Stranger Creek is simply one of the best of the Midwestern bluegrass bands.  They are lead by the songwriting team of Larry Dean and Garry Bichelmeyer and hale from Tonganoxie, Kansas.  One listen to this song writing team’s music, and you can hear their love and full grasp of the bluegrass genre.  Their music encompasses all that bluegrass is about:  Life, love, nature, heavy pickin’, great harmonies and a whole lot of fun.

If you want in on the fun, Stranger Creek plays regularly at Grinter House Fun Barn in Kansas.   Larry Dean sings lead vocals and plays rhythm guitar, Garry Bichelmeyer on guitar, Mary Bichelmeyer on bass, Gordon Riley plays lead guitar and John Malone on drums.  Their current CD is called “The Winner,” and they have plans for a new CD in the near future full of more tunes from the songwriting duo.  We recently caught up with Larry Dean of Stranger Creek and had him tell us a bit about himself, his songwriting style and the band.

KCC:  Tell me a little bit about your background in music.   When did you start playing?

SC: I was about 12 yrs old.

KCC: When did you start writing?

SC: About 10 yrs ago.

KCC: What/when was the first song you ever wrote?

SC:  A song called “Just a Mile or so from Town” in 2000 about an old abandoned church on my Fathers family farm.

KCC: How would you describe your style?

SC:  I don’t know maybe country folk.

KCC: Who are your favorite writers and how do they influence your style?

SC: Hank Cochran, Curly Putman, Merle Haggard, Cindy Walker, Iris Dement.

KCC: What is your writing process?

SC: Idea, Story, then Music.

KCC: How often do you write?

SC: Seldom by myself usually with my partner Garry Bichelmeyer.

KCC: What comes first music or lyrics or do they happen simultaneously?

SC: Words.

KCC: What is your favorite cut on your new CD, “The Winner?”

SC: “The Winner” by Garry Bichelmeyer and myself.

KCC: Where was your newest CD recorded?

SC: Markosa Studios in Roeland Park KS.

KCC: How long did it take to record?

SC: About three months.

KCC: What’s your favorite song of all time by someone else, and why?

SC: The Tallahatchie Bridge; it tells a story of mystery and young love around a dinner table of a poor family.

KCC: Anything else you like to add?

SC: I’m in the process of making new CD, with all Original songs.