To most people, the organ-infused, breathy pop harmonies of The Zombies' "She's Not There" are as far from bluegrass standard as Lexington, Ky., is from London.
To Paul Harris, aka Digger Cleverly, the lead singer of the comedic bluegrass quintet The Cleverlys, however, the lines between genres are more blurred.
"I noticed that no [bluegrass band] was covering pop or hip-hop songs, so we went for that," he said. "It was targeting another family of people who wouldn't normally listen to bluegrass music.
"The Beyoncé fan base would never listen to a bluegrass song, but they love The Cleverlys."
From Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" to Travie McCoy's "Billionaire," the Arkansas-based Cleverlys have injected a little Kentucky fire into some of mainstream radio's biggest recent hits.
Harris began playing guitar at age 12 when his family relocated to Chicago from Arkansas, but he spent much of his early years working as a stand-up comedian in Branson, Mo.
Harris said he was interested in creating a band as the bluegrass answer to the heavy-metal spoof group Spinal Tap. After moving to Nashville in 2005, Harris formed The Cleverlys in 2007, building around the concept of a faux family band made up of talented yokels from the backwoods of Central Arkansas.
IF YOU GO * What: The Cleverlys in concert. * When: 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.* Where: Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St.* Admission: $7.* Phone: 267-4644.* Venue website: www.rhythm-brews.com.* Related links at current.timesfreepress.com.RELATED LINKS FOR WEB:http://www.thecleverlys.com
At first, the band placed heavier emphasis on the theatrical elements, with Harris serving as the family "patriarch." Early on, Harris said, they would stay in character from when they left the van to set up to when they packed up and hit the road again.
"The rehearsals would go into us just being in character and going into Walmart to buy items and shop," he said, laughing. "We'd go to clothing stores - go to Buckle - dressed like we were."
The need to win over an audience with over-the-top comedy has been de-emphasized as new members joined and the level of musicianship increased.
The Cleverlys' unexpected take on bluegrass has landed them gigs at the CMA Music Festival and showcases at the International Bluegrass Music Association Awards. On July 15, they will make their debut at the Grand Ole Opry.
By designing the band as a bridge between two distinct audiences, The Cleverlys' shows resonate with a broader group than most bands, Harris said.
"It doesn't matter if you like bluegrass or not, you'll love our show," he said. "It sucks people in immediately."