Cadillac Sky to perform at Canal Street on Sunday

Cadillac Sky, with Apache Relay

Cadillac Sky is known as a bluegrass band, but that perception should change with the upcoming release of the group’s genre-defying new album, “Letters in the Deep.”

The adventurous project was produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, who helped Bryan Simpson (mandolin), Matt Menefee (banjo), Dave Mayfield (guitar), Ross Holmes (fiddle) and Andy Moritz (bass) take their acoustic music in new and exciting directions.

“Letters in the Deep” doesn’t get its official release until June, but Cadillac Sky is already on the road building some pre-release buzz. The group performs at Canal Street Tavern on Sunday, March 7.

“We’ve never been accused of being too traditional in our thinking and patterns,” Simpson said. “Sometimes that serves us well, and sometimes it hasn’t. With this, we’re huge fans of The Black Keys, and of Dan’s solo work. When he showed an interest in doing something with us, we were like, ‘Let’s do this! If there’s any way this can happen, let’s do this.’

“Dan has an affinity for roots music, so working with him was amazing,” Simpson continued. “He’s a laid back, calm soul and somebody who really allowed us to have the freedom to express ourselves. We weren’t worried about what it was or what it wasn’t. We didn’t do anything but try to capture a moment in time, of where we are musically and who we were in that place.”

One of the reasons the group worked at Auerbach’s Akron Analog Studio was to take a different approach to recording.

“We tried to get that live performance,” Simpson said. “We felt one thing missing from our last few records was the fact our live show gives a better picture of who we are as a band. We weren’t playing live in the studio, we were recording the normal Nashville way, where everybody is all isolated. If you mess up, you just go back and replace your part.”

While the music ranges from bluegrass and indie pop to dark, atmospheric folk, the members of Cadillac Sky looked to the past to capture a post-modern vibe.

“We wanted to strip it down,” Simpson said. “In that aspect, it’s a very traditional recording. It’s going back to Stanley Brothers recording styles. We sat in a circle and played the songs live. There are some electric guitar and drums, but there’s a heavy dose of banjo, fiddle and mandolin. And we all sing background vocals on the same mike at the same time, so that sort of took everything back.”