It's a sound that recalls an age when folk
music was still sung by honest laborers and their
salt-of-the-earth families. From the doleful laments
of tragic heroes to the foot-stompin' hootenannies
of town-wide celebrations, The Cultivators pull
from America's roots to craftsimple songs for complicated
times.
Cultivated from the roots-music scene of southeastern
Pennsylvania's Lancaster and Berkscounties, The
Cultivators draw upon a litany of musical influences
to craft their own honest andheartfelt version of
Americana music. They are a down-to-earth band with
a passion forauthentic country and folk music.
The
songs they connect with on a deeply personal level
oftenillustrate the joy and success and the pain and
struggle of everyday life through stories of love,
murder, self-reliance, attrition, salvation, social
responsibility and, yes, even drinking.
The core quartet of The Cultivators includes Dave
Lefever on acoustic guitar; Sharyn Lesher on percussion;
Mike Yesconis on mandolin, fiddle and electric guitar
and Josh Cusatis on electric bass guitar, upright
bass and the occasional guitar. All four each contribute
their own unique qualities as vocalists as well. Special
guests often accompany the band on banjo, dobro
and pedal steel guitar creating a dynamic and fluid
sound ranging from bluegrass to rock and roll and
everything between.
Riding
on the back of Lefever's songwriting skills, The
Cultivators released an
EP, Left My Soul, in 2009 which consists of three
original tunes and a medley of yet another original
and two covers.
“I
love, I say love, the EP,” said Thom Bissey
of Stage on Herr in Harrisburg, Pa. “There
is
something really real about it. Really, I really
mean that.”
“I
can't stop listening to the disk,” said Reese
Harlacker of The Depot, York, PA. “It's effin'
great!”
This
self-released recording is but a taste of the work
the band has been poring over at their own Ritter's
Hollow Studio, located vaguely in the area of a
town called Stonersville.
The
Cultivators are currently finishing up final tracking
and mixing on their self-produced/engineered/mixed
first full length record, Warm & Breathing,
which should be out by this summer.
Warm
& Breathing Pre-release Mixes
Roots Rock Revival Live Tracks
Left My Soul EP
There are 4 unfinished mixes from the upcoming record
available exclusively here on My Rural Radio (Rattlesnake,
Katie & Jesus, Here Beside Me & The Cool Dark
Muddy Ground) along with three live songs taken from
the Roots Rock Revival show at the Chameleon this
past fall (Muddy Water, Anthem & If I Could Give
You).
While
sowing the seeds of a strong fan base in the Lancaster
area, The Cultivators can commonly be seen playing
shows throughout southeastern Pennsylvania and beyond.
