Wanigan

WANIGAN ˈwä-ni-gən. From the Ojibwa word wa·nikka·n, meaning pit.

1. A shelter (as for sleeping, eating, or storage) often mounted on wheels or tracks and towed by tractor, or mounted on a raft or boat. On the log drives that once took place down the Clearwater River, the wanigan served as shelter, cook shack, and sleeping quarters for the men who worked on the river, risking their lives to free the logs each spring for their long trip down to Lewiston.

2. A dynamic acoustic band known for its wealth of original story songs. Characterized by close three- and four-part harmonies backed by mandolin, fiddle, banjo, guitar, and bass; the band’s style can be best described as bluegrass, etc.

WANIGAN is inspired by stories of their ancestors, the areas they encountered, and the obstacles they overcame. The band’s repertoire is always growing and features many original works in addition to old time, bluegrass, Gospel, and folk classics.

“We like to describe our sound as ‘bluegrass, etc.’ due to all of the other stylistic influences that come peeking through every once in awhile,” says Jason Hackwith, fiddle player. “I’d characterize it loosely as progressive folkgrass, but we also keep on surprising ourselves with the ways our sound has evolved over the years. I’ve played with some great musicians over the years but the way we all work things out together is really something special. Our best arrangements are always a collective effort.”

In 2008, Wanigan released Brand New Day, a ten-song debut featuring a number of original story songs about encountering and wrestling with change. Better in a Different Way, for example, was inspired by Warren’s grandmother, and written for everyone who endures hard times with grace. The band’s cover of Jay Ungar’s signature waltz Ashokan Farewell, a song most known for its prominence in Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary, was actually written at the close of a fiddle camp, echoing the album’s theme of change and hard goodbyes. The album also features some classic bluegrass and old-time numbers, including Foggy Mountain Breakdown, Arizona Waltz, and Hamilton Country Breakdown.

“She’d come to know the ache in her heart/ Like a trusted old friend that would soon depart/ But what would replace this emptiness?”
— from Better in a Different Way, by Warren Akin

The band’s signature sound was further clarified and grown through the remarkable gifts of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Mike Haberman, whose skills with arrangement, vocals, fills and solos were an inspiration that got everyone excited about getting better. The band’s momentum increased and they seized an opportunity to record at the WSU Studios with veteran engineer Dave Bjur helping them to record in a way that captured the band’s signature live sound.

Released in 2013, Firefly was a landmark project featuring story songs about individuals across the United States who set out to chase their dreams. The title track further cemented the band’s eclectic sound with elements of zydeco in celebration of dreams of the southeastern United States and the progressive bluegrass sounds of The Fiddle’s Playin’ You and The Ridgerunner. Tight three- and four-part harmonies are featured on many of the tracks, including Who Lived Here, Jackson Sundown, and Love at the Five and Dime. Along with the rollicking Jen’s Reel, Mike wrote One of the Few (The Wanigan Song), an homage to the men who worked, lived and died on the Clearwater River.

Wanigan has ranged from a four- to a six-piece or more band over the years. The band was started by lead singer and guitarist Warren Akin and mandolin player Tim Gundy in 2006, and soon joined on banjo and vocals by Dale Vallandigham, bassist Denis Hackwith, and violinist Jason Hackwith in 2007. In 2015, guitarist and mandolinist Mike Haberman moved to accept a new position in northwestern Washington and beloved longtime banjo player Dale Vallandigham retired from the band in 2016. Multi-instrumentalist Adam Leavitt (formerly of the band Higher Ground), hopped on board in 2017. His brilliant banjo playing and singing is only the tip of an iceberg of enormous talent. Adam’s skills with arrangement, theory, and his sheer musicianship have proven a vital asset.

In 2018, fiddle player Jason Hackwith moved away chasing teaching jobs in the North Cascades and the Oregon coast, and the band performed off and on as Wanigan Express when Jason wasn’t available to run across the state for gigs.

Like many bands, Wanigan took a hiatus during the COVID crisis to huddle up in their own wanigans and shelter with their families.

In 2022, Jason moved back to the Lewis-Clark Valley and the band began rehearsing together again. Armed with a growing new repertoire and new arrangements of beloved classics, the band has a breath of new life.

“I’m so excited about where we’re going, I just can’t tell you,” says Jason. “I think it’s pretty safe to say that all of us have been traumatized to one degree or another over the past three years—along with just about everybody on the planet, of course. We’re working all of that out through amazing new music and a renewed commitment to each other. Hard times have only made us stronger and I just can’t wait to see what comes next.”