A bluegrass band that takes its name from a root vegetable can’t be all serious. But it’s not just the playful attitude of The Ruta Beggars that makes people take notice. The band, formed by Berklee College of Music students during their first week on campus, is known for sophisticated harmonies, robust instrumental solos, and incorporating country swing and big band influences in their highly entertaining sets.
“The selling point for our live show is not just the music being great,” says guitarist and founding member Micah Nicol. “The thing that we really specialize in is creating a show that people will leave feeling filled up and full of happiness and full of joy, something that people can really latch on to and relate to.”
It’s a busy time for the band. Work is underway on a new album, their tour schedule is filling up, and two of the band’s original members, mandolinist Ariel Wyner and fiddler Sofia Chiarandini, have left. New to the band are Sam Stage and Jean-Baptise Cardineau on mandolin and fiddle, respectively.
“Our two new members are just killer shredding instrumentalists,” Nicol says. “We definitely see this as the opportunity to celebrate the things that we've done well in the past that we want to continue to keep as a hallmark and as a time to explore what the two new people add.”
Banjoist Trevin Nelson, another founding member, and bassist Noah Harrington, a long-time band member, round out the group’s current configuration. All the Ruta Beggars, past and present, are graduates of the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Because the first question for the band is, invariably, “What’s with the name?” The Ruta Beggars include a brisk theme song in nearly every show that offers an entertaining explanation.
“But the shorter and much less interesting version of that story is we were just looking for ‘roots,’” says Nicol. “We were part of the American Roots Music Program at Berklee. And so, we were trying to find a root vegetable pun, and The Ruta Beggars was the best we could come up with. We didn't want to be The Carrots or something like that.”
Every band seeks to create its own identity, but that can be a challenge working in a genre rooted in tradition. Nonetheless, Nicol says the Ruta Beggars have attracted a diverse following.
“We appeal to those that are sort of huddled around the fence between traditional and progressive bluegrass. We've had a lot of folks who have said to us, ‘Man, I usually don't like traditional music, but you guys are awesome.’ Or a traditionalist will come up to us and say, ‘I usually don't like more progressive bluegrass bands, but you guys are different.’ I’d say we focus a lot on the groove of bluegrass and finding music that makes people move. Our vocal harmonies have taken a lot of influence from swing. And we've all been fans of the Mills Brothers. So, we tend to include some swing songs in each of our sets.”
Each member has a unique background. Nicol is from Wapakoneta, Ohio—the birthplace of astronaut Neil Armstrong—and from an early age, Nicol sang harmony with his father at jams. “I grew up playing mandolin at around the age of three and then banjo and fiddle and bass and, eventually, guitar and piano. And growing up, I was going to jam sessions in town and then bluegrass festivals in the summer.”
Nicol never had a music lesson before college. And he learned to read music by studying the Internet.
“I think I auditioned at maybe 20 schools,” Nicol explains. “I was looking at a lot of different programs, even math programs, straight-up engineering programs, and some musical theater programs. But the thing that drew me to Berklee was that I had seen what they had done with other bluegrass roots musicians. And I wanted to be a part of that.”
In addition to being an accomplished three-finger and clawhammer banjo player, Nelson, originally from Omaha, NE, is a certified yoga instructor who teaches health and wellness to musicians.
“It's so important for musicians to do a lot of stretching and take care of their bodies,” says Nicol. “We've got these heavy things strapped around our bodies a lot of the time, and people end up with repetitive stress injuries in their hands. Because that's what we do. We perform, and we practice. So, Trevin helps us to take good care of ourselves.”
In addition to playing bluegrass, bassist Harrington has an extensive background in Big Band and Bebop music. “He's been a big help getting us really dialed in on that swing jazz sound,” says Nicol.
The Ruta Beggars are eager to work on a COVID-delayed album and resume a full tour schedule. And while they’ve confronted challenges and changes, their affection for their fans is constant.
“I'd love for people to know that we appreciate their continued support,” Nicol says. “Even through personnel changes--and through the world changes that we've all experienced in the last number of years--we deeply appreciate our fans. We couldn't do it without them.”