A blend of chamber folk and progressive bluegrass underpins the genre-bending style of Nashville-based alt-folk/bluegrass trio, The Arcadian Wild. From small private house shows to an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry, the band continues to evolve without straying too far from its roots. The 50-million Spotify song streams the band claims are a clear testament to how listeners connect to the band’s eclectic approach. Now, a new record pushes the boundaries of their capabilitie
When Kenny Feinstein first started playing music, he probably had no idea he’d some day end up being a vital part of the Los Angeles, California, bluegrass community. Traditional music wasn’t a part of his life. Yet. “I picked up the guitar after hearing Offspring, Nirvana, and Blink-182,” Feinstein said, of his beginnings as a musician. One day he set up shop to busk outside a Target store in Santa Cruz. He played Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and received his first ev
The guys in High Cotton are rooted in the past, preserving the traditions of bluegrass, while looking forward to the next generation. It’s been that way since Dan Defend, Rick Rhodes, and Bill Blickhan played in the house band for Cotton Patch Gospel. It was there that they connected with the late Milt Craig. “Milt was a large part of why we became High Cotton,” says Dan. “He helped found the band, and he came up with the name High Cotton, which represents prosperity and good
Continuing a family tradition dating back to the 1930s, The Hawkins Kids band is inspired by family, faith, and the love of music. The Hawkins family lives on their farm in Woodstock, Virginia, where the three Hawkins children are homeschooled. Siblings Olivia (16), Tanner (12), and George (14) have musical gifts that are gaining notice around the region and beyond. “They are humble about their talents,” says Wade Hawkins, the father of the talented trio. “People will thank
With five Grammy Award wins, eight gold albums, hundreds of television appearances, and a Lifetime Achievement Award, Noel Paul Stookey is still as creative as ever. Designing a new instrument might not have been his lifelong ambition, but design one, he did. The still-vibrant Stookey, 88, can add inventor to his list. “I realized that what I had created was kind of a United Nations of instruments of sorts,” Stookey says. Stookey is not the first person who comes to mind when
In a culture where most music is focused on examining the hardships and challenges of life, it’s refreshing to come across messaging that truly lifts spirits. In bluegrass, country, folk and other roots genres – where “hard times” and grief are essentially coded into the DNA of the music – unbridled feel-good vibes are more rare. For Maitland, Florida-based indie folk group The 502s, however, a mood boost would be a certain, expected outcome. For this group, Banjo and guitar
