Wild Aster is Not Too Young To Dream

Something is happening out in Frederick, Maryland. Catching the eye of Bluegrass Today for a recent spotlight on the area’s public Bluegrass jams, Jason Hannan could very well be described as the Godfather of Frederick’s Bluegrass, Country, and Americana scenes. When he’s not running jams and playing in bands, Hannan is the mastermind responsible for putting out a plethora of recordings of local artists under the moniker Waiting for Lester Records. Many of these recordings feature faithful covers and reinventions of genre standards, but one release in particular unleashes on the bluegrass world a new songwriter.

Wild Aster is an acoustic trio fronted by singer-songwriter Dominica Knapp. Their latest single, “Empty Handed,” is a thoughtful, nostalgic song in a gentle 6/8 time signature. It is velvety, and rich with melodic dobro leads, touches of mandolin tremolo and cross-picking, and subtle background vocals that cushion the rest of the arrangement. 

“Empty Handed” describes the passing of time, and its impact, as innocence and ignorance are replaced by fear and clinging busyness. “Time will swallow you whole if you let it” Knapp warns, nevertheless expressing hopefully that the enduring nature of memories, “like stones,” will bear the marks of time but not yield fully to change.

There is a stillness in this sturdy little arrangement, though the instruments are plenty active and provide a lovely context for Knapp’s poetry. Further, there is also a careful deference to the silent stones, abiding memories, and old bones used as imagery within the lyrics. This artistic restraint lends weight to the poem while still allowing the instruments to ebb and flow.

“Empty Handed” is just the beginning for Wild Aster. The trio is planning another single release and a subsequent full album, all on Waiting For Lester Records.