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Over the Rhine and through the woods
Folk and American roots duo from Dayton’s backyard

Dayton City Paper
May 2003

by Leslie Benson

An intimate, soul-bearing string of moments like the raindrops you catch on your tongue as a child, the music of Cincinnati-based folk/roots band Over the Rhine seeps into you with a rich hunger—each note a separate, glimmering cloud-diamond. Hearing vocalist/guitarist Karin Bergquist and pianist Linford Detweiler perform for the first time will stay with you long after the music ends. The duet’s earthy undercurrent of Americana and sentimentality feeds inner-truths and transcends into a musical meditation—a spiritual encounter of sorts. Followers consider Over the Rhine one of the best underground indie bands of our era, and after hearing them for yourself during one of their performances at the Canal Street Tavern this weekend, you may agree.

Having recently toured through Florida, Over the Rhine has returned to Ohio to soak their musical seeds in a familiar field. “We have wonderful friends in Ohio that have been very supportive, and it’s hard to think we could do it without them,” said Detweiler. “We have a great old Victorian house that we wouldn’t be able to afford in California, and we’ve had room in Ohio to kind of discover who we are musically without having to conform.”

Traditional poetry in motion, Over the Rhine’s music stems from roots in gospel and folk. “There will always be folk and roots music, the blues, gospel, jazz and old traditional country,” said Detweiler. “That’s the root of all American music. People will always go back to that for inspiration.”

According to Detweiler, he and Bergquist grew up around music. It is as much a part of them as the blood that runs through their veins and stirs their beating hearts.

“I was a fairly musical baby,” said Detweiler. “I remember the exact moment my dad said we were getting a piano. I was in the car sitting behind the driver’s seat. I remember the first song that came into my head that I wanted to play, “Put Your Hand in the Hand of the Man,” an old southern gospel song. My parents listened to a lot of different kinds of music, bringing interesting records into the house—not a lot of rock ‘n’ roll, though. I had to find that for myself. When we got the upright piano, that’s sort of where I went to get lost.”

When Bergquist and Detweiler first started college almost 20 years ago, they started to perform music together fairly quickly. “Karin was studying classical music and I was studying piano, but it took a while (for us) to figure out what we wanted to do,” Detweiler.

Since college, the members of Over the Rhine have found comfort in lyrics and poetic form. “Song lyrics can be poetic, but they are different than poetry,” said Detweiler. “More and more I try to find fresh language when I write songs. Oftentimes, I will write a bunch of stream of consciousness (works) that would be poetic in nature, but I pull bits and pieces out for an individual song.” According to Detweiler, in songs, “every word has to count. Poems are like that too.”

There remains a fine line between music, poetry and art. Over the Rhine is the exception. The band’s music exists as art and reflects Bergquist and Detweiler’s most personal, inner-thoughts and experiences.

“I see all of our records as memory and mile-markers,” said Detweiler. “They all remind me of a time of my life and what was happening at that time. When I first started writing songs, I really didn’t consciously admit they were autobiographical in nature, but I think I was really in denial.”

According to Detweiler, during the release of their album Good Dog, Bad Dog (2000), they were considering calling it quits as a band and participating in other life activities. However, they changed their minds, realizing once and for all that music really is, and always will be, their calling.

“‘Latter Days’ on Good Dog, Bad Dog was a transitional song for us because we were contemplating packing it in as musicians at the time. It was a healing song for us that marked a new era and helped us make peace with who we are,” said Detweiler.

After that album, Over the Rhine released Films for Radio (2001) and toured throughout America and Europe. “When our last record (Films for Radio) came out, we toured all of North America a couple of times. We did a bunch of shows in Paris, Berlin, Hamburg, Madrid and Oslow. It was our first extended European tour,” said Detweiler.

“We don’t tour constantly,” he added. “It has been a fairly steady part of our lives for the last 10 or 11 years. We do take breaks occasionally. Touring is just what we do and how we support ourselves. There’s a lot about touring that is hard work, exhausting and somewhat thankless, but the redeeming part of it is you get to play a concert every night.”

Since Films for Radio, the band has completed another album, temporarily untitled, which is due for release this August with Back Porch Records (a subsidiary of Virgin Records). “We recorded about 21 songs that all belonged together,” said Detweiler. “For some reason, we didn’t get excited about breaking the songs apart. We suggested something to our record company that The Clash did. They released a double album and only charged for the price of the regular CD. We want to put a double album out on CD and on vinyl.”

On their new album, Detweiler admits there are “a lot of songs about Jesus and dying. They’re kind of odd. For example, there is the song ‘Jesus in New Orleans.’ We’re kind of haunted by a sort of Christ figure. The album touches upon going to church as a part of our growing up and making sense of it. Another (theme) is this idea that we’re all terminal and that we’re all gonna go sooner or later. That affects the way we live our lives and how we treat the people around us.”

“We always try to reinvent ourselves from project to project,” said Detweiler. “Curiosity is a big part of it all.”

According to Detweiler, if he couldn’t express himself through music, he would use creative writing as an emotional outlet. “I’m interested in all types of writing, but I really am a songwriter at the end of the day. I’d love to write a memoir some day and get into everything I saw as a child. I’d (also) like to have a family some day, and kids.”

“I’m moved by music that’s deeply connected to the person that’s making it,” said Detweiler. “Music is just an incredible part of being human. I can’t imagine life without it.”

Over the Rhine will perform at the Canal Street Tavern, 308 E. First St. in Dayton on Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17. “Canal Street is a special venue for us. It’s very cozy and special,” added Detweiler. “Mick Montgomery is a real music lover and deserves a lot of credit.”