Mipso is a North Carolina quartet formed in Chapel Hill and known for combining a traditional string band format with close harmony and a variety of modern influences. The band is made up of Wood Robinson (Bass, Vocals), Jacob Sharp (Mandolin, Vocals), Joseph Terrell (Guitar, Vocals) and Libby Rodenbough (Fiddle, Vocals).
Mipso | |
|---|---|
 Mipso concert at Gypsy Sally's in Georgetown, Washington, DC, on September 12, 2015 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Chapel Hill, North Carolina, US |
| Genres | Bluegrass, Indie folk, Alternative country |
| Instrument(s) | vocals, guitar, mandolin, double bass, fiddle, banjo, keyboard |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Labels | Robust Records (2013–2017) Antifragile (2018) Rounder Records (2019–present) |
| Members | Wood Robinson Libby Rodenbough Jacob Sharp Joseph Terrell |
| Website | mipsomusic |
Career
editUNC Years and "Mipso Trio"
editWhile students at UNC-Chapel Hill, guitarist Joseph Terrell and mandolin player Jacob Sharp began performing at Chapel Hill open mic nights as an acoustic duo. With the idea of forming a band to play folk and bluegrass, they approached bassist Wood Robinson, with whom Terrell had previously performed in a campus party band, Funkosaurus Rex. Billed as "Mipso Trio," the group began performing in 2011 at campus events and occasionally around North Carolina.
After partnering with local Chapel Hill record label Robust Records, the group recorded the album Long, Long Gone in 2012 and began performing regularly with friend and fiddle player, Libby Rodenbough. Mipso Trio quickly became a campus staple[1] known for its many sold-out performances at the historic Cat's Cradle in Carrboro; for bridging the divide between the UNC music community and the broader music scene of North Carolina's Triangle;[2] and for performing with members of the Red Clay Ramblers and former Chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill, Holden Thorp, on numerous occasions.
Terrell, Sharp, and Rodenbough were recipients of the Morehead-Cain Scholarship given to exceptional students at UNC-Chapel Hill.[3]
2013 – 2018
editUpon graduation from UNC in 2013, Terrell, Sharp, and Robinson traveled on a two-week tour of Japan including performances at the 43rd annual Takarazuka Bluegrass Festival and a concert at Tokyo's historic country music venue, Rocky Top. A documentary of their trip to Japan, "Mipso In Japan,"[4] directed by filmmaker Jon Kasbe, premiered at film festivals across the country in 2014, including the NYC Picture Start Film Festival,[5] Riverrun International Film Festival,[6] and Indie Grits.[7]
2013 also saw them release Dark Holler Pop with the newly truncated name "Mipso." Produced by Andrew Marlin and featuring members of Chatham County Line, Town Mountain, and Mandolin Orange, Dark Holler Pop was an exploration of bluegrass instrumentation and arrangements, with most songs featuring banjo and fiddle.[8] The album was a surprise success, appearing on Billboard's Bluegrass chart and raising the band's profile considerably.[9]
In 2014 the group continued to develop its sound, adding frequent collaborator Libby Rodenbough as a full-time member and touring around the US. In April 2014 guitarist Joseph Terrell won the General category of Merlefest's Chris Austin Songwriting Contest.[10]
With the 2015 release, Old Time Reverie, again produced by Andrew Marlin, Mipso expanded into richer, occasionally darker, textures, adding the clawhammer banjo and electric organ. The album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Bluegrass chart.[11]
Mipso performed on the KFC float in the 2015 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.[12][13]
The band began to expand their musicality with their third studio album, Coming Down the Mountain, released on April 7, 2017. This album saw the band add drums and slide guitar to their repertoire. The album spent five weeks on the Billboard Bluegrass chart, peaking at the third highest position.
In July of that year, the band was in a serious car accident in North Carolina. Their touring van was rear-ended by a truck, and then hit a series of other vehicles on the road. Terrell's air bag didn't deploy and he suffered a deep cut on his forehead and a broken nose. Much of their equipment was destroyed.[14]
On April 6, 2018, Mipso released their fourth studio album Edges Run. Produced by Todd Sickafoose (Ani DiFranco, Andrew Bird, Anaïs Mitchell), it premiered two days before release date at PopMatters.[15] The album saw Mipso return to the top of the bluegrass charts. The single "People Change" has been streamed over 100 million times on Spotify to date.
2019–present
editMipso released 12 new tracks on their most recent eponymous album on October 16, 2020, their first on Rounder Records. The video for their track "Hourglass" premiered on PopMatters on October 7, 2020.[16]
Band members have also released solo projects. Robinson released a solo album, Wood Robinson's New Formal, in 2016.[17] Rodenbough also released a solo album on May 29, 2020, on Sleepy Cat Records called Spectacle of Love.[16]
Meaning of Name
editOver the years the group has claimed various origins of the word "Mipso." In 2013 guitarist Joseph Terrell stated that the members "just came up with it."[18] In 2013 bassist Wood Robinson claimed that the name referred to a now defunct Japanese appliance manufacturer, crediting Jacob Sharp's thesis research into post-war Japan with unearthing a reference to the company. Sharp confirmed this version of the story in an interview with Bluegrass Today.[19] In a September 2015 interview with Raleigh's News & Observer, however, Terrell revealed a new origin story, claiming to want to dispel previous rumors. "There's a phrase in Japan," he explains, "it means something familiar, but there's something a little bit off. And it roughly translates, or at least we were told, to 'a little pee in the miso.' And so we put a little P in the miso: Mipso."[20] This story has subsequently been published and re-confirmed in various publications.
Discography
editFull albums
edit| Album Title
|
Release Date | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Bluegrass | US Folk | Heatseekers | ||
| Dark Holler Pop | October 26, 2013 | 8 | – | – |
| Old Time Reverie | October 2, 2015 | 1 | 20 | 22 |
| Coming Down the Mountain | April 7, 2017 | 3 | – | – |
| Edges Run | April 6, 2018 | 1 | – | – |
| Mipso | October 16, 2020 | – | – | – |
| Book of Fools | August 25, 2023 | – | – | – |
EPs
edit| Title | Release |
|---|---|
| Faces |
|
| Edges Re-Run |
|
Singles
edit| Title | Release |
|---|---|
| Coming Down the Mountain |
2017 |
| Hurt So Good |
2017 |
| People Change |
2018 |
| Edges Run |
2018 |
| Take Your Records Home (D.C. Sessions) |
2018 |
| Hourglass |
2020 |
| Let a Little Light In |
2020 |
| Hey, Coyote |
2020 |
| Your Body |
2020 |
Videos
edit| Title | Release |
|---|---|
| Hurt So Good |
March 2017 |
| People Change (D.C. Sessions) |
Sept 2018 |
| Your Body |
July 2020 |
| Hey, Coyote |
Aug 2020 |
| Let a Little Light In |
Sept 2020 |
| Hourglass |
Oct 2020 |
| Just Want To Be Loved |
Oct 2020 |
References
edit- ^ Chapman, Joseph (May 5, 2011). "Chancellor Thorp jams with Mipso Trio in front of Wilson Library". The Daily Tar Heel. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
- ^ Hill, Corbie (December 12, 2012). "Will The Avett Brothers' popularity overshadow N.C.'s roots music past and sterling present?". IndyWeek. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
- ^ Weaver Spurr, Kim (Spring 2018). "Mipso: Up-and-coming acoustic trio bleeds Carolina blue". Carolina Arts & Sciences. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ "Mipso In Japan". Vimeo.com. Vimeo. November 15, 2013. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
- ^ "2014 Best Short Film: Mipso In Japan, directed by Jon Kasbe". Picture Start Film Festival. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
- ^ Weeks, Isaac (April 2, 2014). "Triangle-related Films at Riverrun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem". IndyWeek.
- ^ "Mipso In Japan". IndieGrits.com.
- ^ Hall, Sarah (November 8, 2014). "Mipso: Musical Ambassadors". No Depression. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
- ^ Monger, Timothy. "Mipso Biography". Billboard. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
- ^ "Mipso". Pinecone.org. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
- ^ "Mipso Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
- ^ "Macy's March of Magic". MarketWatch. November 2, 2015. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
- ^ Hussey, Allison (November 5, 2015). "Chapel Hill's Mipso will play aboard the KFC float during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade". Indy Week. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
- ^ Clark, Doug (August 1, 2017). "Mipso members recovering after frightening car crash". PopMatters. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ Bialas, Michael (April 4, 2018). "Mipso Willing to Go Extra Mile to Arrive at Sound Choices on 'Edges Run' (album premiere)". PopMatters. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ a b Bialas, Michael (October 7, 2020). "Mipso Keep Time on Their Side As a String Band on the Run (interview + premiere)". PopMatters. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ Crone, Madeline (October 19, 2020). "Mipso Makes A Grand Re-Introduction With Latest Album". American Songwriter. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ Keough, Jessica. "About To Break: Mipso". The Bluegrass Situation. Archived from the original on December 1, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
- ^ Lawless, John (August 24, 2015). "Father's House video from Mipso". Bluegrass Today. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
- ^ Chandler, Stacy. "Quirky Mipso Loves Breaking Boundaries". Raleigh News & Observer. Retrieved November 18, 2015.