Weather cools down, Mipso Trio heats up

They sold out their first show. They sold out their second show. And now, after the summer break and a handful of gigs, members of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Mipso Trio are returning to Local 506 for their third attempt at a headlining sellout.

The trio, comprised of juniors Jacob Sharp, Joseph Terrell and Wood Robinson, catapulted itself into the scene following its sold-out performance at Local 506 last March. Since then, it’s been an exciting whirlwind of recording songs, live performances and finding its place as a campus band in the larger local music community.

With roots in Western North Carolina, the members of Mipso Trio combine guitar, mandolin and double bass in a style reminiscent of traditional bluegrass and Appalachian folk songs.

Drawing inspiration from North Carolina musicians like the Avett Brothers and Mandolin Orange, the trio infuses a fresh approach to old-timey music that is largely accessible, on campus and off.

“The campus is a bubble that’s very excitable and very easily mobilized, and once you get that mobilized it generates the buzz to get the community involved as well,” said Sharp, the band’s mandolin player. “We are in a unique position because of our student status.”

When the band scored a headlining gig at Local 506 last semester, the student body came out in full force. Junior Jackclyn Ngo attended the show and estimates that “upwards of 100 people” were left waiting on the sidewalks, trying to fit in the already at-capacity venue.

“It was a full house and many guests who forgot to buy tickets online ended up being turned away,” Ngo said.

Ever since then, Ngo has followed the band and tried to convince her friends to listen to the music.

“It was my first time seeing the guys perform and I’ve been faithfully attending every concert I can ever since. Give them a listen, spread the word! They’re a wonderful example of how much Chapel Hill has to offer the world in all realms.”

A friend of the trio, senior Elizabeth Smith said the band’s endearing stage presence and retro outfits add to the throwback feel of Mipso Trio and its music. Despite arriving to the show early, Smith still had to wait over an hour before getting in Local 506.

“We were surprised and excited to see so many people there,” Smith said.

While many of the attendants of the concert were not necessarily close friends of the band, the large crowd represented the trio’s growing appeal.

Although the band’s first EP was recorded in the small confines of a closet without any real professional attention, the five songs resulted from collaboration and molding some “bare bones” together.

In songwriting, one member of the band brings an idea for a song, and as a group they work to build off that base, creating a song from almost nothing.

“I think it’s pretty interesting also that when one of those bare structures comes to be, how similar all of our images of the final product actually turn out to be,” said Robinson, who plays the double bass.

Soon after the successful show at Local 506, the trio was contacted by Dr. Mitch Collman, a cardiologist by trade, who runs the locally based label Robust Records with Jim Avett — yes, that Avett — father of the Avett Brothers.

“Jim is the creative side, and I’m the business aspect,” Collman said.

After attending the March show, Collman knew that Mipso Trio was a group he definitely wanted to work with musically, and signed it to the label only days later.

“When I saw them, they stood out to me; it was a combination of multiple qualities. Their appeal, freshness, energy — it was there on display,” Collman said.

The band will return to Local 506 on Saturday in what can be described as a homecoming of sorts. While the first show was largely attended by its group of friends, the trio is excited to return to the same stage it played last semester to bring in new fans.

“Now I think people, our friends and fans who maybe don’t know us intimately, expect a certain level of either musical quality or new material,” Sharp said.

“So I think that’s a really cool position, because we’re able to prove ourselves in a comfortable venue for the second time, potentially.”

Terrell agrees that their position as a student band provides a unique opportunity to reach out to the local community.

“I think it can be hard to bridge the gap to being a campus band and being a band that’s part of the local music scene,” Terrell said. “But we have a lot to learn from the local music scene and a lot to learn from local bands.”

So far, Mipso Trio has six fall shows lined up, including a night at Carrboro Music Festival, two slots at Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival and a mainstage gig at Chapel Hill’s Festifall.

Somewhere between making a name for themselves and maintaining their student status, the band members plan to return to the studio in November to work on a full-length album, set for release in late Spring. Avett, who opens for the band on Sept. 10, will be producing the record.

“I also think that given that our first EP was kind of recorded before we had a coherent musical idea of who we were, this next recording is going to be really fun,” Sharp said. “We have a lot of material that we are really excited about and that feels much more like us.”

Considering how far they have already come, the school year is looking especially bright. Between the numerous live performances, getting back in the studio and continuing to build a fan base, the trio’s energy seems limitless.

“It’s really hard to nail down the excitement,” said Terrell. “There’s a lot of it.”

For Collman, Mipso Trio is certainly full of potential, and having the opportunity to work with the band has been an immense pleasure.

“Whenever I think of the boys, it just makes me smile,” Collman said. “The sky is the limit with them.”

Contact the Diversions Editor at diverions@dailytarheel.com.