St. Joe News.net : Maturity and Innovation : Full Article

Playboy magazine once called The Nadas “the best college band you’ve never heard of.” But in recent years, the Des Moines folk rock quintet has undergone a change. What’s the change, you might ask?

“A collective 40 pounds,” laughs vocalist/guitarist Mike Butterworth. “No, I think we’re just a little more mature now.”

As the former Iowa State students entered their 30s, the band’s lyrical content changed. With their 2008 album “The Ghosts Inside These Halls,” songs about hook-ups and hangovers were replaced by songs about family and finance. The album helped to expand the group’s Midwest fanbase, gaining both older and younger listeners.

“I think we’ve always been known as a college band,” says Jason Walsmith, the band’s other guitarist and vocalist. “Maybe we’re getting a little bit farther from our college days, but the kids still really like us.”

The Nadas have also been garnering attention with a new project, “Almanac.” The intention of “Almanac” is to capture the year of 2009, one month at a time in album form. Therefore, the group is writing, recording, mixing and releasing one new track each month. Each song is being released on the band’s Web site (www.thenadas.com/almanac) and a physical copy will be released at the beginning of 2010.

The January track is called “Bitter Love,” the February track is called “Long Goodbye” and the soon-to-be-released March track is titled “Wrecking Ball.” Walsmith says it will be a momentous record of surrounding happenings, not a history textbook set to music.

“We’re not constantly watching CNN or chasing ambulances,” he says.

All the while, The Nadas will be touring the Midwest. They have several upcoming shows in Iowa and the Phoenix area this spring, but the band will stop by the Record Bar in Kansas City for a gig on Friday, March 27. The show starts at 9:30 p.m. with opening acts Radio City and Bonne Finken.

Walsmith says they will play the first few songs from “Almanac” Friday night.

“Then we’ll pretty much revert back to our college days,” he laughs.