Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1546328
V O L . X X X I I N O. X I X 78 Fact Book / Doing Business in Maine C O N T E N T S P H OTO E S S AY ยป C O N T I N U E D F RO M PA G E 7 6 A conversation opens a door Two months after the State eatre concert, I made the trip to the Camden Opera House to see the band again. Before the show, I struck up a conversation with a band associate known as Hotdog, who was working the merchandise table. I mentioned that I had photographed the band a decade earlier when they performed with their father, singer-songwriter David Mallett, at an L.L.Bean concert. For many years, I photographed Bean's concerts and events, and I asked if they might like the photos. Without hesitation, Hotdog pulled out his phone and texted the band to get the correct email address. It seems like a small thing, but it wasn't. I almost let shyness prevent me from approaching him. Without a camera in my hand, I can be reserved. If Hotdog hadn't been so welcoming, I probably would have thanked him, walked away, and this story would have ended before it began. I've told the band, and others, that this story exists because of his welcoming ABOVE: Will talks with his wife, Sarah, and fellow musician Toby McAllister while preparing to perform at Live at Madrid's in Portland in late March. He joined McAllister and Spose for the new venue's first songwriter night. Luke performed in the series a month later, and the band will return in July for two headlining concerts. Owner Josh Schlesinger knew Will before the band formed and soon developed a close relationship with the group and their music. That connection became more personal when the band played at his wedding in 2011. "The Mallett Brothers were probably the most obvious band that we were ever going to have here," Josh said. ABOVE: In June, I travel to Sebec to visit Will and his family, his wife, Sarah, and their children, 2-year-old Isla and 1-year-old Levon. I photograph them on the porch of their 60-acre farm, across the road from where Will grew up. Like his father, he is rarely far from a guitar and often plays for his family. These days, his children's requests include plenty of Taylor Swift and "The Wheels on the Bus." A few weeks later, while I am interviewing Will for the story, he tells me Isla has painted a picture for me and plans to send it in the mail. I look forward to displaying it on my refrigerator. Due to the band's scheduling, Will is able to spend much of the week with his children while Sarah teaches kindergarten. That time with them has deepened his appreciation for the course his career has taken and for what the band's success has made possible. "Allowing me to do that is a huge gift that music has given me and that has been given to me by the band and the fans of the band. It's a blessing."