Platinum Percussion

For the last 20 years, The String Cheese Incident have been delighting fans far and wide with its all-inclusive style of music, which incorporates everything from Bluegrass to Afrobeat, that constantly transcends the label of “jam band” that is often applied to it.  Though the band is highly regarded for its extended improvisations in the live setting, the group has also proved itself to be a group of master songwriters, able to distil the very essence of its tunes in the studio, while still leaving it room to be expanded upon on stage. Earlier this year, the band released its sixth studio album, Song In My Head, which also represented the band’s first new studio recordings in nine years. The songs on the album are superbly crafted and seem to perfectly marry the group’s exceptional writing skills with its powerful talent as individual musicians. CULTURE was able to catch up with The String Cheese Incident’s drummer, Michael Travis, to hear all about the making of the new album, the band’s recent fun on the road, and their excitement about the recent wave of progressive cannabis legislation across the country.

String Cheese Incident (SCI) released its sixth studio album, and first studio recordings in nine years earlier in 2014. Was it at all intimidating to head back into the studio after so much time away?

The main feeling was, “Wow, we’re a much better band than we’ve ever been.” It was only four days of recording, and we got perfect, great takes. We just felt much more professional and accomplished with the process of studio recording than we ever have. SCI has never been too secretive for your support for cannabis legalization in this country. How do you and the band feel about all of the recent momentum for progressive cannabis laws in the U.S.?

It’s all just a wonderful thing! I encourage anybody who reads this to recognize that we are the front of a new chapter in world history and that the eyes of the whole world are on us. So, be very careful how you present this to those who are un-indoctrinated. When egos enter sharing, for example, concentrates and edibles, it’s going to end badly. Just try to think of where you’re at, and where they’re at, especially if it’s some new person, and make sure it’s presented in a very delicate fashion so that we can be proper stewards of this whole new movement.

You’ve said in the past that you used cannabis to help enhance your creativity. Is cannabis something you still use to aid in your creative process?

Yeah, we do! It’s something that I feel that I’ve learned to wrangle in, and I don’t do it anywhere near show times anymore, because I need all of my faculties about me. But, if I sit down with an instrument and take a fresh hit, it really creates more of a space in my brain that allows me to look at the instrument in different ways, which I wouldn’t have otherwise. I don’t even necessarily think I’d be a musician without marijuana; it’s been a constant adjunct to my creative process.

Beyond the new record and assorted festival dates, does String Cheese Incident have any more plans for 2014?

To keep on getting better musically! I mean, we feel like we’re on this curve where we haven’t felt this strong about where the band’s at in a long time; thirteen years maybe. So we’re all really looking forward to becoming super mega bad-asses and really trying to become a “real” band (laughs).