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Arts & Entertainment

A Little Bit of Country Comes to Local Coffeehouse Burlap and Bean

Canadian Lynne Hanson and local musician Kyle Swartzwelder may not hail from the south, but they do know country and bluegrass music.

NEWTOWN SQUARE—In the past two months, Burlap and Bean has brought a wide variety of musical genres. We've seen hip-hop, international, a British troubadour, and some heavy rock, but on Saturday night, May 15, Burlap and Bean took a turn south.

The irony of course lies in the fact that neither artist really ventured north to play. Ottawa native Lynne Hanson traveled from the great north of Canada to play Newtown Square some bluegrass and even a southern murder ballad. Headliner Kyle Swartzwelder did travel from the south, but Wilmington, DE, isn't exactly real country.

Hanson refers to some of her music as "porch music," as in it creates the image of family, community, and togetherness.

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"All my songs start at the kitchen table. I start writing them on acoustic guitar and I write them by myself. The most fun that I have is when I have other musicians sitting around with me and I'm playing that song for the first time and we're unplugged, and we just start jamming through this tune. I get their interpretations of what I have done. And that is what 'porch music' is all about," Hanson explained.

Her music seems to evolve through different influences–when she gets to jam with other musicians, she values the creative input.

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"If I were painting a painting, I would provide the basic landscape and they would add things," said Hanson.

One of the distinct characteristics of country music is the stories and inspiration behind each song. During Hanson's set, she introduced each song with a narrative or anecdote of how the song came to be.

There was one about how she fell in love at age 4, but the focus of her affections did not return her love. Another story was more emotional. A friend of hers had lost his wife to Alzheimer’s disease and the song is a collection of sentiments she wished she could have said when she had heard the devastating news.

Her sound was classic country and bluegrass. Hanson's voice is deep and passionate, but she makes it look completely effortless. Her strong lyrics like, "You can bury my body, but don't bury it too deep," or "You took me for a movie queen and I took you for a diamond ring" and reflect her genre of music.

Most regulars of Burlap and Bean know Swartzwelder as the host of their open mic nights or the sound guy who reminds us every weekend that this is a listening room, but Saturday was his night.

The coffeehouse was pretty full with family and friends ready to support his musical endeavors. Not only was he releasing a new printing of his album and recent EP of Neil Young covers, but this was also one of the first times he was performing with a full band. Swartzwelder's solo shows are mellow and his slightly husky voice whispers through the speakers. This time he had to share the spotlight but it was all worth it.

"I mostly look for guys who listen more than they play. Meaning, they play in a way that fits nicely with the song as I've written it and not in a way that takes over the song. It's all about taste, feel and subtlety.  Once I found the right guys, I am free to let them play what they want," he explained.

Swartzwelder isn't a classic front man because he feels the "vibe is created by the songs not by how they're played." Nate Gonzalez (piano), John Farrell (pedal steel), and Ryan Snyder (bass) created a great ensemble to match Swartzwelder's music.

"There's a cohesiveness that happens with the band that allows me to sit back a little bit," said Swartzwelder.

The set was a great balance of country-influenced rock ballads with upbeat folk songs. One particular song entitled, "Julianne" was about a girl from college–the original was more of a pop song but even with a mellow country vibe it’s still as catchy as a hit single.

The band really enhanced the performance. Swartzwelder's cover of Young's "Cortez the Killer" would not be as haunting without Farrell's accompaniment of the pedal steel.

He closed the night with covers of Tom Petty's "Walls" and Bruce Springsteen's "Thunder Road."  On the latter song, he intended to play it solo but told the band they could join in, so they did and didn't miss a beat. Throughout the last songs, there was a subtle smile full of pride that was shared between the artists on stage.

Swartzwelder recently left the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. world to pursue music full time. Saturday evening's show may just be a taste of things to come.

"Though I actually feel busier now than I did when I had a job," commented Swartzwelder. "Probably because I'm busier with things that I actually enjoy. I've been able to start doing more studio work with other artists. I've been doing more for Burlap and Bean and I've been working on my own music a little more. It's really right where I wanted to be. Refreshing!"

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