Cole Quest acknowledges that he is not your typical bluegrass performer. An Italian Jew and computer programmer by trade, he grew up in and around New York City. But music is clearly baked into his DNA. Folk icon Woody "This Land Is Your Land" Guthrie (1912-1967) was his grandfather. (Guthrie died of Huntington's disease at age 55.) That is quite a towering legacy to have. And although Quest sincerely respects and honors his illustrious ancestor, he makes it very clear that he is his own person, musically and personally.
Videos by Wide Open Country
As he succinctly put it, "I'm not Woody 2.0."
With a new single, "I Ain't," about to drop from a forthcoming album called Homegrown by Cole Quest and The City Pickers (Jalopy Records / July 18), Quest spoke to Wide Open Country about his remarkable forebear and his own singular take on the music scene.
Listen To 'I Ain't,' First Single From Upcoming Album 'Homegrown,' Here
Quest is rightly proud of Homegrown and is eager to describe that. The album features three Woody Guthrie songs including 'Pastures of Plenty," plus a Woody / Arlo Guthrie co-write. Quest said, "I'm just proud of the people that I get to make music with. I think this is a great representation of who we are as people and the music we like to make and create. It's the culmination of the work that we're put together. I'm super proud of this from that perspective. We've got some original songs in there that are heavily meaningful to me when I wrote them or since then."
Does Quest Feel A Responsibility To Keep Woody Guthrie's Musical And Cultural Legacy Alive?
In answer to that weighty question, Quest said yes...and no. "I do as an artist, but not necessarily as the grandson of Woody. A lot of the sentiments and the values that Woody had resonate with me that I also want to try to do my best to keep in the public eye, to keep in the conversation. I think that is part of the responsibility of music in general."
He added, "Growing up with [Woody's] music around the family certainly was an influence, there's no doubt about it. But also as a music fan myself, I fell in love with him as a songwriter, just kind of like anyone else. As a musician, I found bluegrass music through the New York City bluegrass scene and going to jams at Irish pubs. So I've kind of formed my own way of playing music that always there's this underlying thread of Woody being present."
He Differentiates Himself From His Grandfather
Quest is forthright about being his own distinctive person and artist. "For me, it's never been a question of, 'Do I need to be Woody?' I'm not Woody. I didn't have the same experience. I didn't live through the Dust Bowl. The most amount of dust that I have is the dust bunny under my bed. We're not the same people. I do think there's the same responsibility of try my best as an artist."
He Outlined His Musical Philosophy
He said that Cole Quest and the City Pickers are not in the same lane as other bluegrass bands - and that's okay. ""A lot of those bluegrass bands have been born and bred to play this music since they were two years old. That's not exactly who I am. We aim in a certain direction but we don't always land exactly where a traditional bluegrass band might land."
Quest continued, "For me, a lot of this is connecting to an older generation. This older music is about understanding our past. It's about understanding our history and understanding where we come from because we are the result of everything before.
"For me, it's about building community. It's a about finding people that I can appreciate and can feel a part of."
