Folkinception celebrates CD release with show

Spokane-based jam-grass band Folkinception returns to the stage for a sold-out show on Saturday night to debut its first CD, “Tower Mountain.” The 3-year-old band features singer/songwriter Matt Mitchell, guitarist Jeff Nordvall, drummer Ben Bradley, violinist Heather Montgomery, cellist John Bottelli and bassist Seth Carey. Through a Kickstarter campaign last spring and summer, the band raised $7,000 to record “Tower Mountain.” The band then spent nearly 80 hours recording in August, dashing from full-time jobs to nights in the studio at Spokane Falls Community College. They produced the album under the guidance of audio engineer Steve Gamberoni. Playing off Mitchell’s insightful lyrics drawn from his life experiences, the band’s strength is in a collaborative writing process that exhibits the band’s diversity and depth. Mitchell creates the chords of each song from a Bob Dylan-inspired foundation, but after that, the music can go almost anywhere. The six-piece band features soulful keyboards, three-part harmonies, a vibrant cello and fiddle, and rocking guitar, drums and bass. Acoustic guitar, mandolin and harmonica also accent the Americana and roots-rock tunes. The musicians have all been playing since childhood and come from musical backgrounds ranging from hard rock to folk to classical. The harmonies of front man Mitchell and violinist Montgomery are mesmerizing, with her perfect pitch matching his full-on, closed-eyes passion. Their live shows are characterized by infectious energy as members play off one another and the audience to move the music in new directions. After a monthslong hiatus, Folkinception will play Saturday night with Terrible Buttons and Tyler Aker. Terrible Buttons, another Spokane favorite, joined Folkinception in the studio on the final night of recording to make drunken party sounds in the tune “More Friends at the Bar.”