YabYum Sneak Peek: Jeremiah Craig's campfire storytelling spins tall tales in Lost Keys in Lounge Strange

By Matt Marn

Jeremiah Craig - taken by Mandy Mothersell

Published in YabYum Music and Arts

As singer/songwriter Jeremiah Craig grew up, singing around the campfire went hand-in-hand with the tall tales that always take shape in the blaze and under the stars. And, once he picked up the banjo, his own story soon began to write itself.

"My dad played guitar, and so did a few of my friends," said Craig. "I wanted to be different, so I chose banjo. I stuck with it. I drove my parents nuts, playing the same songs over and over, but I stuck with it."

Craig progressed in his playing, winning the high school talent competition where he made his public debut. Soon, he formed a bluegrass band with his friends, calling the jam session Bluegrass Tuesday.

"We probably sounded awful," he said. "But it was a lot of fun, so we didn't care."

Craig remained nervous playing banjo until he reached college with Jack Swift, his group at that time.

"With them, we performed and played so much, I didn't have time to worry or get nervous," he said. "It was a jazz-rock group, heavily dependent on improvisation during the song... I was too busy paying attention to the band, and what the song was doing. I got caught up in the moment, almost like a trance. Ever since, I really didn't pay attention to or worry about crowds. Besides, if you mess up at an improvisation show, that's what makes it a jam. That's what makes it different from the last time the song was played."

Read the rest of the story on Jeremiah Craig, and his storytelling album, at YabYum Music and Arts!