Kristin Andreassen and Chris “Critter” Eldridge chat with Old Grass GNU Grass DJ Neil Smart at the RockyGrass Festival. They share their experience performing together on the main stage for the first time as a duo, highlighting their collaborative dynamic where Chris’s guitar playing and Kristin’s songwriting are equally showcased (Interview date: 7/28/2024)
Neil Smart: Good afternoon, everybody. I’m Neil with KGNU and I’m joined this afternoon by Miss Kristin Andreassen and fresh out of the creek, Chris “Critter” Eldridge. Good afternoon, y’all.
Chris Eldridge: Hi.
Neil Smart: Welcome back to Rocky Grass. When’s the last time each of you were on the main stage here?
Chris Eldridge: I’ve been here 2021, ’22, ’23, ’24. I wind up being here a lot, but each one of those is with a different band. I guess in 2021 I was part of the Tony Rice tribute thing, and then 2022 was Punch Brothers. Last year was Mighty Poplar and here I am with Kristin this year, which is great.
Kristin Andreassen: And I was here two years ago with Uncle Earl and Uncle Earl reunion.
Neil Smart: That was so much fun. Chris, you taught at the academy again this year, didn’t you? How is that for you? Is that one of the most fun things you do in a year?
Chris Eldridge: It is. I love it. The thing that’s so special about this festival and Planet Bluegrass events in general, but I think RockyGrass takes Planet Bluegrass’s thing and ups it a notch. There’s such a strong community aspect to Rocky Grass and the planet here, like the physical location.
I’ve taught here before, and see a lot of the same faces in a great way. It feels like a homecoming. And, we all just get to nerd out on bluegrass. We’re ultimately big bluegrass nerds, us teachers and the students, and we all just get to revel in this music that we love so much. Also just being together. The campground hang is epic here. It’s like the best that there is anywhere. It’s just the best and so I feel really grateful that I get to keep coming back here, if not every year, almost every year, cause it feels like a homecoming. It’s like Thanksgiving or Christmas or something. It happens every year.
Neil Smart: And Kristin, you’re a hometown girl in a lot of ways.
Kristin Andreassen: You think of me that way? Thank you!
Neil Smart: I absolutely do. Uncle Earl’s a hometown band and I have always and will always associate you with that band for whatever reason because it’s probably the first time I ever saw you.
Chris Eldridge: It’s everybody’s favorite band. There’s no band you would be happier to see on a lineup than Uncle Earl if you were gonna be there too. ‘Cause you get to hear him and see him and hang with him.
Kristin Andreassen: We try to bring the fun. I love Uncle Earl and I love KC Groves. She’s the anchor. KC lives in Lyons and so it’s only because of KC and Uncle Earl that I get to feel like an honorary Lyons person. That’s great.
Neil Smart: You are. So there. I don’t live in Lyons, but I just officially made you an unofficial Lyonsite. This was the first time the two of you have been on the main stage together as a single entity How is that? How is working with your partner?
Kristin Andreassen: I think it was really fun yesterday, but we needed the kick in the pants, you know. The secret is that it was the second time we were on stage together doing our original music. The first time was back when Uncle Earl and the Stringdusters were touring at the same time and we had basically just met.
It was like how we were flirting with each other, honestly. We played a tweener on the Rocky Grass main stage and we even named our band. It was called Tweener Like You Mean ‘Er. Completely ridiculous, over the top. We played some original songs. Since then, we’re just so busy with other stuff that it’s hard. We’ve been in a relationship, we have a baby together, and we don’t play music together as often as you would think.
Last year I was teaching songwriting here, and Critter was teaching guitar, and the people at the planet just came and said, you guys should have an act together. And they basically said, if you build it, they will come. They asked us if we would play this set, and that meant we had to put some music together that would be worthy. So it was great. We needed that. And I think we both left feeling like, Oh, now we really have something to share.
Chris Eldridge: Now we have an act. We can book it.
Kristin Andreassen: It’s cool. I think the way we envision it is – I mostly write songs and Critter is mostly a strong guitar instrumentalist. And I think one of the things that held us back from playing together is we didn’t want to be like, just, I sing the songs and he accompanies me. Because that’s not the best use of his skills. I picture it as keeping a racehorse in the barn, or something like that. The idea here was like, let’s pick songs that I’ve written that Critter can really stretch out on and be an equal duet voice. So the guitar as the instrument and my singing are like equal partners a little bit. That was part of the idea. And we got there on at least a few of those songs. We got to this, what felt like a unique sound.
Chris Eldridge: Yeah.
Neil Smart: In a way, for me, I was out front, of course, and it was like being in your living room.
Kristin Andreassen: Yeah. Thank you.
Neil Smart: That’s just the feel that there was in spite of a large crowd. It was very intimate and very pleasurable.
Chris Eldridge: Thank you.
Kristin Andreassen: I like that.
Chris Eldridge: Again, like I was saying, it does feel like home here. It felt actually pretty relaxed. It felt like a safe space. You and 5,000 of your closest friends sitting out there, but it was great. Kristin and I are so comfortable with each other. We haven’t played a ton of music together, but it felt really nice. That’s the cool thing about playing music with your partner is that you feel comfortable up there. I know what you mean, it did feel relaxed, it was nice.
Neil Smart: It was great and absolutely beautiful songs. You’re from another planet, Critter. I own three guitars. You’re from another planet. That was one of the things I had to tell the people I was with: I’m going down to see Critter play. Because yeah, that’s a good time every time. I know you got to get going. Thanks so much for stopping by and saying hello. Folks, if you get a chance to see these two together or separately in any configuration definitely do it. Chris “Critter” Eldridge, thank you so much. Kristin Andreassen, You’re the best.
Chris Eldridge: We sure appreciate it. We love KGNU. You guys are the best.
Neil Smart: Thank you so much.
Chris Eldridge: Making it alive around here. Giving it to the people.
Neil Smart: Thanks so much, y’all. Take care.
