Riff Raff Invade Newport

Last weekend, Hurray for the Riff Raff played the Newport Folk Festival last weekend and NPR was there.

Hurray for the Riff Raff has had a good summer. Recently, the band signed to ATO Records, it released a covers album (that started life as a Kickstarter benefit) My Dearest Darkest Neighbor, and they were included in the upcoming music showcase series for the Americana Music Association Conference in Nashville.

Last weekend they performed at the Newport Folk Festival. NPR recorded the show and videotaped one song. Both are available online now, with the footage of "Crash on the Highway" demonstrating Alynda Lee Segarra's gift for riffing on folk and country traditions for her own purposes. The song's title evokes the classic "Wreck on the Highway," but she dials down the drama to make it a credible, properly pitched statement on the frustration of touring and the longing for home.