Mipso

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Mipso
Mipso concert at Gypsy Sally's in Georgetown, Washington, DC, on September 12, 2015
Mipso concert at Gypsy Sally's in Georgetown, Washington, DC, on September 12, 2015
Background information
OriginChapel Hill, North Carolina, U.S.
GenresBluegrass, Indie folk, Alternative country
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, mandolin, Double bass, fiddle
Years active2013–present
LabelsRobust Records
MembersWood Robinson
Libby Rodenbough
Jacob Sharp
Joseph Terrell
Websitemipsomusic.com

Mipsois a North Carolina quartet formed in Chapel Hill known for combining a traditional string band format with close harmony and a variety of modern influences.

History

UNC Years and "Mipso Trio"

While students at UNC-Chapel Hill, guitarist Joseph Terrell and mandolin player Jacob Sharp began performing at Chapel Hill open mic nights as an acoustic duo. With the idea of forming a band to play folk and bluegrass, they approached bassist Wood Robinson, with whom Terrell had previously performed in a campus party band, Funkosaurus Rex. Billed as "Mipso Trio," the group began performing in 2011 at campus events and occasionally around North Carolina.

After partnering with local Chapel Hill record label, Robust Records, the group recorded "Long, Long Gone" (2012) and began performing regularly with friend and fiddle player, Libby Rodenbough. Mipso Trio quickly became a campus staple[1], known for its many sold out performances at the historic Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, for bridging the divide between the UNC music community and the broader music scene of North Carolina's Triangle,[2], as well as performing with members of the Red Clay Ramblers and former Chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill, Holden Thorp, on numerous occasions.

2013 - present

Upon graduation from UNC in 2013, Terrell, Sharp, and Robinson traveled on a two week tour of Japan including performances at the 43rd annual Takarazuka Bluegrass Festival and a concert at Tokyo's historic country music venue, Rocky Top. A documentary of their trip to Japan, "Mipso In Japan,"[3] directed by filmmaker Jon Kasbe, premiered at film festivals across the country in 2014, including the NYC Picture Start Film Festival[4], Riverrun International Film Festival[5], and Indie Grits[6].

2013 also saw them release "Dark Holler Pop" as the newly truncated "Mipso." Produced by Andrew Marlin and featuring members of Chatham County Line, Town Mountain, and Mandolin Orange, "Dark Holler Pop" was an exploration of bluegrass instrumentation and arrangements, with most songs featuring banjo and fiddle.[7] The album was a surprise success, appearing on Billboard's Bluegrass chart and raising the band's profile considerably.[8]

In 2014 the group continued to develop its sound, adding frequent collaborator Libby Rodenbough as a full time member and touring around the US. In April of 2014 guitarist Joseph Terrell won the General category of Merlefest's Chris Austin Songwriting Contest.[9]

With 2015's Old Time Reverie, again produced by Andrew Marlin, Mipso expanded into richer, occasionally darker, textures, adding the clawhammer banjo and electric organ. The album debuted at #1 on Billboard's Bluegrass chart.[10]

Mipso performed on the KFC float in the 2015 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.[11]

Meaning of Name

Over the years the group has claimed various origins of the word "Mipso." In 2013 guitarist Joseph Terrell stated that the members "just came up with it."[12] In 2013 bassist Wood Robinson claimed that the name referred to a now defunct Japanese appliance manufacturer, crediting Jacob Sharp's thesis research into post-war Japan with unearthing a reference to the company. Sharp confirmed this version of the story in an interview with Bluegrass Today [13]. In a September 2015 interview with Raleigh's News & Observer, however, Terrell revealed a new origin story, claiming to want to dispel previous rumors. “There’s a phrase in Japan,” he explains, “it means something familiar, but there’s something a little bit off. And it roughly translates, or at least we were told, to ‘a little pee in the miso.’ And so we put a little P in the miso: Mipso.”[14] This story has subsequently been published and re-confirmed in various publications.

References

  1. ^ Chapman, Joseph (5/5/2011). "Chancellor Thorp jams with Mipso Trio in front of Wilson Library". The Daily Tar Heel. Retrieved 18 November 2015. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ Hill, Corbie (12/12/2012). "Will The Avett Brothers' popularity overshadow N.C.'s roots music past and sterling present?". IndyWeek. Retrieved 18 November 2015. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ "Mipso In Japan". Vimeo.com. Vimeo. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  4. ^ "2014 Best Short Film: Mipso In Japan, directed by Jon Kasbe". Picture Start Film Festival. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  5. ^ Weeks, Isaac (4/2/2014). "Triangle-related Films at Riverrun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem". IndyWeek. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ "Mipso In Japan". IndieGrits.com.
  7. ^ Hall, Sarah (11/8/2014). "Mipso: Musical Ambassadors". No Depression. Retrieved 18 November 2015. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ Monger, Timothy. "Mipso Biography". Billboard. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  9. ^ "Mipso". Pinecone.org. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  10. ^ "Mipso Chart history". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  11. ^ http://www.marketwatch.com/story/macys-march-of-magic-2015-11-02
  12. ^ Keough, Jessica. "About To Break: Mipso". The Bluegrass Situation. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  13. ^ Lawless, John. "Father's House video from Mipso". Bluegrass Today. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  14. ^ Stacey Chandler. "Quirky Mipso Loves Breaking Boundaries". Raleigh News & Observer. Retrieved 18 November 2015.

External links

Category:American bluegrass music groups Category:Musical groups from North Carolina Category:Musical groups established in 2013 Category:Articles created via the Article Wizard

Resubmission after Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade appearance

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