Photo by orderlyschism

In one of the more memorable performances from this year’s Grammys, The Avett Brothers performed alongside Bob Dylan and Mumford & Sons. Their performance instantly rocketed the Avetts’ most recent album, I and Love and You, in to the top 10 albums on iTunes.

Their honest, heartfelt lyrics strike straight at the heart with aspirations to be better boyfriends, husbands, brothers, and sons; accordingly, they are laden with apologies for being lesser versions of themselves. Their mix of gritty punk, bluegrass, folk and vintage pop mixed with the gorgeous harmonies that can only come from siblings is accompanied by an intense performance that has them leaving pounds of sweat and everything else on the stage every night.

Longtime fans have seen the band evolve from a simple three piece of banjo, guitar and upright bass to a larger touring group that includes a drummer and cellist Joe Kwon. We spoke with Kwon about the band, how they eat to perform and, in an unusual turn, his food blog Taste on Tour. (Those whiskey-soaked lyrics? Turns out they aren’t powered by whiskey.)