Cole Quest & the City Pickers trace a direct line from Woody Guthrie’s Dust Bowl ballads to the bustling streets of New York City on their richly imagined new album, Homegrown (Jalopy Records, July 18). Led by Woody’s grandson, Cole Quest, this ensemble distills the hearty spirit of folk and bluegrass while carving out its own contemporary voice. As Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show puts it, “What a crack team of pickers and voices you have put together,” and indeed, their buoyant harmonies and virtuosic interplay feel both lovingly rooted and freshly inventive.
Though Quest inherited his grandfather’s name and guitar, he didn’t set foot in folk and bluegrass until a chance encounter in an Astoria pub, where a band played one of Woody’s classics. Since then, Cole Quest & the City Pickers have shared billings with Billy Strings, Sierra Hull, Sarah Jarosz, Della Mae and Tony Trischka, earned spotlights from Folk Alley, WFUV and American Songwriter, and packed stages at Brooklyn Folk Fest and Caramoor’s American Roots Music Festival. “Skill and savvy,” wrote American Songwriter, “and Quest, like his grandfather, has the ability to convey those feelings with care and compassion. Woody would be proud.”
Homegrown opens with Pete Seeger reciting Woody’s stirring invocation before erupting into a driving, harmony-laden take on “Pastures of Plenty.” Christian Apuzzo’s powerhouse vocals, Jerry Douglas–inspired dobro and propulsive banjo set a triumphant tone. Quest then turns his gaze to the city that shaped him in “Where I’m From,” a wry, observant anthem about New York that feels both playful and poignant. On John Hartford’s elegiac waltz “In Tall Buildings,” Apuzzo again steps forward, his voice wandering through the claustrophobic skyscraper canyons as the band’s laconic instrumentation provides a bittersweet counterpoint.
The album’s heart lies in Quest’s originals, particularly the lead single “I Ain’t”, which begins as a humorous self-portrait before unfolding into a meditation on quiet leadership and the power of listening. “During the pandemic,” Quest explains, “I asked myself: What does the world need from me right now? My answer: Stay out of the way—be active by being passive, to listen instead of speaking.” He conceived a “To Don’t” list—an antidote to chaos in turbulent times—and the song’s humble refrain offers a gentle call to create space for others.
The Pickers’ instrumental prowess shines on “Só Pra Variar,” blending bluegrass textures with a Brazilian groove as Matheus Verardino’s harmonica and Portuguese vocals entwine with banjo and fiddle. The closing sequence—Guthrie’s “Philadelphia Lawyer,” Peter Rowan’s “Dust Bowl Children” and Quest’s spare solo of “My Peace” (lyrics by Woody, music by Arlo)—brings the journey full circle, rejoicing in tradition while celebrating personal roots.
Produced by four-time GRAMMY winner Steve Rosenthal (The Rolling Stones, Lou Reed, Natalie Merchant), Homegrown was tracked at The Carriage House in Stamford, CT, mixed at Brooklyn’s Studio E and polished at Bentley Meeker Recording Studio. Quest leads on resonator guitar, pedal steel and vocals; Christian Apuzzo and Matheus Verardino share singing and instrumental duties alongside Mike Mulhollan (banjo), Craig Akin (bass), Jack Devereux (fiddle) and guest organist Wyndham Baird.
Cole Quest & the City Pickers hit the road this summer, including stops at Great Barrington’s Guthrie Center (June 14), Brooklyn’s Jalopy Theatre (August 1), Silver Bay’s Mountain Music Festival (September 13) and Rockland Conservatory of Music in Pearl River (September 20). For dates, tickets and more, visit https://colequest.com/.
