Rising Stars: Meet Fuzzy & The Rustbelts

Today we’d like to introduce you to Fuzzy of the band, Fuzzy & The Rustbelts.

Hello Fuzzy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi and thanks for featuring us in the Nashville Voyager.  I guess I’ve always been involved in music and bands since I was a kid. At fifteen I picked up my father’s old Marquis acoustic guitar and began teaching myself some basic chords. I remember I wanted to learn Pearl Jam’s version of ‘Last Kiss’ which was an easy four-chord song. From there I began to dive into the world of songwriting and fell in love with the challenge and opportunity to be creative in a way I hadn’t really been before. It was a passion that has stayed with me all these years. After college, I stopped writing and performing. I moved around a bit, got a job, and married my wonderful bride of twelve years. After the birth of our first son, I was flooded with so many new emotions… I began writing again.

This was at a time when the Americana genre really began to gain some traction. I was listening to bands like Mumford & Sons, Of Monsters and Men, and Old Crow Medicine Show. But it wasn’t until I heard Jason Isbell’s ‘Southeastern’ album that I really began to seriously critique myself and dove deep into lyric writing. I later joined the worship team at my church. I still hadn’t performed in front of people in years and I think church really helped to build up some of that stage confidence, plus I met a lot of great musicians.

When I was ready to perform my original music in public, I found my footing in the local coffee shops and breweries of western New York. After a while I noticed more and more people coming out to see me perform. Finally, it felt like the right time to put out an album. I reached out to a friend of mine, Karl Maciag. He is a fantastic musician and happened to be the sound engineer at our church. I asked him if he’d help me put together an acoustic album so I had something to sell at gigs. As we dug into the material in early 2018, we quickly agreed that we were going to need to put together a studio band. There were so many musicians at church that it was incredibly easy to piece a group together. Once that was done we began preproduction for our album, That Sweet Song. We completed the entire record by the end of the August and as we moved into the fall, I began to think about keeping the band going. Some of the folks on the album stayed and a couple moved on afterwards. It was during this time that the name Fuzzy & The Rustbelts was born. Currently our lineup is Joe Renowden (guitar), Amanda Krawczyk (vocals + keyboard), Joe Newton (drums), Matt Mackiewicz (bass), Karl Maciag (guitar + keyboard), and me, Fuzzy (lead vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica).

We rehearsed tirelessly throughout the fall in preparation for an album release that was set for February 2019. As 2018 came to a close, the local country radio station in Buffalo, 106.5 WYRK, was holding its annual Taste of Country Riser Competition. The winner would get to perform with some big names at their yearly summer concert plus play other events and showcases. I threw my name in the ring and was selected to perform as a semifinalist. Making it all the way to the final round, I ultimately fell short of victory. While the loss was hard, I didn’t expect to get as far as I did, nor did I realize how this competition would shape Fuzzy & The Rustbelts career going forward. As we ripped into 2019 we began to make a name for ourselves in our hometown. Our first year as a band we performed with Mitchell Tenpenny, Maddie & Tae, Rodney Atkins, Bonnie Raitt, Allison Krauss, and Willie Nelson. Everything was clicking and happening for us. We went on to win the WYRK Taste of Country Riser competition at the end of 2019 which set us up for what looked to be a promising 2020.

Then Covid hit. All of our 2020 events were canceled as the world shut down. We watched as show after show was canceled…and we were to perform with some big names like Lady A, Jake Owen, Midland, and Maddie & Tae – again!  Plus, we were invited to perform at CMA Fest’s Spotlight Stage and Americana Fest. All of it, gone, and in an instant Fuzzy & The Rustbelts had to start over.

However, 2020 wasn’t without some successes. We performed multiple times on air at 106.5 WYRK’s Dunn Tire Studios, released a three-song EP called Harvester Sessions, created lots of online buzz with podcast interviews and print media, plus we received radio play nationally and internationally. As we began to regroup in 2021, we launched multiple music videos and finally were able to perform live again. While the covid restrictions began to loosen were about to gain more opportunities and started to see attendance growth as the year progressed. By the fall of 2021 were asked to join the bill alongside Mirada Lambert in Niagara Falls, NY. A good way to finish out a year that had so many ups and downs.

Now we want to set our eyes on the Music City. I’ve been taking some time to come down to Nashville and join in with the local music community. Already I can see the amount of opportunity that awaits and it excites me. From the interaction I’ve had with other songwriters I can say that it’s a breath of fresh air to see a music scene so enriched with original music. I’m looking forward to meeting more industry people and connecting with new audience members. Currently, we are finishing up a new single with a B side that is slated for release this spring. Also, we will have some live recordings that will be released individually later this year. At the same time, we have been working on new music for a second full-length album set for release in 2023. We are taking our time and prepping for a big year in 2023 which is only possible with proper planning and execution. We’ve done it before and I have every confidence that we can do it again in 2023. So, watch out Nashville…we’re coming for ya.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Covid 19 really slowed down the momentum that we had in 2019. Honestly, if it wasn’t for 106.5 WYRK, our local country station, we would have drifted away into once upon a time land. They really helped us stay afloat and in the ears of many. But also, learning how to navigate in an online universe was hard. How to properly use Facebook Live, put together a functioning YouTube Channel, and creating an online merch store all in an attempt to engage with new followers and listeners was a challenge. Basically, we needed to learn how to compete in an online universe, which quite frankly wasn’t a lot of fun. On top of that, we’ve lost a couple members this past year which is hard because then you have to find someone that you can hopefully jive with professionally and personally. The biggest struggle, in my opinion, is trying to perform at such a high level while at the same time running all the band operations. Meanwhile, we all hold down full-time jobs and have families to provide for. It can be incredibly taxing on us; however, I find that if we continue to stay organized and stick to a calendar, we can make some good things happen. I’m so proud of this band and to be surrounded by such great people… it makes the struggle worth fighting though.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Fuzzy & The Rustbelts is an all-American band that is rooted in the music stylings of folk, country, and rock n roll. I really like to dig into storytelling. One of the songs we are going to be releasing later this year is a song about a woman who rides trains to escape a boring existence. While searching for excitement and adventure she falls victim to the deception and hardships of the world. Ultimately, she yearns to return home and realized that what she left behind was better than the place she ended up. Fuzzy & The Rustbelts is a unique band featuring songs that can tell a story, songs that can get your foot tapping, and songs that have conviction. Needless to say, we’re not your average bar band playing four hours a night while rustling up tips to perform Devil Went Down to Georgia. We actually have something that I believe is worth listening to and that’s why we choose to play listening rooms opposed to bars. It’s not about the money for us… it’s about the art. That’s what keep us going.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Yeah, learn how to conquer the internet. I still think that’s our biggest weakness. Trying to navigate the constant change in social media platforms…it’s a pain to be on top of. The world of Instagram and TikTok are great ways to get your band out there but again, the online universe is a monster that is hard to tame. But…no matter how good you are at marketing and promotion it’s all for nothing if the music isn’t genuine and good. If you can’t put together good songs your only going to get so far in this industry. And hell, I don’t claim to have all the right answers.  I’m not famous and I’m certainly not making millions of dollars. However, when you have a Grammy award winner walk up to you after playing a set at the Outlaw Music Festival and tell you that you write great songs… well hell… that’s something to keep pursuing. Keep praying, get hustling, and stay humble.

Contact Info:

• Email: info@fuzzyandtherustbelts.com
• Website: www.fuzzyandtherustbelts.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fuzzyandtherustbelts_official/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fuzzyandtherustbelts/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/fuzzyrustbelts?lang=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC93_iwelLdlus_Dae2ZIXBQ

Image Credits
Christian Rosado
Dharmic Light Photography
Jermey Cooper Val Mackiewicz