“ It could be an old country tune Patsy Cline is singing on an old jukebox in one of our favorite Kentucky dives it could be Lightnin’ Hopkins grumbling over a timeless blues riff it could be Sachmo, the dignity of his voice and the joy in his horn it could be Tom Waits kicking up the dust on the hardwood floor of a grange hall at some imaginary revival meeting-it can be all over the map musically-but what ultimately keeps us interested is the mystery of the song itself.” “We love a good song, period,” Detweiler notes. al) and celebrates American music in the most richly imaginative ways. The new record is a collaboration with ultra-talented Nashville producer/arranger Brad Jones (Matthew Sweet, Josh Rouse, Ron Sexsmith, Richard Julian, et. “Life’s way too short for that.”ĭetweiler and Bergquist’s evocative, earthy songwriting and impassioned delivery is at its finest in The Trumpet Child. “I’m either into it or I’m not, because there’s no faking it with me,” Bergquist notes. And again, there’s the life-and-death commitment dripping from her every word. Why? For starters, there’s Bergquist’s torchy, devil-may-care voice, brimming with Midwestern soul, unafraid to lay bare every emotional resonance. Over The Rhine may not be a household name, but to call the act’s followers “fanatical” would understate the point, and they’re not shy about converting the curious. Every song has to be good, every record has to be great, every concert has to have some spiritual significance-something that we can’t quantify, something bigger than all of us.”

“When we stop believing we’re doing our best work, we’re done. “Believe me, we don’t want to waste anybody’s time,” elaborates Detweiler. Look no further than the lyrics to this track for what animates Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist, the married couple at the heart of Over The Rhine: “I hope this night puts down deep roots / I hope we plant a seed / ‘Cause I don’t wanna waste your time / With music you don’t need.”

Their commitment is underscored by their latest, The Trumpet Child, and its opening track, “I Don’t Wanna Waste Your Time,” a manifesto of sorts for the artists recently named to Paste magazine’s list of 100 Best Living Songwriters. After more than 15 years making music, it’s obvious Ohio duo Over The Rhine is in it for the long haul, and for keeps.

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