Winterset

Winterset is a Minneapolis-based group of the Americana/rock influence. Members include Steven LaFollette (vocals / songwriting / acoustic guitar), Dan Stewart (bass / vocals), Aaron Speer (drums), Cassie LaFollette (mandolin / keys / vocals), and Andrew Carey (electric guitar). Formed in 2008, frontman Steven LaFollette began playing shows in Saint Paul, Minnesota with various characters. “Over time, the members of the band have changed, but each individual has provided a unique perspective and creative aspect to the music that makes it in a way nostalgic to me," says Steven.

Winterset began as an outlet for songs that in truth had never been intended for people to hear. Steven has always enjoyed writing, but it was not until he decided to pursue audio production that he began writing songs with the intention to record. Their original purpose was as “practice tunes,” material to record only while studying production. “I felt it would be best to write and record my own music so that if it turned out I was completely garbage at this, I would only be ruining my own recordings and not a clients,” said Steven. It was a group of musician friends around him that pushed him toward playing publicly by pooling resources to surprise him by helping him purchase a guitar. Some of these people would be the original members of the band. “Despite fronting the group, I honestly don’t feel like the original member.”

After a season, new members joined, Steven married Cassie, and the band was a four piece again. After a year of reworking songs, and admittedly causal rehearsal, the group decided to begin recording. They took up with their friend Andrew Carey and soon decided that aside from producing, he would need to become a permanent member. He graciously accepted. The band currently has one EP available for sale titled Early Inventions. Despite having enough music to have released a full album, they decided to release a small 3 song. “The songs on the EP came from a specific time, and with a specific sound and feeling that necessitates their being together. There was really no way to put them on an album with our newer music that didn’t diminish the two distinct sets of music,” Steve said. “We wanted to capture the songs in their respective time period,” Cassie said. “Some of these songs were written by Steve before he had a full band in mind, so they feel much more singer/songwriter-y. The newer songs have a decidedly bigger sound. We love both, and we wanted to present each in their own frame.”