Dean Station Interviewed by The Lowell Sun

Raising the Root at the Station

By Doreen Manning

The Lowell Sun

Love at first note? That may be what the Dean's tell their grandchildren someday, as the seeds for Dean Station was born in 2004 when Levi and Amanda Dean (then Trainer) first sang together in Albuquerque, NM.

Recognizing how seamlessly their distinctive voices fused within a melody, a creative and romantic relationship blossomed, and the birth of a new progressive acoustic duo was born.

Dean Station is made up of Amanda Dean, 26, on guitar, keyboard and spoons, and 24 year-old Levi Dean offering up mandolin, guitar, bass and fiddle. With the recent addition of Charlie O'Neal on percussion, the couple has rounded out their sound as they hit their musical stride on tour this summer. According to their bio, Amanda considers herself more of a poet than a songwriter, and credits Levi with helping her turn her poetry into music.

Both have been playing music since they were young, with Levi being nurtured within a family of songwriters and artists, playing and writing his own tunes since he was a teen. Their original music draws heavily on a folk, roots and bluegrass tradition, but with an ear toward a more contemporary sound.

The past few years have been quite a whirlwind for the group. In March of 2006 they released a self-titled album and hit the road for seven months of touring to support its debut. In the middle of the tour they took a break to tie the knot, and after the tour they relocated to Colorado. Keeping the buzz going, the prolific couple just released Raising the Root, this past July.

Taking the grassroots approach to marketing their sound has been a challenge, says Amanda, but so far, so good. "It takes a while to get the ball rolling, and then when it does, it won't just keep moving on its own, you have to be right behind it nudging it and guiding it, or the ball will stop," she says. "I do all of our booking and take care of the business end of things. Levi and Charlie have jobs back in Colorado and almost every day after a full day of work, they come home and play music. I spend my days working 9 to 5 at home booking and getting whatever publicity I can get us. We work so hard. This is our dream and the only way to make it happen is to put hard work into it."

So far, the tour has been one of warm receptions and brisk CD sales. "The response has been fantastic," shares Amanda. "We have been playing a lot of radio gigs, and when we do, we do a CD giveaway to get a feel for what people think of our music and how many people are listening."

I just had to ask this young couple, who seem so thankful for the opportunity to perform, what has been the coolest thing to happen on tour so far?

"Man, that's a hard question to answer," says Amanda. "We spend our days traveling, swimming in rivers, seeing sights, fishing, hiking, meeting all kinds of people -- and our nights playing music either at a gig or with friends and family. Just the way we get to live our lives right now is the coolest thing ever."