The Two Tracks is a four-piece band made up of Sheridan natives and their friends who’ve fallen in love with our little slice of heaven. Dedicated to innovation in storytelling and a passion for common ground, the band strives with each track to put together a piece that can appeal to any and every individual.
The band is made up of Julie Szewc on vocals and acoustic guitar, Dave Huebner on vocals, cello and electric guitar, Russell Smith on the upright bass (which is sometimes called the string bass, but, don’t, like, all basses have strings?), and Freddy Serna on drums and percussion.
Have a listen to some of their tunes on SoundCloud – The Two Tracks.
We asked each of the members why they love playing tunes together, and why they love being a part of the Two Tracks.
Fred Serna didn’t hesitate to answer. “I love it. I love music… I have the great fortune to play with some really great musicians.” Fred’s grown up and lived in the Sheridan area all of his life, and his fascination with the drums began early.
Sitting at the edge of every stage that he could get close enough to, Serna watched the drummer for years until he got his first kit, which didn’t have any cymbals. He’s been playing at every opportunity since.
“I got into songwriting because I wanted to tell a story and convey a message,” Dave Huebner shared with us. Huebner grew up playing classical cello, and was a member of a Disney Children’s Orchestra. Eventually, he decided that classical music wasn’t the outlet that he wanted, and stopped playing music for a while. His years as a mountain man and ski bum have contributed greatly to the stories he’s woven into the Two Tracks’ records.
The most honest answer that we heard was from Russell, who called in from Livingston. “Russell,” we asked, “why do you like playing music?” He pondered for a moment, and then revealed to us the real secret behind his bass riffs. “I do it for the chicks.” Amen, Russell, amen. He chuckled, and continued, “No, I wish that were true… I think it’s my duty to pay it forward. Somebody inspired me to play, I feel like I owe it to the next generation to bring some good vibes out to the planet.”
Since the Two Tracks are made up of folks from around these parts and others who haven’t spent a ton of time here, we were interested to hear what they had to say about how Sheridan has contributed to their tunes. Turns out, their next album, to be released in April at the Wyo Theater, is called Postcard Town.
Julie thought about the Two Tracks’ new record and their self-titled debut that released last spring, and shared that “Sheridan has had a big influence on our last two albums…There’re a lot of small town stories and a handful of songs on that album that really play towards where we live and what we love.”
Dave, having lived here for just shy of a fifth of a decade, found himself “pleasantly surprised with all that goes on here and just down the road in Buffalo,” and praised our vibrant downtown scene full of arts, shops, and really expressive statues. We do have some cool statues.
The Two Tracks are on a mission to bring something different to the music lovers of Sheridan as well all of the nation’s other Americana fanatics.
“With Two Tracks, genre-wise… folky, rhythm, blues, that’s where we’re at right now. I’m fortunate as a drummer to be a part of a group like this. I think Two Tracks with a cello player and a drummer… people look at that and think ‘Oh, that’s interesting.’” Fred shared with us his excitement to be involved an offbeat, alternative style of Americana that strayed from the lines a little bit.
Dave called the group a “mish-mash” of “a straight country band, a straight bluegrass band, a singer-songwriter,” and we think that’s pretty neat.
Don’t miss their release of Postcard Town on April 21 at the WYO Theater, but until then, enjoy the tunes from the Two Tracks first record. It’s just about the sweetest mish-mash we’ve jammed to in a while.
