Article Contributed by Gratefulweb
Published on 2026-06-15
Benjamin Miller, frontman for Minneapolis country band The Federales, will release his Grateful Dead-inspired solo EP, So What, on July 10. The three-song collection is a love letter to the Grateful Dead and the band’s community, told from the perspective of a fan.
The title track, “So What,” is available now.
“Dreamy blend of psychedelia and folk...a swirling soundscape for listeners to lose themselves in.” — Americana UK
A couple of years ago, the New York City-based indie and country artist revived a Casio SA-10 keyboard he received when he was eight years old. After discovering that it could produce drum-machine sounds reminiscent of the Rhythm Ace unit used by JJ Cale and Sly Stone, Miller began using its loops to sketch out songs.
At the same time, he was listening to Rich Mahan and Jesse Jarnow’s Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast.
“I just happened to be bingeing a season of Rich Mahan and Jesse Jarnow’s amazing Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast. Dead culture began to osmosis-ize itself into my lyrics,” Miller says. “I ended up with three songs about a few things that make the Grateful Dead—and being a Dead fan—great.”
The EP opens with “Latvala,” a tribute to the band’s obsessive concert archivist and curator of the Dick’s Picks series, Dick Latvala.
The title track, “So What,” is a call to break free from life’s ruts. Its name comes from the “So What Papers,” written by then-manager Ron Rakow in an effort to convince the Grateful Dead to leave the traditional music distribution system and establish their own record label.
Closing track “Rollin’ Down the Line” reflects on how the world, the fans and the surviving band members carried on following Jerry Garcia’s death, with numerous lyrical references included for devoted Deadheads.
While there is no shortage of music attempting to sound like the Grateful Dead, Miller was more interested in exploring what it feels like to be a Dead fan. Rather than creating a traditional tribute record, So What serves as a first-person document from inside the community.
The songs touch on debating which live era was the band’s best, leaving everything behind to follow the Dead on the road and finding ways to keep the faith after Garcia’s passing.
“After many years playing in country bands around Minneapolis, I wanted this new solo EP to start with something really personal about my love of music and being a music fan, and one of the purest aspects of that is being a fan of the Grateful Dead.”
Musically, the EP is a little bit country, a little bit bluesy and a little bit psychedelic. It draws from the cosmic country blend the Grateful Dead pioneered during the early 1970s while adding a modern twist without attempting to mimic the band.
All songs written by Benjamin Miller, Flowers Brothers Music (BMI).
Benjamin Miller: Vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, drum and percussion programming
Abbey Janii: Vocals
Ben Cook-Feltz: Keyboards
Recorded by: Benjamin Miller
Mixed by: Lily Wen and Benjamin Miller at Figure 8 Recording
Mastered by: Rebecca Husto
Photography and art design: Benjamin Miller
Benjamin Miller sings honky-tonk numbers and sad songs for Minneapolis country band The Federales, creates psychedelic folk and 1960s rock ’n’ roll under his own name and plays bass for several New York City Americana bands.
Miller began writing songs after stints in country cover bands around the Twin Cities and later absorbed further musical inspiration while making videos for National Public Radio’s Live from Here.
His music draws inspiration from Bob Dylan’s harmonica playing on John Wesley Harding, Neil Young’s On the Beach, Kate Bollinger, Humbird’s “Blueberry Bog,” long scarves and easy-to-make rye whiskey cocktails.
So What will be released July 10, with the FCC-clean EP going for radio adds June 26.
