“We’re not truly a bluegrass band,” says Steve Arnold, reflecting on his quarter century in Bend’s Blackstrap Bluegrass. It’s easy to understand how a band that’s been making music and playing shows for more than 25 years might not stick to just one lane.
“I’m the only original” band member, he continues. “We’ve had three or four incarnations over the years.” This also contributes to the group’s varied influences and directions during the decades. Today’s band features Arnold on five-string banjo, Derek Hofbauer on mandolin, Craig Mavis on upright bass and Jak Rands on acoustic guitar. The foursome share songwriting duties and officially kicked off year 25 with the release of “Songs to Remember” last April.
An everyman’s band singing songs about love, wide-open Central Oregon landscapes, road trips, “Whiskey & Rye” and a propane-heated trailer (one of the first songs Arnold ever wrote), the Source Weekly caught up with Steve Arnold recently — answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Source Weekly: Twenty-five years is quite a milestone. During that time, you’ve released three albums so it’s obvious that making studio records hasn’t been the priority for the band.
Steve Arnold: No. I think we technically have four, but that first one… I don’t even think we did it with an engineer. I think I did it myself. It was just called “Made in Bend.” That was when we were first starting out.
SW: What’s your songwriting process like?
SA: When I write songs, I sometimes think about places I’ve been or places I like to go, just as a kind of a place to start. But we seem to have some songs that have geographic references, like “The Lights of Winnemucca,” which is when you’re driving through Oregon and you haven’t seen anything for a while, and there’s the lights of Winnemucca. A friend of mine dared me to write a song about Winnemucca.
SW: So, have you played Winnemucca?
SA: No, we haven’t. But we have played in Frenchglen, Oregon, which is kind of close.
SW: It counts.
SA: Yeah. And then “Alvord Annie” was another one that was about the Alvord Desert, a place that I love.
SW: How’d you start playing music?
SA: I was always the guy in the jam circle without the instrument, because I didn’t grow up playing music. But I would know words, so I could always sing. Maybe not great, but at least I knew the words.
When I moved out here in ’94, one of the guys that I would go see these bluegrass festivals with — he was a college friend and a musician — I went to visit him on my way out here. We went to the Albuquerque flea market, and my buddies found me this banjo, this beater banjo for $100. And they’re like, “You’re gonna need this in Oregon.” Then I just figured it out from there, Appalachian style.
SW: What kind of gigs do you derive the most enjoyment from?
SA: Since we’ve been playing so long, it’s no longer just our friends coming to see us. So there’s just a bunch of new people who are pleasantly surprised. That’s kind of fun. I just like to see people having a good time, people I don’t know. Weddings, private parties are super fun because that’s when you get to engage with the crowd, and you get to meet people and collectively raise the energy level.
SW: Do you have any advice for younger musicians?
SA: Anyone can write a song, you know, you just gotta do it. And then you just gotta keep playing. One of the best pieces of advice I got was: Don’t keep your instrument in its case. Keep it on the couch or something, or hang it up so you can see it. Find a style you like. Find your style, whatever that is, and nurture that.
This article appears in The Source Weekly January 23, 2025.
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