(Left to right) Colton Hamilton, Mark Allen Scott, Zayn Dweik, Cam Garshon and Ben Malicoat (not pictured) play as villagerrr. Credit: Alec Cox
Columbus-based indie band villagerrr embarked on its “Barn Burner” tour in early September and will conclude its journey Thursday at Dirty Dungarees, a laundromat and bar that often doubles as a concert venue for local musicians.
Despite starting as a solo project in 2019, villagerrr’s lead singer-songwriter Mark Scott has now found himself on the road accompanied by drummer Zayn Dweik, bassist Cam Garshon, guitarist Colton Hamilton and guitarist and percussionist Ben Malicoat, all of whom joined the band within the last two years.
villagerrr’s recorded sound draws inspiration from a diverse array of artists, spanning from the slowcore band Red House Painters to versatile singer-songwriter Neil Young, Scott said.
“I like to try to keep things varied and don’t really like to stick to a specific sound,” Scott said. “Each album, I think, has a sonic identity to it.”
Different from the studio-recorded songs, Malicoat said villagerrr’s live sound is arranged in a fuller, heavier style.
“Mark usually records his songs in a little more subdued manner,” Malicoat said. “Both the recordings and live sound are pretty different, but we still like to get the songs across as clear as possible.”
In preparation for the “Barn Burner” tour, Scott said choosing which cities to play in was a relatively easy step in the planning process. The tour has a total of 10 stops and spans across six states: Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Louisiana, Missouri and Illinois.
Scott said one aspect of touring villagerrr members appreciate is reconnecting with other small bands across the country.
“We usually try and meet up with people we’ve hosted and supported in Columbus in their hometowns,” Scott said. “They can usually help find a venue, then we try and make a route that doesn’t have us driving too far in between days.”
Between having a reliable vehicle, food plan and a place to stay, Scott said money has remained a prominent concern for villagerrr while on the road. In order to generate income, villagerrr sells its own merchandise at shows, which was designed by Syd Simonitis and Kass Groner — roommates of Garshon, Scott and Hamilton — Garshon said.
“Obviously to be in a band for the money is kind of lame,” Scott said. “But there comes a certain point where you need it to get you to the next place or to feed yourself.”
In addition to financial concerns, Scott said the traveling process has also proven to be a hurdle for the band. He said one morning after playing a show in Burlington, Vermont, the villagerrr members woke up to their car being towed.
“We looked for hours for a parking spot in the pouring rain around midnight,” Scott said. “Apparently it was the only day of the year that these big machines come through and clean the streets, and tons of cars got moved. It was stressful in the moment, but looking back we all think it’s pretty ridiculous.”
At a different instance, Dewik said villagerrr found themselves being stopped by police while en route to play a show in Athens, Ohio.
“We got pulled over because the cops thought we stole my car,” Dewik said. “In the process, we ran over a nail and had to go to a Walmart to fix the flat tire and showed up to our show minutes before we had to play.”
While being on tour can be exhausting for musicians, Scott said it is important for bandmates to have each other’s backs.
“Letting each other have some peace and quiet every so often is great,” Scott said. “Making sure we’re all fed and drinking enough water, taking turns driving, just giving each other breaks and looking after each other helps.”
Garshon agreed.
“Friendship and art are the basis for a beautiful life,” Garshon said.
Those interested can catch villagerrr at its next live performance at 7 p.m. Thursday at Dirty Dungarees. Tickets are priced at $5-10 and can be purchased at the door. More information about villagerrr can be found on its Instagram.
