The acoustic quartet has released a new record of original material, titled Here Comes the Winter, and is preparing for a full summer tour.
The band is currently composed of banjo player Deakin Mooney, bass player Tony Johnson, guitarist Corey Kirkland and mandolin player Jake Norman.
Mooney and Norman are original members of the group, previously dubbed Deep Fried Squirrel. Johnson joined roughly seven years ago, and Kirkland about four years ago.
In addition to changes in membership, the band has also shifted its genre and performance setup.
Mooney said the group leaned more toward a “rock and country” sound during the COVID-19 pandemic but has since returned to its bluegrass roots.
The band also made major adjustments to its microphone setup, moving from individual microphones for each player to a shared single-mic approach common in bluegrass performance.
“I was the one kind of fighting the change because I wasn’t used to the traditional thing,” said Johnson. “But man, I’ve really embraced it. You get really close with your bandmates on stage and learn how to feed off them when you’re playing.”
Johnson added the single-mic setup gives the music an “old-fashioned sound.”
The group’s songwriting process is somewhat nontraditional. Mooney said members often bring individual chord progressions, concepts or even complete songs to rehearsal, where the material “evolves in practice.”
“But I do think it’s important to take those suggestions from the other members,” Johnson added. “They hear something different. With my song, I thought I had it dead set. This is it. But then hearing the other guys play it, I think I changed it five or six times.”
The band performs regularly throughout the region. The group frequently plays in Fort Smith, Arkansas, where it has begun hosting a bluegrass brunch and dinner at a local restaurant. Drifter’s Mile also performs often on Springfield’s C-Street.
“I just love being able to play to local family and friends,” Johnson said.
The group is currently writing new material and has several performances scheduled in the coming months.
Mooney said the band is “all booked up” for the summer, though many of the shows will be local. In Springfield, Drifter’s Mile is set to perform during Queen City Shout at Mother’s Brewing Co. from 9:30 to 10:30 p.m. March 28.
For more information, Drifter’s Mile can be found on both Instagram and Facebook.
