The Storytellers: Building Community, One Song at a Time

There is a quiet intention behind everything The Storytellers do. Whether they’re deep in the groove during an onstage jam, sharing lunch before rehearsal, or evaluating the next bit of content for their growing online community, this progressive bluegrass band from Southern California approaches music—and life—with a deep respect for that direct connection to their audience. Founded in 2017, The Storytellers evolved from a duo playing local Los Angeles venues into a five-piece band making mouths drop on national stages, headlining festivals, and writing music that reflects that love of creativity, presence, and humanity. They don’t chase trends or fit into genre boxes. Instead, it’s been about listening carefully—to the music, each other, and most of all, their audience.

Bassist and founding member Lance Frantzich knows that audiences expect labels. In today’s world, where streaming services and festival lineups demand categorization, a band that blends folk, rock, bluegrass, jazz, and improvisation can leave people grasping for a definition. Frantzich accepts that reality but doesn’t let it limit them. “We wish we didn’t have to categorize our music, but I understand why we do because we live in a category culture,” he says. “If the word ‘grass’ is in there, we’re pleased.” The Storytellers have embraced “progressive bluegrass” as a label but have come to love another term even more—“gateway grass”—because of what it says about their mission. “We see ourselves as a gateway to traditional bluegrass,” Frantzich explains. “We’ve been performing at a lot of bluegrass festivals, so we’re extremely pleased that at least some part of the bluegrass intelligentsia recognizes our music as being in the realm of bluegrass. We’re still working to convince the ones who don’t. It may take some time.”

Part of what makes The Storytellers so difficult to pin down is the diverse musical backgrounds of its members. Guitarist Scott Diehl and Frantzich started out playing folk music, while percussionist Steve Stelmach came from a rock and roll background. Fiddler Tyler Emerson has roots in jazz and gypsy jazz, while banjo player Dave Holmes brings years of bluegrass and Irish music experience. Mandolinist Ethan Van Thillo, who Frantzich describes as a free-spirited Santa Cruz hippie in his early days, adds colorful, free-form playing to the mix. These different influences don’t just co-exist; they have reshaped how each member approaches their instrument. “Tyler has made Dave more jazzy, so we’re creating ‘Jazzgrass’!” Frantzich says. “The Deadhead contingent of the band – me and Scott – has influenced everyone to become much freer and more experimental.”

But for all their musical freedom, The Storytellers are deeply committed to their audience and view every performance as a collaborative experience. Their shows aren’t rigid recitals of rehearsed material; they are living, breathing moments shaped in real time by the crowd's energy. “Our audience is inextricably connected, on and off stage, to everything we do,” Frantzich explains. “We’re audience conscious. We’ve conditioned ourselves since the beginning to be aware of them, to bring them into the experience, to make sure they recognize that they’re affecting what’s happening during a show.” This can mean completely abandoning a carefully planned setlist if the audience vibe calls for something different. At a show scheduled with a grassy, folky set at Calico Ghost Town, Frantzich remembers noticing a sea of tie-dye shirts just before showtime. “They’re there to dance, and they won’t be satiated with three-minute songs, so it becomes about longer, stranger jams. You know, bring out The Dead! So, we’ll abandon an entire setlist if we must. We’re here to please the audience. That’s our only agenda.”

The band’s forthcoming album, Blossoming Saguaros, marks an important step in The Storytellers’ evolution. For the first time, they fully embrace original songwriting, a process Frantzich describes as transformative both musically and personally. The challenge to write their own material came from their publisher, Lynne Robin Green, and the band rose to meet it together, crafting songs that reflect their collective spirit. “Deciding to write our own material has been the single most important decision we’ve ever made,” Frantzich says. “It’s truly a band effort. Everyone is contributing at high levels. There are no songwriters or ‘he did the lyrics’ and ‘he wrote the music.’ It’s evolving organically like the band did.”

The themes running through Blossoming Saguaros reflect the same values guiding the band since its beginning—love, presence, spiritual growth, and the search for meaning in the everyday. This shared commitment has revealed something profound within the group. “We’re all on the same page as far as being on a path towards personal growth and greater understanding of what it means to be human, which are the themes that folk and bluegrass explore,” Frantzich explains. Working so closely together on original material has deepened their respect for each other’s talents and insights. “We appreciate more than ever how a single chord change can significantly affect the musical story,” he says. “We’re trying to create fine art, so the devil is in the details.”

That attention to detail extends beyond music. The Storytellers operate with a code of conduct rooted in mutual respect, kindness, and mindfulness. This is not a band where egos run unchecked or members drift apart between shows. “We hug each other when we see each other. We hug when we leave. We share meals. We consciously make sure to say kind things to each other,” Frantzich says. The band avoids alcohol or drugs during work and checks in with each other about their families and lives outside the band. “Everyone understands now that the nature of anything fine is that it’s fragile. It can break easily. It must be handled with care.”

That fragile beauty is something Frantzich thinks about often. It’s why their social media presence is not just promotional but deeply interactive. The Storytellers have built an online community that feels like an extension of their live shows—a place where creativity is encouraged and everyone has a voice. “We encourage participation and sharing of insights and humor,” Frantzich says. “We have endeavored not to make the community about us. We’re not leaders. Our community are not followers. We’re all in this together, co-creating the community.” This approach has resonated. The band has averaged nearly 1,000 new Facebook followers per month over the past year, a testament to their cultivated inclusive space.

Ultimately, The Storytellers are about more than just music. They are about fostering creativity, connection, and community in a world that often prioritizes consumption over creation. For Frantzich, picking up the bass was never just about playing notes—it was about reclaiming time and energy to make something meaningful. “I don’t want to spend my life watching other people live their lives,” he says. “Life is precious. Don’t be passive. Be active. Do. Act!”

As The Storytellers move forward, their path is clear. They will keep writing, performing, and building spaces—on stage, online, and in their songs—where people can come together, tell their stories, and remember what it feels like to create something real.