Let everyone know who you are, where you are from and what style of music you play.
Rickety Shack is a collaboration of three musicians (and family members) from Wartrace TN and Coudersport, PA. Two brothers, Jakob Bailey, (Guitar/Vocals) Logan Bailey, (Banjo/Vocals) and their uncle Ezra Cataldo (Upright bass/Vocals.) They are youthful, energetic, sometimes loud, and play traditional instruments in an alternative fashion. Rickety Shack is influenced by a wide range of music spanning from The Holy Modal Rounders to Modest Mouse. This variety of music gives Rickety Shack a unique sound they like to call Alternacana…
What do you do for fun? You know…besides music?
Ezra Cataldo: There isn’t anything much more fun then playing music. I do also listen to music and like to just waste time with the guys. I also like to read.
Jakob Bailey: Hmm..Run around town, hang out with friends, read books, I think that about covers it.
Logan Bailey: I like being out amongst people, whether it just be walking down a busy street in Nashville, to going out with friends.
What was the last song you listened to?
Ezra: I Got a Woman by Ray Charles
Jakob: Star Wars Main Theme by John Williams
Logan: Matrimony by The Avett Brothers
What did you listen to when you were younger? What do you listen to now? Have your tastes changed?
Ezra: I listen to everything, I don’t think my taste has changed a lot, more just the music scene around me, I listened to a lot of rap (Tupac, Biggie Smalls, Bone Thugs N Harmony) I also listened to a lot of classic rock as well as old folk tunes.
I was about 16 when I got into more Indie sounding music (Modest Mouse, The Shins, Built To Spill, Death Cab For Cutie) I like it all…
Jakob: When I was younger I listened to Modest Mouse, Cloud Cult, Death Cab For Cutie, and all that good Indie music. As I have grown older my taste has shifted to a more acoustic sound but with an Indie feel. I tend to lean towards music with powerful energy and lasting lyrics.
Logan: No, the genres of music I listen to has grown, but I still listen to a lot of the same bands from when I was younger.
Was there an “ah-ha” moment in your life when you knew music would be the path you were going to walk?
Ezra: It really just kind of happened, I’ve worked on so many projects in my life and when I was a kid I loved music and never stopped loving it. Logan and I have played together since we were about 13 or 14, after I left Pennsylvania for a while Jakob picked up playing and writing. He came to Tennessee for work and brought a guitar and the first time I played with him was a pretty life changing moment, I knew Logan, Jakob and I were suppose to play together, so they packed up and moved down.
Jakob: Ha! I love this question because it has a good story! When I was 17 I went to Mountain Jam with my friend, Kenny Boyd. We brought our instruments with us and we did some busking around the festival and made a little money, with that money I kept promising to buy us food on our way back and it would be our first meal that we got to eat that was paid for by music. After the festival I crashed my car and we got stranded in Binghamton, NY, during those hours we went and got some food. In the end it cost me $900.00 dollars to get a new car and we only made $20.00 while we were busking, so all in all to pay for food with music cost me $880.00 dollars. After that I have wanted to do music for the rest of my life.
Logan: Music was my first career choice, it actually changed to a few different things over the years, but deep down music was always the first choice.
How did you hear about Music Tree Fest?
Ezra: A friend Justin Berry had pointed us in the right direction.
Jakob: Justin Berry told us to get in touch with them.
Logan: From my brother.
How do you feel about being a part of Music Tree Festival?
Ezra: I’m pretty excited, looking forward to hearing and meeting the other musicians, I love listening to live music almost as much as playing it.
Jakob: It is quite a honor. I can’t wait to jam with all the great acts and meet all the fellow artists.
Logan: I’m very excited to be a part of the Music Tree Festival! To get people involved in music is always an awesome thing. There are a ton of awesome bands that are coming out to play, and I am happy to have a chance to meet and listen to some of the very cool bands that will be jamming out of Manchester on those days.
Do you have plans for Bonnaroo?
Ezra: Good news is, we will be getting ready for a tour. Bad news is, we won’t be attending Bonnaroo.
Jakob: We have a tour planned along the East coast up to the border of Canada and that is taking up a lot of our time, but if we can find a few free seconds maybe we will stop by.
Logan: Not at the moment, but I love for plans to be spontaneous.
Do you have an album available? Where can we get it? Where can people connect with you online?
Rickety Shack will have an E.P. released at the start of June. You will be able to find it on any of our social networking sites, Itunes, and the like. You can find almost all of our pages and sites online, Facebook (www.facebook.com/ricketyshack) is the easiest way to get a hold of us at the moment.
Any last thoughts? Shout outs?
Jakob: We can’t wait to see you all at the Music Tree!
Logan: Just would like to say thank you to all our fans! I hope to see everyone at Music Tree this year!
