It’s just about impossible to deny talented, old-timey bluegrass troupes. Think of that close-up of Clooney’s mug in “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” The Soggy Bottom Boys won over fans for sunshiney tunes and infectious good attitude. So it is with the impish Tricky Britches, sprinkling mandolin licks all over New England and beyond. Read what Seth Doyle had to say about his band, then catch the Britches on Friday night outside One Longfellow Square for quality nostalgia and an authentic swell of joy.

How did you guys meet and decide to play music together?

Additional Photos

Tricky Britches, starting as a core group of friends from Gorham, now consists of Ryan Wilkinson, Seth Doyle, Tyler Lienhardt, Jed Bresette and Nick Wallace. Tyler Kidder photo

Nick (Wallace), Tyler (Lienhardt) and I were actually friends long before we played music together. Nick and I started playing old-time Appalachian tunes the end of our junior year in high school, and Tyler joined us shortly after. I took a friend’s room in an apartment in Portland, and Jed (Bresette) was living there at the time. We hit it off, and I convinced him to come on our first month-long busking tour across the States. Bear (Wilkinson) we met while playing a wedding, and when he moved to town, we got him on board.

How has the response to your new album, “Hard Fought Day,” surprised you since its release in June?

I think it’s always pleasantly surprising for artists to see their work appreciated and enjoyed. Nine of 10 tracks were original songs, so it’s putting yourself out there for judgment. Both Nick and Jed, on separate occasions, were in the variety store down the street when our songs came on the radio. That’s a surprise.

When you chart your course from your first album to this one, how has your sound changed?

I definitely feel the band outgrew the first one. There was a lot that we learned in the year between. Playing every day for 107 days in Europe last summer, we got tighter as a group and improved individually. Also, we engineered the first album ourselves, and on the new one, we had an experienced engineer. That makes a world of difference. And of course, Bear wasn’t on the first one, and he brings a lot to the table.

Do you still have the same goals when recording?

Absolutely: Create something that all five guys can listen to and be satisfied with.

Outside of Maine, where have some of your best crowds been?

Ireland is a wonderful place for a musician. I don’t think we ever felt so welcomed and appreciated. They do like our music down South too. You can do no wrong in New Orleans, and it’s always a good time. More recently, we discovered Virginia. We were calling it “Little Ireland.”

What was your favorite memory from Europe?

We were playing on the street in Dubrovnik, Croatia, when three classical players came up to us and invited us to play a 15-minute set at their gig that night. We followed them through the winding streets until we came to an arched door with a curved set of stairs going down. I thought it was going to be in a basement pub, but the stairs went down and opened up to a cliff-side bar on the outside of the city’s wall. The stage’s backdrop was the Adriatic Sea at dusk, complete with a meteor shower. I don’t think we can ever beat that stage.

Where do you hope you’ll get to explore more next time and why?

We didn’t make it to France or Spain. I would like to go there. I hear Barcelona is awesome. We didn’t get a chance to go to Northern Ireland either — that’s on the to-do list.

How do you best celebrate summertime life in Maine?

Swimming and bluegrass festivals.

What makes your britches tricky?

Just haven’t figured ’em out yet

Mike Olcott is a freelance writer who lives in Portland and Boston.

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