Like many bands, Serene Green began with childhood friends sharing a love of music. "My friend Quentin (Fisher) played guitar from an early age and listened to a wide range of music," says Michael Johnson, "and although he's a few years younger than me, Quentin became a mentor when I first picked up a guitar in the sixth grade."   Michael explains that he and Quentin connected through music early on. "Quentin and I developed an affinity for acoustic music, in particular, and began taking our instruments -- typically a guitar and mandolin -- to a nearby park where we'd play for hours," says Michael. Eventually, Michael and Quentin built up a repertoire of folk songs and began playing their first gigs at local coffee shops and bars.   "After a few years of playing local shows, we began to receive offers to open for bigger touring bands," says Michael. "We first met banjo player Steve Leonard when supporting his bluegrass band, Still Hand String Band, at a venue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania." Michael and Quentin, now operating under the name Serene Green, struck up a friendship with Steve and would invite him to play banjo with them whenever he was available.   "We really fell in love with the driving rhythm, soaring harmonies, and tight instrumentation of bluegrass music," says Michael. "It was infectious."    Steve also connected Quentin and Michael to Shane McGeehan, a young bluegrass whiz who played the upright bass, had a great singing voice, and showed exceptional songwriting capabilities. "Shane grew up attending bluegrass festivals with his parents, providing him a wealth of experience in bluegrass rhythm and tone, harmony singing, and the specific roles of each instrument. After just one session with Shane, we knew he'd be the perfect addition to our pursuit of becoming a bluegrass band."   When the time came for Steve to leave Still Hand String Band, he was invited to join Serene Green full-time in early 2017. "With the four-piece band now secured, we began putting our first tours together, playing at music festivals, venues, and bars throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Midwest regions of the United States," says Michael.    Collectively, Serene Green has always looked up to The Del McCoury Band as a prime example of vocal and instrumental prowess, captivating original songs, and most importantly -- having its distinguishable sound as a band. "We attended, and later performed, at DelFest- a music festival in Cumberland, Maryland, hosted by The Del McCoury Band, where we gained a bit of a reputation for the all-night bluegrass jams at our campsite."   At their first DelFest, Serene Green was introduced to Katelynn Casper, a young, budding fiddle player from Maryland. "Katelynn would always join our jam circle at DelFest and, over the years, became an exceptional talent on the fiddle," says Michael. Katelynn has won multiple bluegrass fiddle contests, becoming the Maryland State Fiddle Champion in 2019. She has earned a presidential scholarship to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.   When the members of Serene Green decided they wanted to add a fiddle player to the mix, Katelynn was the first person the band considered. "We invited her to play just two shows with us on a trial basis in 2021, but before those shows were over, we knew we had found what we were looking for," says Michael. "Those two shows led to Katelynn becoming a full-time member of Serene Green."   When Shane decided to leave Serene Green in late 2023, the band turned to Sam Zolla, a Connecticut-based multi-instrumentalist and singer who had spent much of his life traveling to bluegrass festivals and playing in his family bluegrass band, The Zolla Boys.    "Initially, Sam was brought on board to fill the role of bass player, but the new personnel change presented an exciting opportunity to switch instruments -- putting me on bass and Sam on guitar," says Michael. "We're all enjoying this new configuration of the band."   "As of late, we're still working hard to create our own sound and identity as a band -- a seemingly endless pursuit, but one that makes being a band so special to us and to our listeners," says Michael.    Over the years, Serene Green has toured in three countries, produced three studio albums, and shared stages with countless national and international touring and award-winning groups. Serene Green continues to play festivals and venues throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions of the United States and is currently working on producing its fourth studio album.

Bluegrass isn’t static; it’s moving forward, and Carolina Detour is a great example. The young band is becoming a favorite among North Carolina bluegrass fans with their energy and youthful harmony! “Our fans are top priority. Without them, there is no Carolina Detour,” says fifteen-year-old banjoist Malachi Bulman, who is set to play MerleFest with his bandmates, Bassist Elijah Bulman, Bulman's twenty-one-year-old brother, agrees, saying he’s thrilled. “When the entire crowd sings with you, it’s the best feeling ever!” Carolina Detour’s mission is to put on a great show. “We play at elementary schools in Wilkes County and try to sing at least one mainstream popular song that all the kids know. Malachi explains, “ Many times, we ask venues what their favorite songs are and try to accommodate their requests.” Along with the Bulman brothers, the band features fifteen-year-old fiddle player Lake Carver, fifteen-year-old guitarist Lyla Cherry, fourteen-year-old guitarist Tae Childress, and eighteen-year-old mandolinist Cooper Eades. “Several of our mom’s took charge,” explains Malachi who says most of the members are under the driving age. They call themselves “The Momagers.” “They take care of the booking and financial stuff.” Malachi says most of the band balances their rehearsal schedule around school. “We mostly have to practice on Fridays and Saturdays. We have to find a time when everyone is free on the weekend. Sometimes we practice before shows, which is another opportunity to rehearse.” “Music counts as part of my grades,” shares the young banjoist, who says being homeschooled makes it easy for him to practice. “Music is basically an elective for me.” Malachi and his brother reveal that finding a rehearsal space for Carolina Detour hasn’t been hard. “We used to practice in a building that we were invited to use in Statesville. Now we practice at Union Grove at a place called Blake Farm. It has a little country store [where] we were also invited to play.” As a guitarist turned banjo player, Malachi is thankful to those who inspired him. “I would say my biggest influences are my music teacher, Ralph McGee, my brother, Elijah, and my uncle, Tom Berry. They definitely encouraged me a lot!”  Sharing more of his influences, “I listen to Dan Tyminski’s band a lot and I’ve gotten a lot of ideas and licks from their banjo player, Jason Davis.”  Carolina Detour is beginning to compose their own songs. “Our Mandolin player, Cooper, loves to write music and typically composes one to two songs a week,” Malachi shares. “He uses most of it for his personal pursuits but has also contributed originals for Carolina Detour and other bands.” Elijah adds, “Cooper and I have written some music, and other members of the band have some originals in the works.” Malachi’s older brother recalls how he got into music. “I started playing guitar at twelve and have been playing ever since. I grew up singing in church and started playing guitar in church as well, which I still do today, and love it.” Malachi joins in, “Elijah has played guitar almost as far back as I can remember, so as a typical younger brother, I had to copy him!”   Malachi wound up playing banjo. “I started taking guitar lessons at the age of about eight. I played that for a few years, and I wasn’t nearly as good as Elijah, so I decided to switch things up.” Malachi shares that he’s happy with his decision to play banjo, “I had always thought the banjo seemed cool. So, even though everyone told me not to go from playing guitar to playing banjo, I did it and enjoyed it. I started playing banjo at the age of 12 and I’ve loved it ever since!” The band is planning to release music. “We’re going to record a couple of singles. I think the two songs that we’re going to do are both originals-- one by me and one by Cooper,” says Elijah.   Besides Merle Fest, they say they are excited about their upcoming Camp Springs Bluegrass Park performance. “The Tony Rice festival will be our first bluegrass festival. We would really love to do more!”   The brothers agree they would like Carolina Detour to be a touring band someday. “We would love to open for Dan Tyminski, Sam Bush, or Sierra Hull. That would be a dream come true!”

There’s a moment that tells you everything you need to know about Nick Chandler. It’s not on a record, though the band’s latest single “I Don’t Wanna Be Me Anymore” lays it out in honest, gut-level detail. It’s not on a stage, though they’ve played just about everyone worth mentioning. It’s in rehearsal—after two weeks off the road, Chandler has his band in a room, practicing six to eight hours a day. “We rehearse like a professional baseball team,” Chandler says, matter-of-factly. “They don’t get together right before the game and take batting practice. That’s how we do it, too.” There’s no flash in Nick Chandler’s voice when he says that. Just clarity. Purpose. And maybe a little mountain-raised stubbornness, the kind that keeps a guy recording songs live off the floor, even if it means editing out the sound of someone’s chair creaking or a strap shifting at the wrong time. Chandler is the real deal, and his band—Delivered—is as focused and finely tuned as the mandolin he picked up when he was nine years old in Western North Carolina. Chandler got a late start by local standards—he was nine, “which sounds funny around here,” he says. “Most kids are playing by five, six, or seven years old.” Drawn to the mandolin’s look and sound, Chandler dove in with “Little Liza Jane” and “Down Yonder,” and he was on his way. His playing today blends influences that zigzag through fiddle tunes, Jesse McReynolds’ pickin’, Paul Williams’ tone, and even Ricky Skaggs’ bright, '80s production clarity. “You can take any kind of song and make it sound traditional if you play it like yourself,” he says. “I don’t try to play like anybody else. I play what I hear—and what I know I can do.” That ethos—doing what he knows, doing it well—runs through the band’s catalog. It’s a kind of authenticity you can’t fake, and Chandler doesn’t try to. When he says he won’t play a song that doesn’t get a reaction on stage, he means it. “I’ve played songs I loved, and the crowd didn’t react,” he says. “And when that happens, that’s it, it’s gone. It’s about the audience.” Chandler’s latest material carries the lived-in weight of a man who's seen a few things—and learned to listen hard. Take “I Don’t Wanna Be Me Anymore,” a David Stewart-penned track Chandler was handed after spending time at Stewart’s songwriting camp in Wyoming. “That was a really good idea for a song,” Chandler says. “I thought it lent itself to how people think—like, ‘Here I am, I’ve been a jerk, I’ve not been the nicest guy… I don’t wanna be that guy anymore.’” It’s that lyric-driven connection Chandler searches for. If he can’t feel it, he won’t play it. “I’m a lyric guy. I’ve written songs I think are pretty good, but if they don’t fit my style, I don’t do ‘em,” he says. “That’s where a lot of younger musicians miss out.” Another standout, “Never Did No Wanderin’,” might raise eyebrows—yes, it’s that song from Christopher Guest’s folk music sendup film A Mighty Wind . But Chandler heard something different in it, something with bluegrass bones just waiting for the right arrangement.   “Old Devil’s Dream” is another case study in Chandler’s approach: find something old, make it yours, but keep it honest. Initially recorded by the Nashville Bluegrass Band in the mid-80s, Chandler worked a year to make it feel different—authentic to Delivered, because it was relatable. “That’s what makes a song work. You’ve got this guy who used to cat around, and then he finds a woman who changes him. But she’s gone, and he’s stuck. That’s real.” He lights up when talking about “Slowly Getting You Out of the Way,” a Randall Hilton-penned track that feels tailor-made for him. “I didn’t even realize how many of his songs I’d done,” Chandler says, laughing. “But they’re all written like they were written for me.” Chandler’s humility extends to his band, whom he praises for their talent and work ethic. “I’m so happy with the band I have right now,” he says. “Gary Trivette on bass, Spencer Atkinson on guitar, and Jake Burrows on banjo—they work hard. We don’t go more than two weeks without rehearsing, even if we’re not gigging.” But there’s a method to his madness. Chandler still tracks his albums live—no building from rhythm tracks, no stacking solos later. “We go in, play it two or three times, and whichever one feels best—that’s the one,” he says. And another note here is that the band's on-stage faithfulness to the sound is no accident. “We rehearse with our sound system. That’s the setup we use on the road. It’s a pain, but it’s how we deliver the show we’re supposed to.” The name Delivered didn’t come from a spiritual epiphany, though Chandler has played plenty of gospel in his day. It came from the need to differentiate his group from solo acts using backing tracks. But it stuck, and now it carries its own weight. “I couldn’t imagine calling myself Nick Chandler and the Smoky Mountains or something,” he says. “But Delivered? That sounded right.” There’s something telling about that choice. Chandler doesn’t just want to play bluegrass. He wants to deliver it. With intention. With grit. With polish that comes not from ego, but from care. “We’re not singers who can play. We’re instrumentalists who can sing,” Chandler says. “But we work hard to get that harmony right. We sing a lot of harmony—probably five or ten times more than most.” Nick Chandler and Delivered have a new album coming. It doesn’t have a name yet. It’s not finished. Floods delayed the studio in Asheville, and Chandler’s picky about arrangements. “Everything we’ve released from it is out there to download,” he says, “but we’re still working on the rest.” What’s guaranteed is that whatever the final product is, it will be deliberate. Polished, but not polished over. Rooted, but still searching. A clear extension of a band that knows exactly what it’s doing—and is still trying to do it better. “There’s only one thing I tell young musicians,” Chandler says. “Consistency. That’s what makes people come back.”

At the Hickory For generations, Appalachian cuisine has often been misunderstood and overlooked – many times reduced to stereotypes of poverty food or heavy, homogenous fare. But a quiet culinary revolution has been building, led by chefs who are reclaiming, redefining and celebrating the true soul of Appalachian food. Among those leading the charge are Mike Costello, David Rabin, and Travis Milton—each bringing a unique voice to the table while honoring a shared commitment to cultural preservation and innovation. Mike Costello: Storytelling Through Food At Lost Creek Farm in Harrison County, West Virginia, Mike Costello isn’t just cooking meals—he’s telling stories. Costello, along with his partner Amy Dawson, has created a space where Appalachian traditions are honored with every ingredient and every course. Their farm dinners have become immersive experiences, weaving personal narratives, local history, and heirloom recipes into a multisensory celebration of place. Costello sees food as a medium for cultural storytelling – one that pushes back against the flattening of Appalachian identity. Dishes like leather britches with pickled ramps, or pawpaw sorbet served alongside heirloom cornbread, don’t just nourish; they educate. Costello emphasizes that Appalachian cuisine is inherently diverse, shaped by the contributions of Indigenous, African American, and immigrant communities. His approach is both a preservation and an evolution, carrying ancestral knowledge forward while allowing it to adapt and grow. Travis Milton: The Scholar and the Advocate In Virginia, chef Travis Milton has emerged as both a culinary force and a historian of Appalachian foodways. Raised in the far southwestern corner of the state, Milton’s relationship with Appalachian food is deeply personal. He grew up cooking with his grandparents, and it’s their recipes, values, and love of land that fuel his mission today. Milton’s restaurant Hickory, at Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards in Bristol, Virginia, focuses on heirloom ingredients and traditional techniques, often resurrecting near-forgotten dishes. But his work goes beyond the kitchen. Milton has collaborated with universities and nonprofits to document Appalachian food traditions, advocate for food sovereignty, and ensure the stories of rural people aren’t lost in a wave of commercialization. David Rabin: Bridging Tradition and Innovation at Caboose Tavern Chef David Rabin may not have grown up in the mountains of Appalachia, but he became a committed advocate for the region’s foodways through his work in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. As the former executive chef of Caboose Brewing Company, Rabin developed a style that blends farm-to-table principles with Appalachian influences—spotlighting the ingredients and traditions of the area while incorporating modern techniques. While there, Rabin prioritized relationships with local farmers and producers, curating menus that celebrated the seasonal abundance of the Mid-Atlantic while nodding to the comfort and character of Appalachian cuisine. Dishes featured heritage grains, foraged mushrooms, smoked meats, and root vegetables – approachable yet thoughtful, familiar but refined. What set Rabin apart was his ability to create food that resonated across boundaries – geographical, cultural, and culinary. While his menus included a riff on pickled ramp aioli or a smoked trout spread served on house-baked sourdough, the real throughline was his respect for the land and the people who tend it. His Appalachian-inspired dishes weren’t imitations; they were built from a deep understanding of the region’s values: sustainability, frugality, and connection to community. A New Narrative for Appalachian Food What unites Costello, Rabin, and Milton is a shared reverence for the land and the people who have long stewarded it. They don’t view Appalachian cuisine as something to be elevated from the outside – but something already rich and vibrant, deserving of respect on its own terms. Their kitchens are spaces of memory and imagination, where the past informs the present and the future is built on authenticity. This modern Appalachian cuisine is not a trend. It’s a movement – a restoration of pride, a reclamation of heritage, and a reassertion of identity. In a region often defined by what it lacks, these chefs are reminding the world of what it has in abundance: tradition, creativity and a deep-rooted sense of place. As diners across the country become more interested in regional and seasonal eating, Appalachian food is finally getting its due. But thanks to the work of chefs like Mike Costello, David Rabin, and Travis Milton, it’s not just being seen, it’s being understood. And that makes all the difference. As this movement grows, a new generation of chefs is stepping forward to carry the torch into the future. Ashleigh Shanti, based in Asheville, North Carolina, brings her perspective as a Black Appalachian chef to the forefront, blending West African culinary traditions with Appalachian ingredients to tell a more inclusive story of the region. In Morgantown, Matt Welsch of Vagabond Kitchen continues to champion Appalachian foodways with fearless creativity and a commitment to local sourcing. Together, these culinary voices—and many others rising across the hills and hollers—are proving that Appalachian cuisine is not a relic of the past, but a living, evolving expression of culture and identity.

Americana and bluegrass band Nu-Blu has had a core of authenticity driving it forward for two decades. Celebrating its 20th year, the group, led by husband-and-wife team Daniel and Carolyn Routh and joined by bandmates Austin Hefflefinger and Justin Harrison, has had a long and meaningful journey in the music business.   Their 20th-anniversary album, “Where You’ve Been,” takes their fans on a journey filled with life’s crossroads and inflection points. The album features work by guest collaborators Sharon White, Ricky Skaggs, Jim Peterik, and Jody McBrayer. Each song is about scary, sad, exciting, happy, or just plain memorable times when decisions are made and life paths are forged.    “Every song on the album is a song that could be one of those major life choices,” explained Daniel Routh. He said the record is a true listening experience, made in the style of the great albums of old; it’s a cohesive whole, with each number related to the theme.    “We want it to be a journey,” he summarized.   “It’s about the poignant decisions in life,” he explained. “I call them ‘right angle’ decisions.”   Something else also harkens back to the past days of the album experience. In addition to the CD and digital formats, you can listen to “Where You’ve Been” on a turntable: It’s the first album Nu-Blu has released on vinyl.   “Two things also happened that had never happened before during the 20 years of Nu-Blu,” Daniel explained. “The first song that charted from the album is the one I sing on.”    For those unfamiliar with Nu-Blu, the sometimes sweet, sometimes powerful lead vocals had usually been Carolyn’s job. Charting with this is a fresh, unexpected change of pace, but apparently, it wasn’t enough. “And then, the second song…it charted as Nu-Blu’s first ever instrumental, written by our own Justin Harrison.”   Carolyn has quite a bit to say about what inspires her.   “Song selection is so, so vital to our projects and us personally,” she said. “We really want the music to be a strong lyrical song and a strong instrumental, but we also want them to convey…ourselves.”   On this release, every song is an original. Whether it was written by Nu-Blu or someone else, all the music has never been recorded. Each song was chosen because it met the most critical criterion: it struck a meaningful emotional nerve. Carolyn, Daniel, or one of the other bandmates related to it. Or, it made someone cry. Or even, it made them all cry.    The Rouths both speak of the importance of song lyrics, perhaps above all else. Arousing deep emotion is the actual litmus test.   “We discuss it and make sure it touches us in some way,” Carolyn explained. “There are many special moments on the album throughout.”   Carolyn recounted the story of the first Nu-Blu tune that made her cry real tears during the creative process. It was from their 2017 “Vagabonds” album. The song was “Gypsies on Parade,” an 80s-era Mark Miller-penned song popularized by Sawyer Brown.   “That’s the first song that I ever stood in the studio and cried when I was recording it,” she reminisced. “And it still touches me today.”   “We have to feel the music,” her husband added. “Whether we wrote it or whether someone else wrote it. If you’re playing a song you don’t have an attachment to, you’re just playing a tune, and the lyrics are placeholders.”    Nu-Blu wants none of that. No doubt, “connecting” to the music is just one means of striving for genuine authenticity. Recently, they had what they described as a sort of lightbulb moment about one of the finer traits of their band. They were working with some new behind-the-scenes team members for this new record. For instance, a new publicist and new social media people. When planning for the record release, these new folks reinforced that Nu-Blu didn’t need any slick marketing ideas. What they had was already in place, and it was plenty.   “All of these people have all come back to us at separate times,” Daniel explained, “and everybody’s like…all of your music has so much authenticity. So let the music speak for itself.”   That notion hit home, and they’ve now taken it to heart. No more worries over how to reach fans. They already do it just fine, intuitively. Being genuine has worked well for all these years and will keep defining Nu-Blu going forward.   When asked about future goals, they envisioned opportunities that would help propel bluegrass forward and be enjoyed by new converts. Part of that is the couple's work in broadcasting; when not making music, they’re hosts of the syndicated TV show Bluegrass Ridge.   It’s in gigging, though, that they hope to have the most future impact on the bluegrass genre. Today, Daniel said Nu-Blu plays many venues that are not exclusive to bluegrass, so they are constantly reaching new listeners. He hopes they can amp up that idea even more in the coming years.   “I would love to see us opening for national acts in bigger arenas,” he said. “I wanna find another artist that we can do a partnership with.” That partner might come from the country, rock, or another avenue. It’s not about venue size or type, but about opening up more people to music that makes the Rouths feel.   “I look forward to each and every person who discovers Nu-Blu and finds the music resonates with them,” he said. “It’s one personal connection at a time.”

It should come as no surprise that one of the 2024 Steve Martin Banjo Prize winners comes from that hotbed of roots music...Winnipeg, Manitoba.   Wait. What? You mean Canada?   Allison de Groot, the accomplished and acclaimed clawhammer banjoist who won her instrument’s highest recognition last year, has taken her own unique path to a life in acoustic music.   “There's a really good music scene there,” she explains. “I got into it because I heard a recording of a band from Winnipeg called The Duhks. And my oldest brother went to high school with the guitar player, so when I was about 16, he came home with the CD, and I heard Leonard Podolak playing the banjo on that recording. And it's definitely one of those moments that I’ll never forget. I thought, Oh my God, what is that? I have to learn how to do that !”   De Groot’s first attempts to learn the three-finger bluegrass banjo weren’t very successful, but with the help of a local teacher, she figured out how to play clawhammer style.   “I basically was just playing banjo all the time in Winnipeg, and I did a degree in visual art at the University of Manitoba,” says de Groot. She worked in her field and soon joined a band. “We did pretty well, and we toured a ton in Europe and all the major Canadian folk festivals. And then I started getting more into music and realized that I really wanted to be surrounded by people who were also into American roots music.”   That quest led her to Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she found like-minded classmates and an atmosphere that satisfied her urge to go deeper into music. Bruce Molsky, a renowned old-time musician on the faculty, became a major influence and a musical collaborator.   “I did go to music school, but I also feel like I sort of found all these ways to make it not feel like music school,” de Groot recalls. “Like in the lessons with Bruce, we would just sit and play banjo and fiddle. I hadn't played with a lot of really strong old-time players, and his drive and his groove are just so powerful. We were friends pretty quickly and just played a lot of music. He pushed me to step up my banjo playing. That was definitely a formative time for me.”   After completing her studies at Berklee, de Groot toured before the pandemic with Molskly’s Mountain Drifters, the ensemble created by her former teacher. Now de Groot performs extensively with fiddler Tatiana Hargreaves. Their recording of Alice Gerrard’s song “Beaufort County Jail” made Rolling Stone’s list of “10 Best Country and Americana Songs to Hear.”   “We play a lot of just straight-ahead tunes,” de Groot says of her shows with Hargreaves. “We're so used to playing with each other at this point that it just kind of feels very natural to go between traditional and original music and then have moments of improvisation. It all just kind of flows together.”   While some clawhammer banjo players are faithful to a particular style, de Groot says she does not identify with any single school of banjo playing.   “I've been influenced by so many different styles that I'm not really anything in particular,” de Groot explains. “When I was first learning, I learned a lot of tunes from Manitoba that aren't fiddle tunes adapted to clawhammer. Clawhammer is not normally part of that tradition. My style is definitely influenced by adapting fiddle tunes to clawhammer in a way that makes sense to me.”   De Groot also pays attention to the banjo’s history of facilitating dance and movement. That led to a unique performing partnership with Nic Gareiss, a rhythmic dancer who accompanies her clawhammer playing with percussive dancing. The performance is reminiscent of John Hartford’s dancing during his performances, right down to the sheet of plywood placed on the stage to get the right sound.   “Playing with Nic Gareiss is so fun,” says de Groot. “Just to hear the rhythms of the banjo against the rhythms that he's making. It feels very spontaneous. It’s all about the rhythm and connection. You just kind of never know where it's going to end up, which is really fun.”   In addition to performing, de Groot has begun teaching online lessons for ArtistWorks. Last August, she spent a week recording materials for a course that she designed. Students can also submit videos so de Groot can comment on their progress.   “The thing I'm most excited about is that there's a ton of backing tracks,” says de Groot. “So that’s a way for people who don't have access to jams to play along to backing tracks and learn the tunes.”   De Groot now lives in Nashville (though she still spends a lot of time in Canada), where the vibrant music scene energizes her, and she is an in-demand clawhammer player. She’s done session work for Tim O’Brien, Lindsay Lou, Sierra Hull, and Brittany Haas. After years of touring, de Groot says it’s wonderful to make music with such accomplished musicians and then sleep in her bed at night. She’s grateful for the old friends she’s made through her years on the road and the community of artists she discovers in her adopted hometown.   “I feel really good about my balance that I have right now. My hope is just that I can keep being fulfilled in that way and having strong friendships and a community that are based around music.”

What started as a light-hearted challenge between musical artists has become a powerful tribute, one that Mike Mitchell hopes will inspire generosity and support for those impacted by the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. Mitchell grew up in Ontario, Canada, where he listened to his parents' album collection, including the music of Gordon Lightfoot, Anne Murray, and Ian Tyson. The folk-style songwriting and arrangements of the music seeped into his very soul. When he first moved to rural Floyd County, Virginia, in the Blue Ridge area of the United States, he felt like a Bluegrass imposter. But at around thirty years old, he began playing with local bluegrass musicians in Roanoke. When a friend suggested he listen to the  0044  album by J.D. Crowe and The New South, Mike was hooked by the same album that significantly impacted artists like Alison Krauss. In an article in the March 2022 issue  of  The Bluegrass Standard , Mitchell explains that he listened to that album and was blown away. “The song ‘Summer Wages’ really spoke to me. Ian Tyson, a Canadian, wrote the song, and my mom listened to Ian Tyson when I was growing up. When I learned that Tony Rice was covering it on the  0044  album, it brought it all together for me. I realized I possessed the authenticity I thought I had been lacking.” Mitchell took that newfound confidence and ran with it. As a singer/songwriter and fiddler in the contemporary bluegrass style, he has captured audiences and carved out his place in bluegrass. He has released three bluegrass albums, the second of which,  Small Town , debuted on Billboard at #2. His  Fathers & Sons  album enjoyed three #1 hit singles and spent 13 months on the Bluegrass Unlimited Top 15 Albums chart. But his newest single, “ Time Spent in Los Angeles ,” is a departure for the seasoned artist. The recording is the result of a bet of sorts. Mitchell attended the International Folk Alliance conference in Kansas City in 2018. While there, he befriended brothers Noah and Dan Rauchwerk, a Smothers Brothers-type folk duo that plays under the name Lords of Liechtenstein. “We challenged each other to a cover song duel,” Mitchell recalls. At the time, Mitchell was crowdfunding for his self-released  Small Town  album. “They said they’d pay me $100 if I covered that song.” The song was a popular hit for a band called Dawes. “I had never heard the song or the band,” says Mitchell. “But I liked it enough that I had it recorded. I sang and paid friends to do session work and have it professionally mixed and mastered. The song really resonated with me.” But the song sat on a shelf. “At one point in time, Keith Barnacastle with Turnberry Records talked to me about releasing the song as a single, but Turnberry’s A&R folks said to wait.” The song was forgotten, and life went on for Mitchell until a fateful night when he was watching late-night television. “I was watching Jimmy Kimmel, and Dawes performed the song to raise awareness for an organization called  MusiCares .” Mitchell sat up straight and realized the time had come to release his version of the song. “I had the song recorded and mastered, and it was time to put it out to the bluegrass world and beyond,” Mitchell says. As a member of the Appalachian bluegrass community, Mitchell has witnessed firsthand the resilience and generosity that arise in the face of hardship. “Our community has been through a lot this year, and we’ve all been so generous in helping our own. I hope this bluegrass take on a classic folk-rock tune encourages us to extend that same generosity to those who lost everything in the L.A. fires.” People can spend $1 to download the song to benefit those adversely affected by the fire in Pacific Palisades. “A lot of people in Floyd, Virginia, where I live, were affected by Helene. We lost a lot of hardwoods and pines, but we were able to sell them for firewood and lumber. While I miss our trees, I realized that not everyone was so fortunate.” The song, released in late March, is almost five minutes long. “We are putting it out to streaming platforms where other styles are played,” Mitchell says. “If you have faith that something is worth your effort, do it. There was a reason I was moved to record this song.” In the meantime, Mitchell continues to stay busy. He and his family run the Floyd Music School  and the Mike Mitchell Band . Mike's next album,  Love Songs, Torch and Bluegrass , will be out this summer, and he has a heavy touring schedule to support it!

Mark Freeman remembers being six years old, standing in the Virginia summer heat outside County Sales, his family’s mail-order bluegrass music store. He wasn’t clutching a toy or looking for ice cream—he was watching Larry Sparks in a sky-blue suit and white shoes play a set in the gravel lot for maybe a hundred people.   “It was like an open house,” Freeman recalls. “But he showed up immaculate. I remember his hair, his suit—he looked like he was about to go on the Opry.” And Dave Evans? “Big guy. Big voice. He made an impression. When you’re that young, everything looks bigger, sounds bigger.”   That early imprint—that deep, personal connection to the music and the musicians—guides Freeman today as the head of Rebel Records. And in a time when music labels are less about heart and more about data, Rebel remains a rare breed: a record company that still leads with its gut. Founded in 1960 and still running strong over 60 years later, Rebel Records is a cornerstone of the bluegrass industry and a living museum of the genre’s soul. With Mark Freeman now steering the ship, once helmed by his father, Dave Freeman, Rebel is staying true to its roots without getting stuck in them.   “Some of the other bluegrass labels are startups—been around 10 or 20 years,” Freeman says. “We’ve been around for over 60. I’m fortunate that our catalog maybe keeps us afloat, so I can take more chances than maybe some other labels can.”   Freeman’s approach to artist selection is refreshingly personal. “It’s stuff that hits me right in the gut,” he explains. “Music that hits my soul. Hits my heart.” While other labels pivot hard toward streaming singles and market metrics, Freeman still believes in the full-length album. “We still sign artists to make full records—12, 13, 14 songs,” he says. “We usually put out a few singles before the album comes out, but we’re not just chasing one song. We’re building something.”   That something is a catalog that reads like the greatest hits of bluegrass history: Ralph Stanley, the Seldom Scene, Larry Sparks, Rhonda Vincent, and Del McCoury. Even today, as bluegrass morphs into new shapes, Freeman maintains a strong affinity for the traditional sound. “Some of the newer stuff, I just can’t get into,” he says. “And I’m not gonna sign something my heart’s not in. I’d be doing the artist a disservice.”   Still, Freeman’s ears aren’t closed to change. He’s fully aware of the cyclical nature of music. “Right now, it’s teetering,” he says of the genre’s direction. “Young groups are definitely more progressive and experimenting. But someone like Billy Strings—he’s that in-between. He’s got the jam band vibe, but his music is mostly traditional bluegrass. And when someone like that starts citing Larry Sparks and Dave Evans, we see the ripple effect. We've seen an uptick in our digital sales, especially for Larry Sparks. That means something.”   Freeman’s reverence for tradition doesn’t make him rigid—it just gives him a compass. “We’re a traditional bluegrass label,” he says. “That gives me a narrow focus. I know what I’m looking for: original, entertaining, traditional bluegrass. Yes, it’s tougher now to find groups that check all those boxes. But they’re out there. They’re still out there playing it—and bringing something original.”   Part of that discovery process has evolved, of course. Where once it might have been word of mouth and long nights on the road, now it’s often a trusted recommendation and a quick trip to YouTube. “A lot of groups come to us,” Freeman says. “Most of the time, it’s ‘thanks, but no thanks.’ But if someone I trust says, ‘Hey, you need to check this group out,’ I’ll listen. If I can find a live video or performance, I can usually tell if they’ve got that thing.”   What’s that “thing”? Freeman boils it down: “You want a group that gets people off their seats,” he says. “They just have that ‘something.’ That stage presence.” But talent alone isn’t enough. Personality matters, too. “I’m not a fan of pompousness or a cocky attitude,” he says. “For some labels, they’ll just deal with it. But for me, it plays a role. I’m lucky—I’ve never had to sign a group I’m not crazy about just because they’ll sell a lot.”   Freeman is most excited when he’s watching young talent find their audience. “That’s the joy I get—helping an artist grow, watching them take that next step,” he says. “If it makes money, that’s just the cherry on top.”   These days, Rebel is riding a wave of productivity. “Last year was quiet because many of our artists had just put out albums,” Freeman says. “But now, everyone’s sending stuff. It’s great. We just released a new record from Big Country Bluegrass today. Cody Norris has a new one coming. We’re busy.”   Freeman has a list of must-hears for those just discovering the label—or the genre. “Start with the best-ofs,” he says. “The Best of Ralph Stanley. The Best of Seldom Scene. The Best of Larry Sparks. Del McCoury. Rhonda Vincent. And for Gospel? Ralph Stanley’s Cry From the Cross . It was one of the first bluegrass gospel albums to do full a cappella. That was groundbreaking.”   Still, despite all the accolades, Rebel’s ethos is simple: stay true to the music, keep going, and, “My dad used to say, treat the artist with respect, be honest with them. If you don’t, it’ll catch up with you,” Freeman says. “He didn’t say it all the time, but I saw it. We always paid our royalties. Always answered calls. That stuck with me.”   Rebel’s history may span decades, but its spirit remains youthful, guided by instinct, heritage, and a belief in the power of music to move people, whether in an arena or a dusty gravel lot in Floyd, Virginia.   Sometimes, all it takes to change your life is seeing a man in a sky-blue suit and white shoes showing everyone how it’s done.

The Grass Messengers IBMA award winner and two-time Grammy nominee Chris Luquette saw an opportunity in his Brooklyn, New York, community several years ago. He jumped on it in 2020, after moving there from Seattle, Wash. He put together a trio he hoped would fill a hole in the local music scene. They’re called The Grass Messengers.   “NYC has a wonderful bluegrass scene, with many jams and gigs, but I noticed when I arrived here that it lacked any bands performing tight bluegrass trio harmony singing,” Luquette explained. “Plus, it became a great outlet for me to play mandolin after being in so many bands over the years on guitar.”   One of those outfits he gigged with was Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen, with whom he toured for 11 years. But today, he puts his energy into his solo work and other collaborations, including slowly growing the trio. Banjo player Ellery Marshall and flatpicker/lead vocalist Christian Apuzzo are joining him in the group.   “We've been taking it a little slow since forming in 2020, due to other projects and growth in the local NYC scenes,” Luquette said, adding that Marshall had been in LA a lot for “family band work with his uncle, renowned mandolinist Evan Marshall.” Luquette and Apuzzo have been busy “bouncing around NYC and Brooklyn,” playing lots of country and bluegrass gigs. Additionally, Luquette recently taught at the inaugural NE Flatpick Camp in Hadley, Mass., hosted by Tony Watt, and he will soon be out west at the PNW Flatpick Camp. He’s “freelanced” recently with performers including Jeremy Garrett, Becky Buller Band, Rick Faris Band, Frank Solivan, Cliff Westfall and Bushwick Mountain Boys.   Apuzzo is also involved with teaching.   “He regularly teaches bluegrass jam classes, along with classes on guitar and vocals,” Luquette said, of his bandmate’s connection to The Jalopy Theatre and School of Music, which has an increasingly relevant role in that region. “Jalopy Theatre and Tavern regularly hosts bluegrass events, and it is a beacon of the roots music scene in the Northeast. I have played many times there, and most recently was part of a large show hosted and presented by the New York City Formerly Unemployed Musicians Sandlot Baseball League (FUMBL), which sold out and featured several baseball-themed bluegrass songs alongside Americana and early jazz.”   With all that going on, the trio found a way to fit in their project; in 2023, Luquette said The Grass Messengers did a tour of the Pacific Northwest and “had a wonderful time.” They don’t yet have any recordings, but Luquette said the trio hopes to finally “enter the studio in the fall or winter.” Luquette released his second solo outing, “City Suite for 2 Guitars,” on which Apuzzo was a featured performer, and he and Marshall released a “Live in Paris” album for yet another project they do together, The Bushwick Mountain Boys. As if all that’s not enough, Apuzzo is also a member of the Big Apple-based string band Cole Quest and The City Pickers, who have recently released several albums. Whew – so many projects, so little time!   “I met Christian [Apuzzo] in 2016 at the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, where I had played with Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen,” he recalled. “Soon after that, I met Ellery [Marshall] at Mona's Bluegrass Session in NYC, and we quickly realized we needed to play together as much as possible. After a few years of local gigs, I knew our trio had something special, and we needed to become a band and work on some tight vocal arrangements. Christian is one of the most powerful vocalists in bluegrass music, and Ellery, with his powerful banjo playing, adds great third harmonies.”   The project will be ramping up more this year. In addition to going into the studio, Luquette mentioned several events they’re looking forward to this summer.   “In early July of 2025, we will be a featured artist at the Prince Edward Island Festival in Canada, with a Northeastern USA tour to support those dates,” he said. “In August, The Grass Messengers will perform at the County Bluegrass Festival in Fort Fairfield, Maine. We played there last year and had a wonderful time. It was the band’s first time playing a tried-and-true bluegrass festival, and we couldn't have had more fun.”   Luquette said he enjoys working with a variety of performers with different styles.   “Every day is a new adventure, and I'm thankful for that,” he added.

Photo by Rob Laughter Pushing musical boundaries, the International Bluegrass Music Association Award-winning banjoist Tray Wellington says his latest album, Detour to the Moon, is about evolving as a musician. His unique take on rapper Kid Cudi’s song “Pursuit of Happiness” proves his ability to adapt banjo to music styles such as hip hop. “Over the pandemic I started listening to a lot of different music to get inspired and Kid Cudi was actually one of the artists that really helped me out through the tough times,” recalls Tray whose genre blending is causing a buzz. “The opening track, ‘Moon in Motion’ 1 practically wrote itself,” shares the young North Carolina banjoist. “I wrote the song in twenty minutes.” Tray, who formed his band, The Tray Wellington band in 2020, says he’s excited about the song’s possibilities. “After the band and I arranged the first one, I thought ‘Man, this was so cool!’ So, I want to have a second and a third part that will be released later.” The band leader salutes Jazz giant Duke Ellington with his swinging version of the iconic song “Caravan.”  “I have always loved Duke Ellington. I obviously love the music of Bill Keith as well [who] covered the song back in the 1970s. I decided that it would be cool to do a new version and have my own take on the tune.” Tray believes the positive reception he has received from music critics and fans for his 2022 release Black Banjo and his latest record Detour to the Moon  is due to his unique musical approach. “I think people are always searching for a new voice in music.” Tray says he was shaped musically by what he heard as a child. “Growing up I had all the different musical worlds. My grandpa was a classic rock and country fan, and my mom was a big classic hip hop fan.” Despite music not running in the family, Tray says that his passion to learn instruments kept growing. “My first instrument was the trombone, and at age 13, I switched to electric guitar,” recalls Tray, who says discovering his grandfather’s Doc Watson CD was a game changer. “There was a club at my middle school at the time called The Mountain Music Club, where they taught traditional guitar and banjo. I started learning a little bit of flat picking and bluegrass rhythm guitar.” One day, Tray’s teacher introduced him to a new instrument. “My teacher pulled out a banjo and started playing “Salt Creek” and I thought to myself, ‘Man that sounds so cool!’ That day I decided I wanted to play the banjo!” Tray describes his banjo playing as having more rhythm. “I think that is partially a hip-hop influence. Sometimes I put on a song that I like, whether it is hip hop or jazz, and I won’t even play chords. I’ll just do the rhythm on my right hand.” As a musician, Tray is always looking to learn from other types of music, including prog metal. “It’s about taking these little inspirations from different styles of music and figuring out how they work within your style.  “I would like to think that I have my own style of banjo playing,” explains Tray when asked how he compares himself to other banjo players. “I think everybody has an individual voice on their instrument. When it comes to Earl or Béla, they both have their unique voices, and I think I’m the same way.” Besides touring with The Tray Wellington Band, the rising star performs with his all-black string band, New Dangerfield. “I am super excited for New Dangerfield. Since starting the band, it has been so nice to continue the tradition of black string band music and to put our own twist on the tradition.” As for plans, the banjoist says he has new projects ahead. “I’m working on a new EP coming out in 2025 and simultaneously working on a solo project,” adding, “I feel very proud about the music I have made over the last few years. I feel inspired to push myself musically   and have every album be my voice --yet a different version of that voice!”

As a saxophone player in high school, Casey Holmberg could not have been less interested in bluegrass music. “I never even liked to play the guitar,” he says. “As a saxophone player, the guitar just didn’t make sense to me.”  After hearing Ricky Skaggs’ Bluegrass Rules  album, Casey began playing a used mandolin. “I listened to the ‘Rawhide’ track on repeat. I was mesmerized.” While in college in Los Angeles, Casey began looking for a cheap banjo and found someone in his dorm who had one. “I began looking for people to play with – people in my age range and people who played the same genre.” He went to music festivals around Los Angeles, which exposed him to more bluegrass music. “I thought back to my childhood. My dad was a big folk and bluegrass fan back in New York. I remember Sunday mornings listening to David Grisman albums with him.” Casey says he was drawn to the high-lonesome style. “Bluegrass tenor is something I’ve always been attracted to. I like the raw edge to it – it just feels right to me.”  When he felt ready, Casey invited his friend, Tommy Schulz, to back him on guitar in the Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Competition. “We sang a lot of brother duo songs, like stuff from the Blue Sky Boys, the Stanley Brothers, and the Lilly Brothers.” Both Casey and Tommy had degrees in theatre, and they used that to their advantage while playing at farmers’ markets and at the Santa Monica Promenade and Pier. “We got a bunch of weird gigs from doing that.” After living and playing in Los Angeles for a few years, Casey says he grew weary of the same music. “I began to write, distilling what we loved about bluegrass.” His friend, Noa, who studied bass performance at UCLA, joined them, and the band became official in 2018. Rounding out the band is Lillian Sawyer on fiddle. When the band formed, they kicked around names and landed on Fog Holler. “It’s a nod to the northern California area where we are based, where the fog rolls in from the bay. And “holler” has a nice bluegrass sound to it. Fog Holler just seemed like the best choice for us. We have a good selection of songs written mostly by me and Tommy, with some help from Noa. We think of our songs as a narrative that tells a story. We pay close attention to how we arrange a show, and we like to add some intentional comedy and showmanship. Fog Holler has a very traditional bluegrass sound, and the band members bring it with excellent musicianship. Yet the lyrics tell a much more contemporary story, with topical themes like mental health, climate change, and gender expression. Their first album, Or Else the Sun , was released in 2018, followed by Rocking in a Weary Land  in 2021. Their last album was self-titled, released in 2022. “We are cooking up some new original music and plan on recording again soon,” says Casey. The band committed to each other early on to treat their work like a full-time job. “If we don’t have a paying gig every day of the week, we will play at a farmer’s market or somewhere else. It’s important for us to play in public regularly so that we can see the response to our music.” One of the first things people notice about the band is their sense of style. They wear monochromatic matching outfits, which is a nod to tradition, but they make it their own. “People comment on our style a lot,” says Casey. “For me, it goes hand-in-hand with what the genre is all about. We live in an individualistic society with a very open sense of fashion. But part of this goes back to my theatre training. We always rehearsed in black, which levels the playing field in a way. Plus, when we are all dressed alike, people know who’s with the band.” Fog Holler has had a few changes since I first interviewed Casey for this article. Lily has left to pursue another project, and Tommy left to go back to school. While the shift was a bit of a surprise and took time to adjust, Fog Holler rebounded with the addition of Clare Armenante, who joined the band on fiddle, and Joel Cofield, who is taking on vocals and guitar. “They are both incredibly talented,” says Casey. “We are all excited about the fresh energy and new direction they bring to the band as we work to evolve the Fog Holler sound and continue moving forward.” Casey says the band is looking forward to playing their first MerleFest this year. https://www.fogholler.band/

John Schneider Whether you know veteran actor and singer John Schneider by his role as Bo of the Dukes of Hazzard or Johnathan Kent from Smallville, or better yet, by his string of chart-topping country hits, one thing you might not know is he’s about to film his new Cineflix series The Earls of Perry in the bluegrass state of Kentucky. “I’m a bluegrass fan!” explains the actor and country singer John Schneider, who says he’ll be shooting on location in Perry County. “Like most people my age, we were introduced to the Darling family in the Andy Griffith show—which was the Dillards.” Describing The Earls of Perry, “It’s very much like the Dukes of Hazzard because the Dukes were a family in Hazzard County and the Earls are a family in Perry County.” Be on the lookout for behind-the-wheel hijinks, Mopar cars and jumps. “It will be like Bo Duke didn’t necessarily grow up, but he got older. He’s still kind of a devil-may-care wild child. Rather than, like the Dukes, where Uncle Jesse [Denver Pyle] would try to rein us [Bo and Luke] in, it’s gonna be my nephews and niece trying to rein me in unsuccessfully!” John says his wife and creative partner, award-winning radio personality Dee Dee Sorvino Schneider, made a discovery while they were planning the show. “When we were talking about The Earls of Perry, she actually looked it up and said, ‘You’re not going to believe this, but the town seat in Perry County, Kentucky is Hazard-spelled with one “Z.”’ It was one of those delightful accidents.” The Smallville actor says The Earls of Perry will feature a character like the Dukes of Hazzard’s Balladeer, initially played by the late country singer Waylon Jennings.  “Waylon had something in his voice that knew that Rosco and Boss were stepping way over the line. There was something really gritty, outlaw and fun about the way Waylon did the narration.” Changing the character’s name from Balladeer to The Storyteller, John is considering Jamey Johnson, Steve Warner, and his friend, Ricky Skaggs, for the role. “Shoot, the first time I met Ricky, he beat me out for the New Entertainer of the Year Award. I think his song that year was “Heartbroke.” I was backstage, and I heard Ricky’s song, and I said, ‘Hell, I would vote for that!’” Still deciding on the show’s debut, he wants complete artistic control. “At the very least, it will be one two-hour episode, which will be a film we will distribute ourselves,” adding, “I’m not one for getting into bed with people who don’t have the same sensibilities about Southern horsepower comedy.” The TV icon says he’ll postpone shooting to hold a charity concert for flood victims in Hazard. “We were planning on shooting in the next month or so, but Hazard, Kentucky, just had a tremendously bad storm. They’re in a mess right now. So rather than go there with a camera, we’re going there with my band and doing a benefit concert for the community.” John and Dee Dee are traveling the country for their podcast Drinks with Dee Dee and John. “We talk about the events of the day,” John explains about the podcast. “We talk about how amazing it is to travel across this beautiful country of ours or people we’ve met at a diner somewhere that we’d just had a great conversation with.” Releasing his twenty-ninth album, 2024’s Made in America, John is not shy when it comes to being patriotic. “After I had recorded the song, ‘She’s Worth It’ which was my song about the American flag, I got my band and some writers back together and said, ‘Hey, we have to write an album that acknowledges not only that we have the greatest country the world has ever known, but we may lose it if we don’t do something.’”  John says the album is not about American-made products. “The title song basically says, ‘I pray it ain’t too late to fix the problems made in America,’” adding his warning to young Americans, “Don’t take freedom for granted! Don’t make the mistake of thinking everyone in the world can get up in the morning and follow their dream.” Feeling optimistic, John’s focus is writing and producing The Earls of Perry.  “We will shoot it in mid-summer. I’m going to edit it, so we’ll have it out this year.” He’s hoping fans will enjoy the show. “We’ll see what people think. It’s as close to a new Dukes of Hazzard as you're ever gonna get.”