Second Family Band

The Second Family Band is a musical collective from Madison, Wisconsin. They came together in 2007, rising from the ashes of the very prolific free-folk outfit Davenport (2). Their musical style, difficult to categorize, owes more to freeform jazz, psychedelic rock, and experimental avant-garde music than to traditional folk music, and may be loosely attributed to such genres as free folk, psych folk, freak-folk, acid folk, wyrd folk or New Weird America. The recordings and performances usually include varying combinations of drums and other percussion, guitars, vocals, synthesizers, piano, organs, violins, flutes, electronics, sound sculpture, field recordings, more synths, sitar, sticks, rocks, stones and really anything imaginable. Ranging from mildly sedative to tribal and bombastic. Their music is almost always improvised, with a rare exception of overdubbing and other studio composed manipulations. The group is noted for usually shunning the recording studio, preferring field recording in locations such as barns, caves, or pastures. Consequently, environmental sounds such as dogs barking, birds singing, and other ambient noise may be heard on record. One noticeable difference between Davenport and Second Family Band is the line-up. Where Clay Ruby is present on every Davenport release, since reforming under the name Second Family Band, the band is operating regardless of line-up. No single member's presence is required for any Second Family jam session and in fact there are numerous Second Family Band releases where Ruby is not involved. Over the years Second Family has counted among it's members: Billy Lee (Lliam Ian, Crystal Dragon, Wormsblood), Tony Ennis (Endless (5), Pan to Scratch, Drunjus, Craig Microcassette System), Nico Kain (Apaculus, Wormsblood), Clay Ruby (Jex Thoth, Burial Hex, Wormsblood, Hintergedanken), Dan Woodman (Drunjus), Clay Kolbinger (Maths Balance Volumes), Elizabeth Was (Lyx Ish), Dave Mansfield (DMS, Craig Microcassette System), Nic Stage (Wormsblood), Karen Eliot (Mumber Toes,Hintergedanken, Dragon Faggot), Justin May, Jon Stage, Beau Devereaux (Anvil Dome), Jessica Non Popa, Aaron Laurant (Cult of Hypnos), Azrael Zanon-Stage, David Libert, Smith Baker, Ivan Calderon, Richard Remington, Cyrus Andreas, Jacob Tibbs, Nick Johnson, Max Elliott (Absinthe Minds), Mike Schultz, John Danielson (Jex Thoth), as well as collaborations with friendly outsiders such as: Peaking Lights, Spiral Joy Band, the Skaters, Tomutonttu, Jooklo Duo, Glenn Donaldson, Lau Nau, Maths Balance Volumes, Hush Arbors, Absinthe Minds, Relentless Corpse, Islaja, Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice, Mumber Toes, Nautical Almanac, Anla Courtis, Cult of Hypnos and Takuri Tali.