The jam band problem is that any inventive act breaking onto the scene is compared to somebody already playing. And the truth about “jam bands” is that often the music is too complex to put into words. It’s more about how it feels. Jam rockers Achilles Wheel could be compared to the Allman Brothers or Grateful Dead, but we can do better than that. Their instrumentals are boisterous and inventive. Their chemistry shimmers and enthralls their adoring crowd.

Grateful Web recently took time to catch up with singer, songwriter, and guitarist Paul Kamm. Paul and the band Achilles Wheel has been drawing listeners to festivals like Strawberry Music Festival and plenty of other West Coast shindigs gaining them critical and fan adoration. Their newest album Stones to Sand is an outstanding blend of Kamm’s songwriting and energetic instrumentals.

As the web of Americana continues to be woven, artists connect the past and present through musicianship and songwriting that reflects a fluid agreement between contemporary and roots qualities. Too often is nostalgia misrepresented as authenticity, and bands afraid to develop their own sound generally don’t last the test of time. Of one Northern California’s most promising ensembles that reflects true individualism through songwriting and playing is Achilles Wheel.