The ‘Fringe Americana’ of Twisted Pine

Starting as a (semi)traditional bluegrass band, Boston, Mass.-based Twisted Pine has evolved over the years into something more open than that and delightfully more difficult to define. It’s not quite bluegrass anymore, but it’s not quite anything else you’d be able to pin down, either.

“I guess if you had to name our music, it could accurately be described as fringe Americana,” explained Twisted Pine bass player Chris Sartori. “But when we create, the process is organic and unrestricted by genre parameters. We try and liberate ourselves of boxes and labels as much as possible while still honoring the traditions and communities we draw inspiration from.

“Does it groove?” he added. “Does it have soul and real emotion connected to it? That’s what we care about.”

An interesting feature of Twisted Pine is the inclusion of a flute. It’s not every day that the flute shows up in bluegrass, folk, or most roots genres. Anh Phung is the bandmate who provides that wholly unexpected sound.

“I’ve always had an interest in a wide range of music genres,” Phung explained. “Because the flute isn’t always a part of certain genres – bluegrass, for example – I try to emulate characteristics of that genre as best I can. In the context of Twisted Pine, I try to play a wide range of roles depending on what the sound needs. Sometimes it’s as simple as playing hooks and melodies, sometimes I’ll play chords with my effects pedals, and sometimes I’ll chop – like a mandolin or fiddle – and keep time/play a rhythmic role. It’s fun and interesting to incorporate the flute into a context that wouldn’t necessarily include it,” she added. “It’s uncharted territory that I love exploring.”

The group’s most recent release is “Love Your Mind,” released in October 2024.

Mandolin player Dan Bui said it is an “important” record for Twisted Pine.

“It felt like an arrival, one where we were able to see all of our influences and years of experience touring together coalesce into something that was unique and undeniably us,” he said. “It’s diverse but still feels organic and coherent, at least to us. We're especially proud of the songwriting and the collaboration that went into this record! With this album released, we're mostly focused on bringing these songs to our live show and developing them onstage.”

Kathleen Parks carries the lead vocals and fiddle for the band. She explains how the group's music comes together and what inspires it.

“A lot of the songs start from melody and groove,” she explained. “Sometimes I can hear a certain artist singing the song in my head, and I find my lyrics and story through whatever lens I’m seeing the song through.”

For instance, she said for their song “Lonestar,” she was really inspired by the “Ancient Tones” that “Peter Rowan and Bill Monroe have spoken about in songs like ‘Walls of Time’ or Monroe’s ‘My Last Days on Earth.’”

Parks said she found that “drifter, howling sound” in the melody and lyrics, and eventually, the band found it, too.

“The song started as a fiddle tune at the start of the band’s writing career, and in time – after eight years in the vault – became the expansive journey we play now.”

She said another inspiration resulted in their song, “Chanel Perfume.”

“Aretha Franklin was a big inspiration for how the verse melody would sit and for finding themes of power in the lyrics. This was a really fun one to channel, to try and step in those shoes as a soul singer and give your best shot at finding a way to make this type of groove sit in this acoustic setting. R&B, funk, and soul are a style we all love from every era of it, so we had a lot of fun putting our spin on this style and paying homage to artists of these genres.”

The band’s been busy recently. In February, they wrapped up a run of shows in Florida and performed as part of the String Break Festival aboard the Sky Princess Cruise Ship. They’ve got a list of performance dates that are still growing for this spring and summer, including a May 4 appearance in Morgantown, West Virginia, on the Mountain Stage at the Canady Creative Arts Center of WVU; a June 21 show at The Lariat in Buena Vista, Colorado; and an August 15 appearance at Green Mountain Bluegrass and Roots 2025 in Manchester, Vermont. For more information on Twisted Pine performance dates, visit Twistedpineband.com/tour.