“Spring chickens” refers to the newly hatched. Up-and-coming bluegrass outfit The Spring Chickens echoes this with their band’s name, aiming to give a fresher, more youthful vibe to the bluegrass scene in and around St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana.
Cajun and zydeco consistently thrive in southeastern Louisiana, but bluegrass and folk forms struggle more. They tend to wax and wane. The Spring Chickens aims to infuse that lukewarm local bluegrass scene with a new vitality. For the past two years, local audiences seem to like what they’re hearing and seeing.
According to banjo player and band leader Cody Smith, The Spring Chickens formed at a time when local bluegrass was at the bottom of a popularity trough. The scene has undoubtedly been headquartered at the Abita Springs Opry for years. It’s been the de facto nexus of traditional performance in St. Tammany and perhaps even of the entire greater New Orleans area (it is located an hour north of the city, across Lake Pontchartrain). In addition to the Opry, a longstanding, unique, free music series at a feed store in Covington, Louisiana – the Marsolan Feed and Seed Store – provided another acoustic roots venue. That all ended in 2021 when the store suffered a devastating fire. It was a setback for bluegrass.
Smith said The Spring Chickens have done their best to assist in re-growing bluegrass. Hopefully, he said, the band’s youthful vibe will be able to grab new, younger fans who might want to tag along for the ride.
“I think we’re at the bottom of the slope now and going uphill,” Smith explained of the change he senses is happening locally. He said the band – which started in January 2023 – has been picking up steam at a rapid pace. He said most of the other bluegrass acts in the region are older in age, so there’s something a little different about The Spring Chickens.
Smith said in 2024, “We ended up with so many gigs that it was just too much!” He said things started to really click for them during 2024 when, instead of just being “background” entertainment, they “got more sit-down shows.” This included a successful appearance at the Sullivan Theater in Central Louisiana.
The “Chickens” have been featured in local newspapers and have appeared live on WWOZ radio in New Orleans. They’ve played at the expected venues, including the Abita Opry, the famed home of Abita Beer, the Abita Brew Pub, local farmer’s markets, and festivals promoted by the Magnolia State Bluegrass Association. They participate in events of the Northshore Traditional Music Society, a nonprofit for which Smith volunteers time; it’s designed to promote bluegrass, jazz, Irish, and other acoustic genres. The Society produces an annual festival and hosts a music jam from March through October, among other offerings.
Smith noted excitement about an upcoming performance of the band on March 22 at the New Orleans Bayou Bluegrass Festival, where the rest of the lineup includes East Nash Grass, the Edgar Loudermilk Band, Wyatt Ellis Featuring Chris Henry, Catahoula Drive, and The Tanglers. He suggested following the band's Facebook page for more information on this event and other appearances.
Along with Smith on banjo, The Spring Chickens include Mitch Bailey (guitar), Madeline Hill (fiddle), Andrew Hoz (bass), and Ben Russell (mandolin).
Right now, the band is presenting its own renditions of classic bluegrass, but it’s toyed a few times with the idea of making originals. He said he and guitarist Mitch Bailey have dabbled in writing.
“We’ve been asked if we were interested in recording originals,” Smith explained. “I think Mitch has written a few songs; I’ve written a few.” Right now, however, he thinks growing an audience, honing skills, and being part of reviving the scene in his neck of the woods is the main focus. For now.
“We work pretty hard at this,” he said. “We’ve pushed each other to get better.”
Smith said he didn’t start in bluegrass; he learned classical piano in childhood and didn’t transition to guitar and banjo until his later teen years. Despite bluegrass being far less popular in Louisiana than Cajun, he was attracted to it because it was “difficult and engaging.” He sees music, in general, as a way to truly express feelings that might have no other outlet.
“A lot of people invest emotionally in music,” he explained. “And it’s a catharsis…letting emotion OUT.”
When Smith talks about it, it sounds like the bandmates’ hearts are in the right place. For him, it’s not about “making it big” or even forging a career. It’s about making good music and having a great time. By any account, it’s refreshing to hear these goals when so many young performers are focused solely on appearances – and on winning “clicks” – rather than on creating music that matters.
“I think we’re more family-oriented than living on the road,” he said when asked why they’re not rushing to take things up a notch. For The Spring Chickens, the purpose is as pure and straightforward as can be. “I think we’re just gonna have as much fun with it as we can,” he summarized.
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