“Born in the Bronx and raised in Northern California.” That’s how Ian Lubar would sum up childhood, although he would spend time in St. Louis before California. Lubar remained relatively nomadic due in part to his dad’s work as a teacher. Eventually Ian would find his way back to St. Louis and study music at Webster University, where he would meet violinist Alyssa Avery, bassist Mark Wallace, and clarinetist Chloe Feoranzo. They branded their peculiar take on “indie-folk” as Mt. Thelonious and quickly forged ahead with booking shows and recording their self-titled debut. As Feoranzo was swept away by a certain Pokey LaFarge, the band would have to find new ways to fill the sound of an all-string ensemble. They’ll be the first to admit that their hometown of St. Louis is a tricky city to break into for a band that doesn’t fit into easy categorization, despite its supportive scene.
Elsewhere, in Kansas City and Austin, they’re becoming mainstays at Folk Alliance events. Folk Alliance is essentially a hodgepodge of doe-eyed folkies playing in hotel rooms for various fans, bands, and industry heads. It was Lubar’s cousin that first turned them onto the idea. One of the events organizers was so stirred by their set last year that she asked them to play the Kerrville Folk Festival this past May with the likes of Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Elizabeth McQueen, and David Wilcox. Clearly, a fruitful opportunity.
In the months since Kerrville Folk Fest they’ve been recording their upcoming release A Little More Time with engineer Adam Long at his home studio in Central West End. The album opens with “Word Grenades,” which they performed in 2014 for our show with St. Louis Public Radio. Now they’ve got a shiny, brand new production of the song that’ll officially be released with seven other tunes at Off Broadway on Saturday, August 15th. Here’s the premiere of “Word Grenades” from A Little More Time.
Mt. Thelonious At Their Dogtown Practice Space, Readying for August 15th
