Preserving The Tradition of Bluegrass Into The Future

“Christmas Time’s A-Comin’” says the granddaddy of Bluegrass holiday songs. And it seems to be a-comin’ sooner each year. As I write this, the first carol hasn’t fa-la-la-ed on the radio. But stores already have hauled out the holly, trimmed the trees, and tempted us with seasonal samples of fruitcake and candy. That’s put me in the mood to track down stories behind a few of my favorite Bluegrass Christmas songs. I once thought some of the more familiar tunes could be traced

Just a few years out of Berklee College of Music, brother and sister Elisha and Aila Wildman, performing as The Wildmans, seem like fresh new faces on the roots music scene. But owing to the vibrant, legendary old-time music scene around Floyd, Va., where they grew up, fiddling, singing, and strumming have always been part of their DNA.   “We grew up kind of going to the Floyd Country store every Friday night for a really long time,” says Aila. “They do the Friday night jambo

Some bands begin with ambition. Ruby Joyful began with love. Dan Rubinoff had played in small local bands most of his life, but he says, "I never wrote a good song until I was 50 years old. Joyce and I met eight and a half years ago. It opened up the creative pathways and all of a sudden I was writing good music." That spark led to more than just a few songs. It led to a new life. Ruby Joyful, the band Dan co-founded with partner and bassist Joice Moore, came together in Paon

If you ask Matt Wallace why he made his new album Close The Door Lightly, his answer comes from years of making music on stages, in studios, and in the quiet moments between gigs—years that have shaped the Knoxville-born bassist into the kind of artist who knows exactly what he wants to play, and who he wants to play it with. The album—out now on Huckleberry Records—isn’t a showcase of original material, and that’s by design. Wallace calls it more of a “jukebox record,” a col

Photo by Lily Shea Long Mama doesn’t ask for your attention — the songs demand it. Stark and searching, cinematic and punk at heart, the music rides the tension between beauty and blunt force like it’s born from both. If you’ve ever had your heart cracked open by a stranger’s voice on the radio, there’s a good chance you already know what Long Mama sounds like. Or at least how it feels. Behind the name — both the band and the moniker — is Kat Wodtke (pronounced “Wood-key”), a

“It’s been an interesting year,” says singer-songwriter Jack McKeon, who, just a few years back, hitched his Honda Civic to a five-by-eight U-Haul trailer and headed to Nashville in pursuit of getting his songs heard. Armed with a talent for storytelling, he left behind his small hometown of Chatham, New York. Three years later, McKeon self-financed his debut album, Talking To Strangers, earning praise for its song lyrics, musical arrangements, and blend of bluegrass, country

The Appalachian Mountains come alive each year with festivals that reflect the region’s deep cultural traditions and creative spirit. From music and storytelling to agriculture and harvest, these gatherings highlight what makes Appalachia one of the most distinctive cultural landscapes in the country. Here’s a guide to uniquely Appalachian festivals worth planning a trip around in 2026. Spring: Big Ears Festival — Knoxville, Tennessee (March 26–29, 2026) Spring in Appalachia

Elephant Revival has always carried a certain mystique. Their music—often called “transcendental folk”—is a blend of Celtic reels, Americana grit, bluegrass tradition, and ethereal tones that drift into indie rock territory. This audience connection stems from the band members’ intention to create not just a set of songs, but an experience. As for the band name, the story begins not with a stage but with elephants in a zoo. “Our bassist, Dango Rose, was busking at the Lincoln

Fulfilling her lifelong ambition, Twin Cities singer-songwriter Clare Doyle enjoys the road alongside her friend and fellow Minneapolis music artist, Michael Gay.   “I’ve been focusing on touring,” shares the native Saint Paul, Minnesota songwriter.  “We’re [playing] New Orleans, Birmingham, Nashville, St Louis, Kansas City and a couple of stops in Nebraska.” Doyle was delighted to be among the star-studded performers at The Blue Ox Music Festival. “It’s just a really beautif

Don’t try to put Mike Savino in a box. He performs as Tall Tall Trees, a name spurred by a tune written by Roger Miller and George Jones. Inspired by the pioneers of experimental banjo music (Rhiannan Giddens, Bela Fleck), Savino is a one-man psychedelic indie-folk orchestra. That box had not been invented until Savino’s experimental nature created it. He plays his music on his “Banjotron 5000,” and has been described as “a new age Cat Stevens with dreamy harmonies.” In other

Photo by Jeff f Daugherty When C.J. Lewandowski was a teenager, he met one of his music idols, veteran bluegrass artist Bobby Osborne. “I got to pick with him, and I was forever hooked,” C.J. says. C.J. worked hard to master the mandolin and was already playing gigs when he enrolled in the Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music. “I went because Bobby was teaching there,” he says. “After a few months, Bobby asked me why I was there. I told him it was because he tau

Dig Deep is a unique and powerful force in the roots world with a hard-edged sound far beyond bluegrass. All the band members come from a punk music background, but band spokesman Alex Dalnodar says he got into bluegrass when he walked into a tavern and heard the 357 String Band. “Joseph Huber in 357 is an endless well of inspiration. We would not exist as a band if they had never existed.” The Stevens Point, Wisconsin-based band formed in 2015. “Stevens Point has a vibrant m