The Accidentals
The Accidentals are an American band, formed in Traverse City, Michigan in 2012 by singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Sav Buist (now Sav Madigan) and Katie Larson. The group has featured an eclectic blend of indie folk, pop, bluegrass, rock, classical, and other genres. They have released seven full-length albums, three EPs, and two live albums.
The Accidentals
Traverse City, Michigan, United States
2012–present
Independent (previously with Sony Masterworks)
- Sav Madigan
- Katie Larson
- Katelynn Corll
Michael Dause
Buist and Larson grew up in musical families, released their first two albums while in high school, hired percussionist Michael Dause in 2014, and began touring nationally. Dause departed in March 2023 and was replaced by Katelynn Corll.[1] The band signed with major label Sony Masterworks by the time the members were around age 21, but they returned to releasing their recordings independently. Now based in Nashville,[2] they tour and lead music workshops across the US.[3][4]
History[edit]
2011–2012: Beginnings and Tangled Red and Blue[edit]
Larson and Buist met as young musicians in 2011 at their public high school, Traverse City West in Traverse City, Michigan.[4][5] Larson, then 15, was a freshman cello player, and Buist was a 16-year-old sophomore who played violin; they teamed up for a class orchestra project.[6] Larson recalled that a key encounter that inspired her and Buist to pursue a professional music career was when they attended a school workshop by the Moxie Strings, which was the first time they had seen a female duo playing electrified orchestral instruments in a popular style.[7] In 2012, they auditioned and won a spot in the first-ever singer-songwriter major at the renowned Interlochen Center for the Arts high school, where they formally created The Accidentals.[8]
In an interview with Post Independent, Larson described the formation of the band:
Musical style and development[edit]
While Tangled Red and Blue could be described as a contemporary folk release,[132] the musical style attributed to The Accidentals following Bittersweet is "genre-bending". Self-described orchestra dorks, or "orc dorks", the group embraces its complex musical sound and style.[133] "You can't really put us in one genre", according to Buist.[133] Jim Linderman of the Dull Tool and Dim Bulb blog referred to them in 2014 as "the best unsigned band in America" and "tastefully eccentric", adding: "They pack performing space with a multi-generational mix."[134]
In 2015 the band delved into blues, rock and roll and hip-hop musicality, as can be heard in songs such as "Trouble"[135] and "Parking Lot",[136] as well as in collaborations with artists such as Rick Chyme.[137] In 2019, the band described their sound as "folk-influenced pop rock".[138] In 2020, the band's Patreon page described them as "punk folk music with strings".[139]
Describing the band's vision and emphasis on community in 2022, Buist said: "Music is powerful, it's therapeutic, and it's a lifeblood that ties us all together and overrides our differences."[2]
Influences[edit]
Growing up in musical families, including professional pianists for fathers and vocalists for mothers, Larson's and Buist's influences bounced between jazz, country, classical, bluegrass, alternative rock and the obscure.[140] Their self-described "all over the place" list of influences in 2015 included Andrew Bird, Stéphane Grappelli, Arcade Fire, Death Cab for Cutie, St. Vincent, Django Reinhardt, Sufjan Stevens, The Appleseed Collective,[141] and The National.[142][133]
In a Coffeehouse Conversations session with WYEP-FM in 2015, Buist and Larson were asked who their top pick would be out of any artist with which they could possibly ever collaborate. During that session, Buist chose Ben Folds and Larson picked Jack White.[143] They named more influences during the Coffeehouse Conversation: Chris Thile and Punch Brothers, Belle & Sebastian, Radiohead, and the White Stripes. In a "20 Questions" feature with PopMatters in 2017, the duo cited additional influences as topmost inspirations to their craft including Kimya Dawson, Patti Smith, Caroline Shaw, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, and Brian May.[41]
In an interview with Americana Highways in 2022, Buist mentioned a "top 10 bucket list, in any order" of dream future co-writers: Indigo Girls, Brandi Carlile, Stevie Nicks, Brittany Howard, Neko Case, Lianne La Havas, Sarah Jarosz, Anna Tivel, Ani DiFranco, and Aimee Mann.[144]
Awards won:
