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River and the Tributaries go with the flow

By Loren Keller

The Dubuque-based band River and the Tributaries makes music that is as difficult to categorize as the individual roles of its six classically-trained musicians.

River Breitbach says the band itself has a hard time explaining the style of music it plays but is comfortable with the idea of ambiguity.

“We still have not figured it out,” he says. “For awhile I was calling it eclectic rock, and then multi-instrumental eclectic rock, and then just for a goof -- because we love doing songs in a lot of different styles and don’t really fit in with a stereotypical masculine rock band like AC/DC -- we started calling it estrogen-doused eclectic rock.”

Nor is it easy to explain who will be playing what on Friday when the group (which includes two women and members all between the ages of 18 and 20) makes its Iowa City debut at the downtown Java House to record a set for Iowa Public Radio’s “Java Blend” performance series. (For broadcast times check iowapublicradio.org)

Among the instruments they’ll be playing are the acoustic guitar, electric guitar, drums, violin, hand drums, mandolin, bass, keyboards, upright bass, piano, trumpet, flute and cello.

“We’re switching it all around,” Breitbach says. “We’re trying to break the constraints of having ‘a drummer,’ ‘a bass player,’ ‘a guitar player.’ What we want is for all of us to be playing all the instruments. Everyone in the group sings. We can feature every member singing lead and they can be playing any instrument, and that all pushes toward a homogenous band so everyone can feel the spotlight.”

Members of the band met as classmates at Dubuque Senior High School nearly four years ago and two of them, Griffen Harris and Erin Hedley, are currently finishing their senior year there. Other members include River’s brother Jacson, Scott Gratton and Bethann Gavin (who along with River is a student at the University of Iowa.)

The Breitbach brothers were born into a musical family and began studying Suzuki violin at ages two and three. A few years later they began playing bluegrass and folk music with their parents and siblings in the One Hat Band.

With encouragement from Dubuque Senior High School’s band director, Bill Rowley, members of River and the Tributaries formed nearly four years ago – though initially to play a high school talent show as a prank, Breitbach says.

“We got our name off the Tenacious D song ‘Tribute,’ which we learned for the talent show. We played another song that first year about how we disagreed with the previous year’s ruling. It was a tribute song to this kid who we thought should have won. He had done a classical guitar piece as a freshman that was just phenomenal and he ended up losing to a karaoke singer,” Breitbach says.

But after developing a fan base from that performance the band played their high school talent show again the following year, this time performing an original song called “Circumcision.” The band got into hot water with the school administrators the next year after playing a song called “What If God Smoked Cannabis?”

“They pulled us out of all our activities and suspended us,” Breitbach says. “It stirred up quite a bit of controversy because the members were in National Honor Society, theater, music and sports. People started making T-shirts saying ‘Save River and the Tributaries.’ It was a little bit ridiculous but we were in full enjoyment of all of it.”

The band has recorded two CDs; the first a self-titled release and a second, “Bread and Water,” which came out in January. Their songs have been featured on radio programs including “Midwest Music Makers” on KGRR in Dubuque and “Down on the Corner” and “Night Music” on KUNI Public Radio.

Breitbach says Iowa City’s Mike and Amy Finders Band have been an influence (Breitbach has filled in on upright bass with the band a couple times) as well as musicians like Andrew Bird.

“We love Andrew Bird. He’s just one of those people,” Breitbach says. “He and Sufjan Stevens are just amazing at what they’re doing. Sufjan Stevens plays lots of instruments and incorporates a lot of unconventional, classical instruments into his music. We draw a lot of influence from those two.”