How busy is Fredericton during Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival week? It's delaying some Federal government work, that's how busy. A friend of mine, a government employee from another city, e-mailed me a couple of weeks ago to say she was coming to the city this week for her job. I said, great, you can catch some Harvest shows. A couple of days later, she e-mails back, says she isn't coming, she can't get a hotel, or a rental car, everything is booked up. See, you snooze, you lose during Harvest week.

Here's a group that hasn't snoozed since last year's Harvest. Earthbound Trio, the multi-genre, multi-home town trio has been making quite the impact for the past year. The trio features members from St. Andrews, Saint John and Fredericton, and makes a sound that's funky, bluesy, folky, rocky, with lots of rhythm, music that's danceable and intricate. If anyone wanted to do a lab project or term paper on how to use the Harvest Festival to one's best advantage, these guys would be a good case study. It was just a year ago they were in the beginner category, winners of the annual Galaxy Rising Star competition at Harvest 2014. That highly-competitive showcase of groups gives the winner a big cheque and a main stage slot at the festival. Now this year, they are back, not competing but actually part of the event, appearing Friday night. Plus, they used that windfall to fund a brand-new album that has just come out, right in time for this year's Harvest and all that attention. It's called Ditch Flowers.

They first appeared back in 2013 with an EP called Lettuce Turnip The Beet (best.name.ever.), which got them good results with three Music NB award nominations, and one ECMA nomination too. And that took them to St. John's this spring for the ECMA's, where they had some really strong reactions from to showcase, interested festival bookers from overseas praising them. So that's the kind of buzz that can all start right at the Harvest Festival. You make a name there, and it will open a lot of doors. Earthbound Trio have done that very well, and Harvest of course is always happy to promote local groups.

Ditch Flowers has a bigger sound than the EP, some of that comes from the studio, with a richer production, plus there are several guest players and singers involved as well. The core trio does the bulk of the work of course, but these extra elements do make the original songs bolder and stronger. Dwayne Doucette of St. Andrews is the writer in the band, and has crafted a series of tunes about growing in several ways. Plant A Seed keeps the connection to the earth that is part of the band's image, and other songs are about growing stronger as people, forming tighter bonds within communities. There's local pride here for sure, in the words and themes, and in the production and guests. It was done in Saint John with John McLaggan of Tomato/Tomato and guitar player Grant Heckman performing and producing. Also joining in from Tomato/Tomato is Lisa McLaggan on vocals, plus Tim Isaac plays cello, Ray Legere is on mandolin and fiddle, folk group Before the Mast sing gang vocals on a track, Kelly Waterhouse is on it too, and she's going to sit in with the group at Harvest Friday night, playing sax and singing. It's a rich collection of grooves and fun, lots of energy from a band that's on the rise.

Earthbound Trio perform Friday, Sept. 18 at the Barracks Tent at 8 PM, followed by Grand Theft Bus.