We tried to get Scott Avett of @theavettbros to talk about #HB2. It didn't go so well... https://t.co/pm1PxzAhJUpic.twitter.com/DCFNss9dM3
— Indy Week (@indyweek) July 1, 2016
The Avett Brothers are the biggest band in North Carolina, and North Carolina is under scrutiny for, among other bad ideas, HB 2. What do you hear about us on the road?
On the bus, we talk about it. There's always current events going on, and especially when it's close to home, it hits harder. I'm always trying to put myself in check and step back and say, "What really is my business? What am I qualified to speak on?" Some of the guys in the group have read HB 2 fully. But I don't have enough information to trust the birth of these things that are written into the bill. Where do they come from? Why? I don't know. There are a lot of elements to this, and when it comes to the political part of it, I don't feel qualified to speak in detail.
Will the band take a public stand, especially when you play the state?
We have made conscious decisions about not making a statement, but we do think that what we do—and we see it work—is an inclusive scene. We think our presence is needed more than ever because what we do is all-inclusive. Every night when we play, someone is seeing us for the first time. And sometimes, they're coming for reasons that are very sad, like deaths or illnesses, or very inspiring. If we took that away, it would hurt. We'd be taking away something that, unlike politics, is all-inclusive. When you buy a ticket, you don't have to say who you're voting for. For people on the ground, real people, we need to be present and all-inclusive. That, to me, is very important. If I made statements politically, I'd be toying around with becoming a politician. I don't have what that takes.
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