Arkansauce calls forth melodies of the Ozark Mountains' rolling hills and raging rivers with their distinct blend of newgrass. This progressive string quartet features Tom Andersen on bass, guitarist Zac Archuleta, Ethan Bush on mandolin, and Adams Collins on banjo. Their music features improvisational
string leads matched with complex melodies, intriguing rhythms, and deep thumping bass grooves. Each member sings lead and harmony parts as well as contributes to the lyrics, which offer authentic, intelligent songwriting with hard-hitting hooks.
They are a band inspired not only from their home state of Arkansas, but also throughout their travels. “We are a band that spends most of our time in the back of a van hurtling toward long nights, good times, and a destiny unknown,” says Ethan. “Our inspiration is gathered by events unfolding in our own
adventures in real time. These days, the desire to create, inspire, and redefine within our scene seems to be the main driving force behind our music. From a young age we were huge fans of live music and were introduced to a lot of great music by our families.”
Arkansauce independently released their 5th album, OK to Wonder, on April 21, 2023. With 11 original tracks—ranging from upbeat and stimulating to contemplative and encouraging—the collection is filled with songs of revelry, wonder, insight, and whimsy.
The band was founded in 2011 after Zac and Ethan, who had grown up across the street from one another in Johnson County, Arkansas, moved to Fayetteville. Tom and Adams were slowly introduced to them through the tight-knit Fayetteville music community. During a fateful gig at a Riverstomp Music Festival in 2014, the band was down a couple of members, and Adams and Tom filled in on the fly—magic was made on the stage that night, and the lineup was forever changed.
Having played shows from California to Connecticut over the last several years in addition to two tours in Europe, the band is no stranger to the road. They supported Yonder Mountain String Band for a leg of their summer tour in 2019, played mainstage spots on festivals with bands (including but not limited to)
Greensky Bluegrass, Railroad Earth, The Del McCoury Band, Billy Strings, Leftover Salmon, Tauk, The Wood Brothers, and shared the stage with the legendary Sam Bush as a guest.
Crossing Old-time instrumentation with contemporary sensibilities, Pert Near Sandstone emerged twenty years ago from the Minnesota acoustic music scene. With infectious energy and collaborative spirit, they have established themselves as standard-bearers for the vitality of the Midwestern roots music scene and alongside Minnesota brethren Trampled By Turtles and Charlie Parr. They have toured extensively and performed onstage with the likes of Sam Bush and Jerry Douglas, earning dates along the way with everyone from Yonder Mountain String Band to Steve Martin. NPR's Mountain Stage praised the band for putting a "Midwestern stamp on Appalachian [sounds]," while A Prairie Home Companion described Pert Near Sandstone as “a force on the Minnesota roots music scene and beyond,” and The Current praised their live performances as "a frenzied string shredding spree that takes audiences under its spell." As festival favorites in both the US and Europe, the band helped to launch the Blue Ox Music Festival in 2015, which they continue to host and curate each June in Eau Claire, WI. For the past decade, the now prestigious music festival has helped bring into the local community a great many nationally treasured artists such as Bela Fleck, Billy Strings, Tyler Childers, Jerry Douglas, Margo Price, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Charlie Crockett, The Infamous Stringdusters, Jason Isbell, Greensky Bluegrass, The Drive By Truckers, and so many more.
East Nash Grass is one of the hottest young bands in Bluegrass, picking up this year’s International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) award for Best New Artist and stacked with IBMA Best Instrumentalist winners: Grand Master Fiddle champion and AMA Instrumentalist of the year nominee Maddie Denton, Cory Walker (banjo), and Harry Clark (mandolin). Put them alongside charismatic frontman James Kee and bassist Jeff Partin (Rhonda Vincent, etc.) and you’ve got a powerhouse leader of the next generation in bluegrass excellence.
WSLR in Fogartyville calls them “a balance of undeniably hard-driving bluegrass alongside surprisingly introspective songwriting and earnest narration.”
They are far more than a group of impressive instrumental technicians. As a group that came together organically via set after set on Nashville’s East Side, playing tiny stages for the love of it between tours backing bigger acts, they have a hard-forged bond that’s reflected in their stage chemistry. Audiences freak out over how much fun these guys have.
As they work on the follow up to 2023’s “Last Chance To Win” — look for a release in the spring of 2025 — they now find themselves one of the most in-demand groups in Americana, fanning out well beyond the traditional bluegrass spots.
Unspoken Tradition Asheville, NC
Mountain Home Recording Artist Unspoken Tradition is about new, original bluegrass. Inspired by their own influences and the roots of traditional and newgrass music, this North Carolina based quintet brings a sound that is both impassioned and nostalgic, hard-driving and sincere.
Recent singles have charted in the Bluegrass Today top 5 including three songs to hit the #1 spot “California”, “Darkside Of The Mountain” , and in January of 2024, “Weed’s Don’t Wither”
Their material is mostly original and reflects the ever-changing culture of Western and Central North Carolina where they call home. The band has earned a fervent following in the Southeast, selling out shows in Asheville, NC as well as the legendary Station Inn in Nashville, TN. They have also performed twice on the coveted Watson (main stage) at MerleFest. With heavy airplay on Sirius XM’s Bluegrass Junction and ever-growing streaming numbers, Unspoken Tradition is a fast-rising voice of a new generation of roots music artists.
On “From the Mountains to the Sea,” The Wandering Hour’s musical intentions are clear, highlighting a yearning for a connection to the past while acknowledging the forward march of time. There’s a deep reverence for traditional folk music, yet with a crooked view of the modern world. At times they sound like a string band of a long lost 78 rpm shellac record, but heard through a crystal ball, or under the influence of an oracle elixir poured by your festival friends. From the raucous to the harmonious, the eleven songs sound like going on an adventure to a place that’s new to you but still feels at home.
“The Wandering Hours seamlessly blends string band vibes into a modern, harmony-driven sound.” -Creative Loafing Tampa
The Wandering Hours are a rare group that is not only fun and engaging with the audience, but absolute tops on their instruments, drawing from folk traditions and metamodern thinking alike with topics ranging from the perpetuity of time to some good ole drinking songs. Banjo, mandolin, fiddle, guitar and upright bass underscore the Florida band's thoughtful lyrics and storytelling.
They were named Creative Loafing Tampa’s Roots/Alt-County Band Best of the Bay in 2019 and 2020. The band has shared bills with national acts such as Del McCoury Band, Jim Lauderdale, Peter Rowan, Tim O’Brien, and John McEuen, and have appeared at festivals such as the Gasparilla Music Festival, Florida Folk Festival, Americana Fest and a myriad of bluegrass festivals.
