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Earlier this year, AltRockLive's guest interviewer Brittany Wright had the opportunity to speak with Bob Crawford, a member of one of her favorite bands, The Avett Brothers. In this interview, you learn more about the band's past, present, and future in addition to some about Bob's personal musical experience. We hope you enjoy!

AltRockLive: You're in a band called the Avett Brothers, do you feel like you're a part of the Avett family?
Bob: Well, we've been together for a decade so I feel like a part of the family. I'm talking about Scott and Seth's parents and their extended family and they're very welcoming and they've really welcomed all of us who aren't original members of the family into the family and we get treated very well, very well by all of them.
AltRockLive: How long have you been playing music for?
Bob: Umm, since I was 14 and I'm 40. So a long time, about 23 years.
AltRockLive: Did you always anticipate being a professional musician?
Bob: No, it was something I wanted to do but by the time I had met Scott and Seth I had pretty much given up on it. I pretty much figured it was never gonna happen so when I gave up is kind of when it really happened.
AltRockLive: How do you think your life would be right now if you weren't a member of a successful band?
Bob: Well I think it'd be fine. I think had we never started playing together and had we never got out on the road, I'd have gone into something else. I hope that'd I'd be as happy and just as fulfilled. It's really exciting to do what we do but there's more to life than anybody's career, you know family and raising children and that kind of stuff. You kind of come to see that that's really more important. We're very luck to do what we do but it's hard to realize that there's more to life than a career.
AltRockLive: Who are your greatest musical influences?
Bob: You know I can't say influence, I don't know what way I've been influenced rather than just inspired to listen. I mean Bruce Springsteen was a very early influence. I really got into his music and got into his philosophy about music and the people that inspired him like Roy Orbison and Bob Dylan, I really got into them. So I guess Springsteen overall was a very powerful influence.
AltRockLive: So the music you guys come out with has been labeled under a number of different genres. So, as a member of the band how would you personally describe the genre of your music?
Bob: Well you know I don't. I don't believe that that is our job to say what genre we're in because, you know, as soon as you this is what it is you're excluding everything else. You know what I'm saying? So I leave it up to the writers and leave it up to people like you to listen to it and say this is where it fits in but I know we kind of approach each song differently and if it's used to be a certain way, we make it a certain way. We don't really think about doing that. Like I said again, that's something for the writers for the writers to figure out.
AltRockLive: When you guys do live shows, they're known to get especially crazy. Would you say when doing a show there's kind of an expectation to get the crowd really hyped up or does it always just turn out that way?
Bob: I think that's a good question because again we always kind of go out there and perform and it was always very energetic in the early years. You begin to get a reputation, "Hey come see this band! It's crazy on stage!". Well, you know that kind of puts you in a corner, just a like a genre. It kind of sets up where you have to be a certain way and we're not always like that and the best way we approach each show is go in, get on stage and start playing, and if you feel to be moved, be moved. You know, and that's the most honest way to do it. So yeah I guess it has set up an expectation but I don't know if it's set an expectation that will be fulfilling.
AltRockLive: The band is originally from Concord, North Carolina. Are you all from the same City?
Bob: No, I'm from New Jersey and we've got guys from Durham, North Carolina and Perryville, MO. So we're not all from there but I came to North Carolina in 1996 and that is where I met Scott and Seth. We don't all live there now anymore though.
AltRockLive: What have you been doing lately?
Bob: We've been off, we've been doing some recording and w're going to be on the road and we're actually going to Europe next week. We're gonna do one show in England and one show in Spain, have a couple more weeks off then go out on the west coast for a couple weeks.
AltRockLive: So can we expect any new releases from you guys soon?
Bob: I'd say early to mid 2012.
AltRockLive: What would you say is your favorite thing about touring with the band?
Bob: The camaraderie of being with the guys, of us all hanging out together and just being out on the road with your brothers. You really appreciate the friendship and everybody kind of being together.
AltRockLive: Do you have any especially memorable moments from any past touring?
Bob: You know I have so many that I can't even think of it. Music everyday in some way is memorable. We see so many things and go so many places it's hard to kind of pick something out.
AltRockLive: When you guys are working on songs and material, do you feel like it's down-to-business work or is it more just laid back and fun playing around?
Bob: It's laid back fun playing around down-to-business.
AltRockLive: So it's both?
Bob: It's both, yeah. It's definitely business but it's good clean fun.
AltRockLive: One last question, at the Grammys you guys played with Bob Dylan and Mumford and Sons, any future collaborations in mind?
Bob: You know whatever comes up. It's gotta feel right. We didn't expect that to happen, that kind of came out of nowhere but you know who knows what the future brings. We don't plan on collaborating ever, but when the opportunities come up and it's someone that we feel very connected to in some way or another we're very excited to do it.
AltRockLive: Thank you very much for your time.
Bob: Have a great day, you too.
AltRockLive: Thanks!