"I do love the music of the past, but I'm more interested in what is coming up in the future. I'm at times nostalgic but I don't feel like any eras of music were necessarily better than now. It's amazing to have so much music at our fingertips these days. I am excited to hear new voices that are reflecting the time they are in."

Ben Todd: Songs of Lonesome Shack 

Lonesome Shack conjures a spirit that drifts between city and desert, navigating trials of love, loss and the natural world. With an ear to folk and blues traditions, they craft songs that stir the heart and shake the soul. On their eighth studio album "Song Of The Horse" (2024) they dig deeper into forces of nature and elemental grooves. Song Of The Horse was recorded by Johnny Goss in a three day session at Dandelion Gold on the outskirts of Tucson, AZ. The band was joined by their old friend and legendary Tucson musician Tom Walbank on harmonica for the session. Lonesome Shack’s story began on the edge of the Gila Wilderness in Catron County, New Mexico, where Ben Day Todd lived in a small shack for four years with his girlfriend at the time. There his interest in American and international folk and blues music grew and he began performing and recording under the name Lonesome Shack.

(Ben Todd / Photo by Chris Cheney)

Ben Todd met longtime band mates Kristian Garrard and Luke Bergman at Cafe Racer in Seattle, WA in the late 2000's. Now they live in three corners of the States - Ben in Escondido, CA, Kristian in Bothell, WA and Luke in NYC. Despite the distance, the magnetic trio continues to meet up for recordings and performances worldwide.

Interview by Michael Limnios          Archive: Ben Todd, 2011 Interview @ blues.gr

Special Thanks: Ben Todd & Tony Bonyata (Pavement PR)

How has the Blues and Rock Counterculture influenced your views of the world? Where does your creative drive come from?

Getting into music as a kid opened up a new world of creativity for me. I was especially drawn to the DIY approach in punk and underground music. My experiences at garage/basement shows where I grew up in Bellingham, WA gave me the courage to start performing in bands. It's inspiring to see people make their own rules in art and music. Like the unique voices you find in folk and blues records. It's hard to put my finger on what drives me to create. Inspiration from other artists is a big part of it. I also feel a need to keep working to keep in touch with myself.

Currently you’ve one more release with Kristian Garrard and Luke Bergman. How did the idea of band come about? How do you describe Lonesome Shack’s sound, music philosophy and songbook?

We all met at Cafe Racer in Seattle, WA around 2008. I was playing a weekly solo gig there and those guys were locals. Kristian joined me on drums first and we recorded two albums as a duo, then Luke joined on bass in 2011. Song Of The Horse is our fifth album as a trio. The band came together pretty organically, just friends jamming. Our sound is live and loose. I don't think we've ever spent more than 3 days recording and mixing an album. I write all the songs, Kristian and Luke add their parts. "Less is more" is often the approach that seems to work for us.

Do you have any interesting stories about the making of the new album “Song of the Horse”? What is the driving force behind your continuous support for your music?

"Song Of The Horse" was written when I was busy taking care of our toddler and didn't have the time and space I'm used to. I worked out all the songs and made quiet demos in the bedroom closet after he went to sleep. There are some new approaches in this album. I excluded the pronoun "I" from the lyrics and the songs heavily reference plants and animals. In the studio we recorded three of the songs with only acoustic instruments and vocals captured by one microphone. Banjo and pedal steel were added to the usual list of instruments we use. It was a really fun studio session because the three of us hadn't all been together in 5 years. We all met up at our friend Johnny Goss's home studio in Tucson, AZ. Our friend Tom Walbank joined the session on harmonica and we were all impressed by his playing. The songs we recorded with Tom were 1st or 2nd takes as I remember. I don't know what keeps me coming back to songwriting. This album seemed to come out of nowhere when I was focusing more of my time on visual art. I think I just get the itch to write a song and next thing I know there's an album's worth of songs.

"I hope that people find something mysterious yet relatable in my music. Some people have said that our records helped them get through a tough time. That's about as much as I could ask for!" (Lonesome Shack: Ben Todd, Kristian Garrard and Luke Bergman / Photo by Bibiana Reis)

What moment changed your music life the most? What´s been the highlights in your life and career so far?

I think it was my time out in the wilderness of New Mexico, back in the early 2000s that really changed my focus in music. I was playing a lot of guitar and banjo and transitioning from learning traditional songs to writing my own material. I think the isolation of that place and the magic of the land helped me find a new musical direction. Some of the highlights for me in music have been touring new areas, seeing people connect with our music in unexpected places, and meeting new friends through our music.

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

I do love the music of the past, but I'm more interested in what is coming up in the future. I'm at times nostalgic but I don't feel like any eras of music were necessarily better than now. It's amazing to have so much music at our fingertips these days. I am excited to hear new voices that are reflecting the time they are in.

What is the impact of music on the socio-cultural implications? How do you want the music to affect people?

I hope that people find something mysterious yet relatable in my music. Some people have said that our records helped them get through a tough time. That's about as much as I could ask for!

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

Big lessons for me have been letting go of expectations, getting used to rejection and failure and finding ways to keep going despite setbacks. It's better for me to focus on pushing my art in new directions than concerning myself with what people will think about it. That said, it's also a great honor when something is well received. It gives me inspiration to keep going with my work.

"I think it was my time out in the wilderness of New Mexico, back in the early 2000s that really changed my focus in music. I was playing a lot of guitar and banjo and transitioning from learning traditional songs to writing my own material. I think the isolation of that place and the magic of the land helped me find a new musical direction."

(Photo: Ben Todd)

What's the balance in music between technique (skills) and soul/emotions? Why is it important to we preserve and spread the blues?

I think that balance is different for everyone. I enjoy technique but I'm more drawn to soul and feeling. I think it's so important that music gets collected and archived for future musicians and listeners to discover. Things like Harry Smith's anthology of American folk music and the field recordings of the Lomax family and George Mitchell were so inspiring to me when I was starting to write Lonesome Shack songs. Blues and folk archives can show us that human expression can be timeless and universal. Much like seeing the prehistoric art that adorns the walls of caves in France.

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