequencies, accomplish better tone and overcome a bad room.
What is your go-to banjo? Do you play a different banjo in the studio than you do for venues? Are you sponsored by a specific banjo manufacturer?
My go-to banjo for performances is a 2005 Huber Roanoke. It’s a walnut banjo and is basically a reproduction of a prewar Gibson RB-4. I’ve used it to record a bit but usually play my prewar Gibson style 3 in the studio. I’m a huge fan of the deep, dry tone that comes out of an old Gibson banjo and the Hubers do a great job of reproducing that tone too! Vintage banjos are somewhat of a hobby for me as there’s so much to know and each one is different in its own way.
I’m not sponsored by a banjo manufacturer, that’s kind of a dream for any banjo player and enthusiast! There are so many great banjo builders out there these days, I really like playing different ones when I get the chance to.
Where do you see banjo music going and what is your role in that?
I love that banjo music and bluegrass in general is continuing to expand into more modern music while still holding strong to the roots of bluegrass. The Lonesome Days is really rooted in our own songwriting and arrangements but we all have a desire to keep a lot of traditional elements in place as well. I love riding that line of being original and pushing into new territory while still maintaining that drive and groove that makes people fall in love with bluegrass music. I love it when people come out to see us and say things like “I don’t like bluegrass, but I loved your music”. To me, that’s what it’s all about. Opening up people to new things that they might not have discovered or accepted otherwise.
Colorado has been home to an impressive bluegrass scene for several decades, and home state to your band The Lonesome Days, which has received considerable attention in the genre. What do you feel sets Colorado apart from the rest of the country’s bluegrass communities?
It’s such a unique scene out here, and I’m so thankful for it! The Denver/Boulder area has numerous jams every night of the week and there’s a really special community that has been built from that. I’ve met some of my best friends and bandmates over the years through these jams. The whole scene is one big family and it’s great to know that you’ll see each other at shows, festivals, and house parties. Another thing that’s amazing about the Denver scene is how organized and collaborative it is.
There’s a “Denver Pickers” group on facebook with over 2000 members where you can get updates on jams, performances, instruments for sale – really a central hub for the community.
We have tons of non-profits like Denver Jamgrass (live streaming of shows and band interview podcasts, Future Arts Foundation (donates musical instruments and instruction to kids), eTown (nationally syndicated NPR radio show), KGNU (Boulder community radio that has a Saturday AM bluegrass show and supports this music all over the front range) and tons more that all work to keep the scene thriving.
You have performed at several festivals and in numerous venues, you will be playing at the Fox Theater in Boulder, CO this coming New Years Eve (2019), where you were once employed and indicated your passion for bluegrass essentially started. What does playing at the Fox Theater mean to you now? What venue or festival, that you have not yet played, would you love to perform at?
The Fox is one of the most special rooms in the country. The energy there is created by a perfect layout, sound system, staff, and location. It’s one of those places that just has the magic. It means so much to me to be able to go back and play there years later and discovering banjo music there, back in the late 90’s. We sold it out last time and it was such a great night with with so many awesome people, in one of my favorite places to play. I’m always looking forward to playing there again.
As far as places I’d love to play at, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, no question. We’ve actually played on the main stage twice, but for short 3-song segments in the band contest finals. We took runner-up both times and I think getting a small taste of that festival has made us want to play there even more.
Your self-titled album “The Lonesome Days”, produced by Sally Van Meter along with a few guest appearances on dobro, was released in 2017 to an enthusiastic and growing fan base. Is there a new album on the horizon, anything that you can share with us?
Yes! We are in the planning process as I write this and we’re all super excited. All of the details are currently getting ironed out so all I can say is that we’ll have another album out soon.
Based on your personal experiences as a professional musician and banjo player, what advice do you have for beginners?
Set a goal to play for at least 15 minutes every day. Keep a banjo out of the case and where you can see it in your house. Use a metronome. Get a good teacher (either in person or online). Keep a notebook of things you’re working on. Meet people to play with and do it often. Have fun while you’re doing it!
At this point in your banjo playing career what accomplishment, project or event are you most proud of?
Two things stand out to me: The Lonesome Days’ self titled album and winning the Freshgrass Band Award. They were big accomplishments both individually and for the band and I’m really grateful for those experiences. For those that don’t know, Freshgrass is an amazing festival in North Adams, MA every September. In addition to a really well put together festival, they have band, instrument and singer/songwriter competitions every year.
What other interests do you have? Hobby, charitable group that is special to you, pet(s), etc.
I have a 4 year old son and a wonderful wife that I love doing things with. Snowboarding, camping, traveling, cooking and of course going to see music. It’s so great to see the world through the eyes of a child and it makes all my hobbies that much more fun to do them with him!
Tell us something about yourself that you think our Community might enjoy.
I torment my wife by making her watch Ancient Aliens with me.