[piano intro] - [Announcer] "Shaped by Sound" is a co-production of PBS North Carolina and the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The series is presented by Come Hear North Carolina.

[soft music] - [James] I'm James Mieczkowski, and this is "Shaped by Sound."

On the surface, Mipso is a tight-knit bluegrass and Americana group, forged by friendship at UNC-Chapel Hill along with countless hours of playing together on the road.

But that's not the full picture of this group.

In fact, when you zoom in past those genres, it gets something much deeper, brilliant, and unique.

Today on "Shaped by Sound," performing songs across their catalog and in conversation with me, this is Mipso.

[lighthearted bluegrass music fades] [upbeat bluegrass music] [upbeat bluegrass music continues] [upbeat bluegrass music continues] ♪ Me and Louise, we never had much luck ♪ ♪ Just a couple of kids with a lot of love ♪ ♪ We laid our fortunes on her daddy's old farm ♪ ♪ We didn't see how dirt could do such harm ♪ ♪ The seasons came and the seasons left ♪ ♪ The only thing that changed was the shape of her dress ♪ ♪ And she said ♪ ♪ You're a good man, and you will have my child ♪ ♪ But you can't raise a living thing ♪ ♪ On this cursed old ground ♪ ♪ We laid a sheet on the piano keys ♪ ♪ Crying good Lord ♪ ♪ Please, please ♪ ♪ We packed our things into the old farm car ♪ ♪ Just wonderin' if it could take us very far ♪ ♪ And I said ♪ ♪ Everything about it takes a little luck ♪ ♪ The gears rumble ♪ ♪ And the left door's stuck ♪ ♪ And it doesn't come with any guarantee ♪ ♪ But there's gas in the tank ♪ ♪ Louise ♪ ♪ Out here on the borderline, the sun sets low ♪ ♪ Like a couple of jackrabbits dancing in the morning snow ♪ ♪ I knew we'd make it ♪ ♪ If we could just get out ♪ ♪ The only thing we saw was love and south ♪ ♪ The miles came and the miles went ♪ ♪ Our hearts were full ♪ ♪ But our money was spent ♪ ♪ Somewhere outside El Paso ♪ ♪ My Louise cried out ♪ ♪ She took my arm, and she said ♪ ♪ It's time now ♪ ♪ I prayed and waited all night ♪ ♪ Oh, Louise ♪ ♪ Please, please ♪ ♪ I heard a new voice with the new day ♪ ♪ And I thought back to what her daddy used to say ♪ ♪ He said ♪ ♪ Everything about it takes a little luck ♪ ♪ The gears rumble ♪ ♪ And the left door's stuck ♪ ♪ And it doesn't come with any guarantee ♪ ♪ But there's gas in the tank ♪ ♪ Louise ♪ [soft bluegrass music] [soft bluegrass music continues] ♪ Me and Louise, we didn't go too far ♪ ♪ And we named that little boy after Louise's pa ♪ ♪ And we found a plot of ground we could call our own ♪ ♪ Built a house ♪ ♪ We built a home ♪ ♪ And we said ♪ ♪ Everything about it takes a little luck ♪ ♪ The gears rumble ♪ ♪ And the left door's stuck ♪ ♪ And it doesn't come with any guarantee ♪ ♪ But there's gas in the tank ♪ ♪ There is gas in the tank ♪ ♪ Yeah, there's gas in the tank ♪ ♪ Louise ♪ - I kinda wanna start with probably the most random question I've got here in this list.

Little pee in the miso.

- Mm.

- Can we talk about that for a second?

- Yeah.

We should set the record straight on this one.

- Yeah.

- This is 100% factual, very true story.

We wanted a band name, and we didn't want it to sound too overly folky 'cause we felt like there were a lot of bands with similar names in those days.

Maybe this is true in every era of music.

And we learned about a phrase, we went to Japan early on, played a little bluegrass festival in Takarazuka, Japan, 'cause Jacob did some research over there for his senior thesis.

- How cool.

- The third oldest bluegrass festival in the world.

- Whoa!

- It's true.

- Okay.

- And a cool scene of, like, real bluegrassheads.

We found that there's an old phrase that's like, you say, "Oh, there's a little pee in the miso," which means like, you know, it's traditional, it's something I recognize, but there's something a little off.

- Mm-hmm.

- We thought that was funny- - Yeah.

- And so we put a little p in miso.

[melancholy bluegrass music] ♪ I was on that train ♪ ♪ To the border town ♪ ♪ I was on that train ♪ ♪ I was freedom bound ♪ ♪ I was on that train ♪ ♪ When the trestle fell ♪ ♪ No arms to hold me ♪ ♪ As I said my farewell ♪ ♪ Do you see that dove ♪ ♪ Who flies to me ♪ ♪ Can you hear my love ♪ ♪ As he cries to sleep ♪ [melancholy bluegrass music continues] ♪ Where the Mackinaw River ♪ ♪ Meets the great Illinois ♪ ♪ There I gave my love ♪ ♪ To a low-born boy ♪ ♪ I was lost in the light ♪ ♪ Of a flame burning wild ♪ ♪ When I felt the stirring ♪ ♪ Of a star-crossed child ♪ ♪ Do you see that dove ♪ ♪ Who flies to me ♪ ♪ Can you hear my love ♪ ♪ As he cries to sleep ♪ [melancholy bluegrass music continues] [melancholy bluegrass music continues] ♪ Well, the burden grew ♪ ♪ And we planned our escape ♪ ♪ And he said ♪ ♪ I will meet you up that North Country way ♪ ♪ I was just past Eureka ♪ ♪ When the engine broke free ♪ ♪ I am gone to God ♪ ♪ And my burden with me ♪ ♪ Do you see that dove ♪ ♪ Who flies to me ♪ ♪ Can you hear my love ♪ ♪ As he cries to sleep ♪ ♪ Do you see that dove ♪ ♪ Who flies to me ♪ ♪ Can you hear my love ♪ ♪ As he cries to sleep ♪ - I think in some ways we did things out of order, like we had a lot of musicians you think of as like, okay, they workshop for years, they're in training, and then they, and they study with the teacher, and eventually they reach a point where they're being on stage more often.

We got an opportunity kind of, you know, backwards from that, to be on stage a whole lot as we were learning to play music.

- Interesting.

- But we also got, like, a lot of, I think that the best, the only way to be comfortable on stage is to just be on stage for more time, and we spent a lot of time on stage.

And also, like, that's a really deliberate and intense way of getting to know each other musically.

- Right.

- So we've really formed like a band sound in a way that I don't think happens when you're, like, casually playing together in spare time.

- Yeah.

Y'all were putting in your 10,000 hours.

- Yeah, as a group, yeah.

- Right.

- And individually, yeah.

- Mm.

- But mainly on stage.

I mean, that's how we thought of ourselves at the time is a touring band.

- Right.

- We were living in the same house, which was kind of irrelevant 'cause really we were living in the same van.

We would be gone for between 250 and 300 days a year, and we'd play four or five nights a week in those early days.

And it started to change quickly, how our DNA almost, like, fused.

- Yeah, and you must have really liked each other to spend that much time together.

Or maybe not.

- I mean, yeah, we did.

- Yeah.

We did at first.

- Yeah.

[everyone laughing] - It's very sibling-like.

- Yeah.

- Somewhere between a polygamous marriage and being sibling.

[Jacob and James laughing] - What brings you joy playing together live?

- I always feel like it's the sense that we're making something that none of us could make on our own, that there's something, like, mysteriously additive happening.

And when we all play together, it's this kind of like, you know, three-dimensional being that we create that isn't something we could even imagine by ourselves.

- Mm.

That's awesome.

What about you, Jacob?

- I've been thinking a lot lately about, as our lives are changing, what a gift it is to be able to make music at all, to be able to make art in a world that often doesn't encourage you to do it, and that we've been given that gift so consistently for so many years and with each other.

We've kind of, I feel like it's a gift we've given to each other also.

I can't help but now be very present of that whenever we're making music together, and especially on stage.

And you think of it, or I think of it almost like a family reunion every time.

And there's, you see things in your family that no one else can see, the good and the bad, and you have a level of comfort with yourself, with your family, that you don't have anywhere else.

- Right.

- And that's what this band has become, and that's an incredibly joyful thing.

[upbeat bluegrass music] ♪ Do you want me ♪ ♪ Like I want you ♪ ♪ Do you wonder if I sleep alone at night ♪ ♪ I woke up early ♪ ♪ Yesterday morning ♪ ♪ I woke up with you still on my mind ♪ ♪ Who am I to be your angel ♪ ♪ Who am I if not your friend ♪ ♪ Who am I if I'm all alone ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Wake me up if I'm dreaming again ♪ ♪ Do you need me ♪ ♪ Like I need you ♪ ♪ Do you know how it feels to be this low ♪ ♪ I'm sorry ♪ ♪ How I'm sorry ♪ ♪ I've learned just how little that I know ♪ ♪ Who am I to be your angel ♪ ♪ Who am I if not your friend ♪ ♪ Who am I if I'm all alone ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Wake me up if I'm dreaming again ♪ [upbeat bluegrass music continues] [upbeat bluegrass music continues] ♪ Are you thankful ♪ ♪ Like I'm thankful ♪ ♪ Thankful for this place we're all tied to ♪ ♪ To a new place ♪ ♪ I have awoken ♪ ♪ Everything that I know of love I learned from you ♪ ♪ Who am I to be your angel ♪ ♪ Who am I if not your friend ♪ ♪ Who am I if I'm all alone ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Wake me up if I'm dreaming ♪ ♪ Wake me up when I'm dreaming ♪ ♪ Wake me up if I'm dreaming again ♪ - As you're thinking about a record and you're out there workshopping things, like, how does that work together?

- It's changed for each record- - Yeah.

- How it is that we've approached and found that alchemy, but it generally starts with the same question, which is what are we all excited about individually and what's the overlap there?

- And I think part of our secret formula has been never coming up with a formula.

In other words, we sit with each other with a, like, broad, vague possibility of all the different albums you can make for as long as it takes for one to emerge, and that means that it's different every time we get together because we're different people every time we get together.

But it was resisting, like, a type of record that we make that kept us feeling like we could make something fresh and new.

It's difficult because we're all for, we got...

Most, I think, bands have a sort of, like, central point either in the songwriting or the singing that other musicians can wrap their sound around, and without that, I think that the challenge for us has always been, how do you keep multiple voices and multiple musical sort of like, you know, fabrics to weave together without seeming like a songwriter in the round, we're not just taking turns.

- Yeah.

- We have different singers, but one sound.

- Hmm.

I wanted to talk to you about the single-microphone technique, and it sort of promotes togetherness, harmonies, and solos.

Do you think that is a technique that just really fits what you all do?

- I'm glad you see it that way.

This is what it feels like.

It forces us to listen to each other in a different way.

And oftentimes on stage, you're in your different zones with different monitors.

And that's a moment where we get together and it's kinda like stripping things back to the core of what we do, which is listening to each other and listening to our acoustic instruments.

And I also love that, like, speaking of, like, being shaped by sound- - Yeah.

- When you play a concert, what you're hearing in the audience is oftentimes as many as, like, 36 different individual audio inputs being gelled together.

And in that moment, there's literally one thing happening.

And it might be a combination of four voices, and it might be a combination of four voices and four instruments, but it's coming through one single source.

So there's this, like, real true gelling of a combination of things that's actually being presented.

You're not hearing a summed, you know, combination, but, like, the thing itself.

[lively bluegrass music] ♪ I've never been so hungry ♪ ♪ Seems like 22 years, I've been looking for a fight ♪ ♪ Never stayed in school for long ♪ ♪ Couldn't keep my patience on ♪ ♪ Never had the motivation quite to get my timing right ♪ ♪ I want my story to begin ♪ ♪ There's a time to save up and a time to spend ♪ ♪ I'm too young for the past tense ♪ ♪ All this worrying about ♪ ♪ What might have been ♪ ♪ Should've been a preacher man ♪ ♪ Let the good book show me where to stand ♪ ♪ In this earthly half-way home ♪ ♪ Should've been a farming man ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Teach my boy to plow the land ♪ ♪ Leave this wicked winter just a couple acres greener ♪ [lively bluegrass music continues] ♪ I've never been so thirsty to get my soul right ♪ ♪ But like a summer bug ♪ ♪ I've been burned by the blinding light ♪ ♪ Never stayed in church for long ♪ ♪ Poplar pews and white folk songs ♪ ♪ Sunday morning never was as real as Friday night ♪ ♪ I wanna celebrate my sins ♪ ♪ There's a time to save up and a time to spend ♪ ♪ I'm too young for the past tense ♪ ♪ All this worrying about ♪ ♪ What might have been ♪ ♪ Should've been a preacher man ♪ ♪ Let the good book show me where to stand ♪ ♪ In this earthly half-way home ♪ ♪ Should've been a farming man ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Teach my boy to plow the land ♪ ♪ Leave this wicked winter just a couple acres greener ♪ [lively bluegrass music continues] [lively bluegrass music continues] ♪ Some day they'll write my name upon a stone ♪ ♪ And I won't be there to see it ♪ ♪ Up on Calvary calling me ♪ ♪ I know ♪ ♪ They'll say ♪ ♪ Should've been a preacher man ♪ ♪ Let the good book show me where to stand ♪ ♪ In this earthly half-way home ♪ ♪ Should've been a farming man ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Teach my boy to plow the land ♪ ♪ Leave this wicked winter just a couple acres greener ♪ ♪ Should've been a preacher man ♪ ♪ Let the good book show me where to stand ♪ ♪ In this earthly half-way home ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Should've been a farming man ♪ ♪ Teach my boy to plow the land ♪ ♪ Leave this wicked winter just a couple acres greener ♪ ♪ When I go ♪ - I think one other thing that I've been thinking about yesterday and today being here, and with all of you helping to make this possible, is that a part of what makes, like, being shaped by sound, it's not just the music, it's the, like, the infrastructure of the community.

And one thing I feel really lucky about being a North Carolinian and someone who makes music strongly associated with North Carolina is that I think the part of the reason we have such a great scene is because of the myriad of things that surround it, the independent record label, like this record was pressed at a vinyl press in Raleigh.

- Right.

- There's so many great labels and managers, and there's so many venues.

It takes a real village to lift music up, and increasingly in the connected, but to me, emotionally disconnected, world that we all live in via our phone, I think that's gonna become even more important.

So I just feel when we got the call about being here, I was so thankful that it was being made and so proud to be a part of the community.

- Well, thank you all for being here.

It's truly an honor to have you all in here and chat with us and play these songs.

We were equally as excited when we heard you all were coming in.

So thank you so much, and we really appreciate it.

- Yeah, thank you.

- Thanks, James.

And thanks to the whole crew that made this thing possible.

- Yes.

[lighthearted bluegrass music] ♪ I used to set my sights on an incoming light ♪ ♪ And zone out till the morning ♪ ♪ Turn the A.M. dial ♪ ♪ Sit and think awhile ♪ ♪ Early March, with the frost still hard ♪ ♪ I nodded off and turned ♪ ♪ And the sand traps work ♪ ♪ But stopping hurts ♪ ♪ Carolina rolling by ♪ ♪ Windows down and the sun's up high ♪ ♪ Can you feel it ♪ ♪ I can feel it ♪ ♪ I used to kneel at night ♪ ♪ And think what's right ♪ ♪ Imagining a man ♪ ♪ Way up in the sky ♪ ♪ Or somewhere deep inside ♪ ♪ Maybe it's me, but it's harder to sleep ♪ ♪ With a shaking in your hand ♪ ♪ Yeah, I hate those pills ♪ ♪ Except how they make me feel ♪ ♪ Carolina rolling by ♪ ♪ Windows down and the sun's up high ♪ ♪ Can you feel it ♪ ♪ I can feel it ♪ ♪ Carolina rolling by ♪ ♪ Windows down and the sun's up high ♪ ♪ Can you take it ♪ ♪ I can take it ♪ [lighthearted bluegrass music continues] [lighthearted bluegrass music continues] ♪ Sometimes I watch the trees ♪ ♪ And I wonder at leaves ♪ ♪ All reaching toward the light ♪ ♪ They can sleep at night ♪ ♪ Th5y know to do what's right ♪ ♪ When I'm out at dawn on an open road ♪ ♪ And the sun climbs up the branches ♪ ♪ I know I'm not alone ♪ ♪ It's just the long way home ♪ ♪ Carolina rolling by ♪ ♪ Windows down and the sun's up high ♪ ♪ Can you feel it ♪ ♪ I can feel it ♪ ♪ Carolina rolling by ♪ ♪ Windows down and the sun's up high ♪ ♪ Can you take it ♪ ♪ I can take it ♪ ♪ Carolina rolling by ♪ ♪ Windows down and the sun's up high ♪ ♪ Can you feel it ♪ ♪ I can feel it ♪ ♪ Carolina rolling by ♪ ♪ Windows down and the sun's up high ♪ ♪ Can you take it ♪ ♪ I can take it ♪ [lighthearted bluegrass music continues] [lighthearted bluegrass music continues] [lighthearted bluegrass music continues] [lighthearted bluegrass music continues] [upbeat music] - [James] Thanks for joining us on "Shaped by Sound."

If you'd like to hear the songs we discussed today, you can find them over on our website at pbsnc.org/ShapedbySound or you can find 'em on YouTube.

[upbeat music continues] ♪ Yeah, at least I've got it all ♪ ♪ Figured out ♪ ♪ There ain't nothing wrong ♪ ♪ There ain't nothing I don't know about ♪ ♪ Skies are dark ♪ ♪ But I see blue ♪ ♪ I'm always trying ♪ ♪ To make it true ♪ ♪ Yeah, at least I've got it all ♪ ♪ Figured out ♪ ♪ There ain't nothing wrong ♪ ♪ There ain't nothing I don't know about ♪ ♪ Skies are dark ♪ ♪ But I see blue ♪ ♪ I'm always trying ♪ ♪ To make it true ♪ - [Announcer] "Shaped by Sound" is a co-production of PBS North Carolina and the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The series is presented by Come Hear North Carolina.

[gentle music]