The Sentimental Gentlemen roll into WNC
The Sentimental Gentlemen will play Brevard April 5. Donated photo
This may be the first time you’ve heard of The Sentimental Gentlemen. But, if you’re a music freak for Americana, bluegrass, country and folk, chances are you’ve either listened to them before or actually witnessed their melodic magic onstage.
You see, for the trio of Joshua Rilko (mandolin), Oliver Bates Craven (fiddle/guitar) and Geoff Saunders (bass) that make up the Nashville, Tennessee, ensemble, they’re also the backing group for the songbird voice and mesmerizing presence that is Sierra Ferrell.
Beyond the intricate nature of the songs presented by The Sentimental Gentlemen resides a delicate, deep respect and admiration for the bluegrass traditions. This realm where musicianship, style and perpetuation of the old tunes in a modern era sits at the foundation of each unique, vibrant performance.
And at the center of this “powerhouse collective” is Rilko, a longtime friend of The Smoky Mountain News. Hailing from Michigan, he headed south for Music City several years ago to seek his destiny, which is simply creating melodies and sharing them with the world. Thus far, that exact dream continues to unfold in real time.
Smoky Mountain News: How, when, where and, perhaps most importantly, why did The Sentimental Gentlemen come to be?
Josh Rilko: I’ve played music with Oliver Craven and Geoff Saunders in various capacities for many years prior to all three of us ending up in the Sierra Ferrell band. Oliver was the last one to join. He joined at the beginning of 2023.
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Since we’re on the same touring schedule, it just made sense to always have each other on gigs we would book around Nashville at Jane’s Hideaway, Dee’s, the Station Inn, places like that. I also did a few small tours under my own name with those guys and a few other friends. That was sort of the band that became The Sentimental Gentlemen.
As we’ve played more and more around Nashville, we’ve sort of developed a sound and, of course, it also helps that we’ve been playing hundreds of shows together on the road with Sierra over the last number of years.
SMN: Where does the band currently stand with its aspirations and sonic tone, in terms of the initial thought and design for the ensemble?
JR: We’re definitely focused more on the songs, melody and harmony than just the shredding, although we try to do that too sometimes. Less jam-grass and more Country Gentlemen. Less worried about playing at blistering speeds and instead prioritizing groove and melody and harmony.
We also want it to be the type of band where everyone sings. When we play as a five-piece, all five of us lead songs, with Geoff, Oliver and I being the primary harmony singers. But, since everyone is capable, it allows for many different combinations of harmonies and lead vocals, which keeps the sound pretty diverse.
SMN: What is it about bluegrass — whether sonically, emotionally, spiritually or otherwise — that really sets it apart from other genres?
JR: Bluegrass is a social music. It’s a language that anyone can learn and participate in. Regardless of your skill level, there’s a jam somewhere for you. When I hear great bluegrass, or find myself participating in a jam where everything is really clicking, there’s a sort of spirit that takes over and the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. You just start playing the right thing. The drive and the groove are undeniable. And that’s addictive to a lot of people.
As far as performing it, I think even people who don’t necessarily listen to bluegrass can see the band perform and be drawn to the intimacy of the music and the conversational interaction that the musicians are obviously having with their instruments.
I’m very partial to the sound of strings on wood, with as little technology as possible manipulating the sound.
SMN: In your travels coast-to-coast, what is it about the people, places and things — geographically, culturally, socially — that continues to inspire you and your work?
JR: The bluegrass and roots community, or whatever you want to call it, is international. So, there are friends everywhere we go. And we can get together and play music with them when we pass through a given city.
Different tunes and songs are played more in different regions. And regions can even have their own twist on how bluegrass sounds. And the people that are drawn to the music come from all different walks of life, political and religious orientations, whatever.
It truly does bring people together without all the nonsense that is unnecessarily trying to divide us.
SMN: In a modern era of digital distraction and white noise, what is the role of the musician/performer in the 21st century?
JR: There’s so much so-called “content” out there. Whether it’s video, audio, print, whatever. The vast majority of it we don’t even know where it came from and, at this point, was probably created by an algorithm or AI or who knows what.
And it’s shitty content. When you see high-quality live music, you know exactly where it’s coming from. You know it’s spontaneous. You can hear the high moments and maybe notice some mistakes. You can see the joy or the “oops” expressions on the performers faces and their body language. People like that and they always will.
So, I believe there will always be a role for the live human performance or any sort of art. And I hope that as AI becomes more and more able to produce what on the surface may appear to be “high-quality art,” the value that people place on actually watching their fellow humans perform with emotion and rawness will increase.
Want to go?
Americana/bluegrass act The Sentimental Gentlemen will hit the stage at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at 185 King St. in Brevard.
Tickets are $12 per person with table options available. The show is ages 21 and over unless accompanied by a guardian.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit 185kingst.com or sentimentalgentlemen.com.
