Alternate Routes, Carbon Leaf bring fresh sounds

Alternate Routes guitarist/vocalist Tim Warren loved sports and music while growing up.

"I thought I would go into sports as a career," said Warren during a phone call from the band's tour bus outside of Chicago. "But music was always on my mind, as well. I think the thing that tipped the scales for me about music was seeing the movie 'The Last Waltz.' "

That movie documented Robbie Robertson and The Band's final concert in 1976. Guest performers included Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Joni Mitchell, Neil Diamond, Ringo Starr, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Ron Wood and Muddy Waters, to name a few.

"When I saw that movie, I wanted to be in a band and play music with someone other than myself.

"I had been in bands throughout school, but that movie made me want to find a band that I could collaborate with."

Luckily for Warren, he met guitarist/vocalist Eric Donnelly in college prior to seeing the movie.

The Alternate Routes — Warren, Donnelly, guitarist Mike Sembos and bassist Chip Johnson — made a couple of extended plays before releasing its full-length debut "Good and Reckless and True" in 2004. The band signed with Vanguard Records and re-released the CD and another EP called "The Watershed EP."

When it came time to head into the studio for a new CD, "A Sucker's Dream," the band was seasoned.

"We had a lot of success with the previous album 'Good and Reckless and True,' " Warren said. "So we recruited the same people for 'A Sucker's Dream.' "

The one person that the band knew they wanted to work with again was producer Jay Joyce.

The Alternate Routes were used to Joyce's work ethic and experience, and they were all confident that Joyce would help them make a better album than the last, said Warren. "We were proud of the last album," he said. "And if there was anyone who could get us to record a better album, it was Jay. He also knew how to push us a little in different directions."

Alternate Routes are currently on tour with Carbon Leaf, a band whose lineup has finally stabilized.

In 2007, drummer Scott Milstead left the Carbon Leaf. A year later, bassist Jordan Medas left. They were replaced by Jason Neal and Jon Markel, respectively.

The change was good, said vocalist/guitarist Barry Privett.