Acoustic Guitar Sessions Presents Seth Avett

When Seth Avett came into the Acoustic Guitar studio recently to do an AG Sessions, it was like a homecoming for Acoustic Guitar editor Mark Kemp. The Avett Brothers and Kemp come from the same area of North Carolina, and he’d watched Seth, his brother Scott, and their bass-playing buddy Bob Crawford expand from a trio of singers, songwriters, and guitarists who’d bang out their punk-infused string-band music on the streets of Charlotte, North Carolina, to a full acoustic-based rock band that today packs arenas.

The Avetts were passing through the San Francisco Bay Area on tour supporting their latest album, Magpie and the Dandelion, when Seth and the band’s manager, Dolph Ramseur, dropped in for a visit. In this session, Avett plays his Martin D-35 Seth Avett Signature Edition for a stirring version of his song “Souls Like the Wheels,” the only live track on the Avetts’ new album, and chats with Kemp about performing on the streets of Charlotte, writing songs, using open tunings, and growing up on stage.

For more Acoustic Guitar Sessions, check out the archive.