Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs To Release "Through The Smoke"
originally published: 07/21/2021
(BOZEMAN, MO) -- Bluegrass musicians are the real deal. They are instrumental virtuosos and high-lonesome vocal masters that create haunting musical moods with every stringed composition. Montana’s Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs, the five-member bluegrass ensemble with the soaring harmonies and the rapid-fire picking, bring modern authenticity to a revered genre.
With Through the Smoke, to be released July 30, Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs crafted an opus that straddles tradition and innovation as it conveys heartbreak and fortitude. Through the Smoke is the fourth studio album from the Americana influenced bluegrass quintet, which consists of Lena (Laney) Schiffer on guitar and vocals; Josh Moore on guitar and vocals; Brian Kassay on fiddle, harmonica, mandolin, and vocals; Matt Demarais on banjo and vocals; and Ethan Demarais on bass.
Among the gems on Through the Smoke are the melodically melancholy “Hi-Line” and the beautifully chilling “Alive” – an auspicious pair of tunes that bookend the 11-song opus – as well as the rollicking nugget “Paradise,” the modern-day hoedown “Burn It Down,” and the emotional anthem “Reeling.” The new album harnesses Montana’s big sky for creative, recording studio energy.
“Our band entered the recording process of this album with a collective goal to push the boundaries of what we’ve written and sounded like before,” says Schiffer. “We expanded on what the bluegrass genre typically sounds like by taking creative liberties with each song, adding pop and rock influences throughout the album. We all went through creative and personal transformations in the past year, and it shows in our songwriting. The title, Through the Smoke, fits perfectly with the theme of change, rebirth, and resilience found in these songs – this album represents us in our most honest form.”
Since the band’s inception more than eight years ago, the members of Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs have operated as a self-sufficient ensemble of gifted musicians. As a musical outfit they are self-managed and design/ screen print their merch in house. These players tour a hearty 150 dates a year and boast a fervently loyal fan base in the Northwest and Colorado, until recently handling show booking duties internally as well. Plans are underway to expand that base in late 2021 and onward by breaking into the Midwest, Southwest, and Southeastern regions with the help of newly added agent JD McCorkle of Usonian Artists.
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In addition to all that artistic growth, Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs can feel the pride of having their music recognized by two respected PBS series. The band was featured on the Emmy Award winning 11th and Grant with Eric Funk and one of their songs was highlighted in the soundtrack of the 2019 “My Country No More” episode of PBS’ Independent Lens.
And yet even as national exposure blossoms for Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs, this is a band of five singers and multi-instrumentalists that remain firmly rooted in the expansive, enchanting Treasure State.
“Montanans are a family, and we have been a part of it for eight years now,” says Moore. “We have continued to evolve in a way that brings more people to the party every year. The Northwest, Rocky Mountain region, and the West Coast are on board, and we feel more ready than ever to meet our friends across the nation, expanding our family one city at a time."
Connect with Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs on social media: Like the band’s Facebook page, follow the band’s Instagram page, and subscribe to the band’s YouTube channel.
Upcoming 2021 tour dates:
JUL 24- Red Ants Pants, White Sulphur Springs, MT
JUL 29- St John's Summer Concert Series, Billings, MT
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AUG 5- The Old Saloon, Emigrant, MT (with The Steeldrivers)
AUG 6- Bob Marshall Music Festival, Seeley Lake, MT
AUG 7- Big Spring Brewing, Lewistown, MT (with The Steeldrivers)
AUG 8-Abayance Bay Marina, Rexford, MT (with The Steeldrivers)
"Well, I certainly hope so, it seems like it is," laughed Blues Traveler bassist Ben Wilson as he discussed what the band has been up to and their preparations before they hit the road once again for a Summer tour. "The band has been quite active over the years through touring and we managed to continue to record some records. We've done two kinds of covers records, the first one was a blues record which actually got nominated for a Grammy which was pretty cool and the next one, we did some soul covers. That one wasn't quite as well received but it was sure fun to make. So, it's been really cool; you have this massive success for a decade or so and then you kind of dip below that cultural Gestalt line where you're just kind of bubbling below the surface and you can do just fine there even though you're not on the cover of "The Rolling Stone" and that's kind of what we've been doing. We've had a good run, it has been fantastic and these summer tours where we get together with these other kind of bands of similar eras with similar kinds of hits; we're very fortunate as kind of a neo-hippie jam band from that era that kind of bucked some of the trends that were going on at the time but we were lucky enough to have a couple of hits and that has allowed us to have kind of a different career than just the straight jam bands do; not that that wouldn't be awesome as well because obviously many of them are doing just fine but it's just a slightly different road but it has been wonderful. We didn't rehearse a whole lot because we've been playing together for 38 years but things are good and we're stoked for this upcoming tour."
(TUCKERTON, NJ) -- Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Griffin House on Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 7:30pm. Griffin is an American singer-songwriter and storyteller. Touring and making records for over 20 years, House has a discography that includes over 13 albums.
(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Bring your blankets, lawn chairs, and picnic baskets to Reeves-Reed Arboretum and celebrate summer with their 2025 concert series, Sounds of a Summer Night! All performances will be held on select Wednesday evenings on the grounds of this non-profit public garden located in Summit.
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