3 May 2024
Music News - Mile Twelve Bluegrass Band (USA): NZ tour Oct 2017
04 October 2017 - 0 Comments
Boston may seem an unlikely hub for music born in Appalachia, but it’s long been a bluegrass hot spot. Home to a lively folk revival in the 60's, the city has a strong bluegrass scene that thrives in all sorts of unexpected places, from dark bars and house parties to the rehearsal rooms and lecture halls of prestigious music schools. It’s launched the careers of many bluegrass, Americana, and roots-inspired artists.
This scene brought together guitarist and Boston native Evan Murphy; Manhattan raised bassist Nate Sabat; BB Bowness, a stunning banjo player hailing from Turakina Beach, New Zealand; Bronwyn Keith‐Hynes, an award-winning fiddle player from Virginia; and the young Tennessean master of the mandolin, David Benedict.
“I’ve been wanting to bring a full 5-piece bluegrass band back home for some time,”says Bowness. “The music is so exciting, and it’s not heard a lot outside of the USA.Booking the tour has been a huge undertaking, but it’ll all be worth it when we get to share the music with everyone.” Bowness moved to Boston in 2012 to chase her dream of playing the banjo for a living.
Fast gaining recognition since their start in 2014, Mile Twelve has recently been nominated for the 2017 Momentum Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association. Their music is in rotation on the Bluegrass Junction Sirius XM channel,their rendition of the Stanley Brothers classic “Our Last Goodbye” was featured on a Spotify "Fresh Bluegrass” playlist, and the band has opened for the world-renowned artists such as Tim O’Brien, The Steep Canyon Rangers and Tony Trischka.
“From the start, we’ve been interested in writing fresh, original material,” reflects Keith-Hynes. “Evan and Nate bring great song ideas to the table, and BB, David and I bring original tunes to the group. Our editing and arranging process is highly collaborative, so by the time we have a finished product, the piece of music feels very co-written.”
“Bluegrass can feel all over the map because there’s no clear sense of who owns it, is it traditional or progressive? It can be polarizing at times,” muses Murphy. “We try to ask ourselves, what can we write that’s authentic? What’s something that we connect with?When you take a form of music like bluegrass seriously and learn to love it, then you can take some liberties with it. I think if you want to push something you're better off doing it from the inside. We’re not rewriting the book, but we’re trying to take the story somewhere new.”
Mile Twelve has performed extensively throughout the U.S., Ireland and Canada,including sets at major U.S. bluegrass and folk festivals. This is their first trip to New Zealand and Australia; a one-off chance to see this exciting young band in action.
www.miletwelvebluegrass.com
"In recent years, Boston’s Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory have added extra fire to that city’s already churning cauldron of traditional string players.Out of this spicy soup jumps Mile Twelve, a group of five accomplished bluegrass musicians who write, sing, and play like the wind. Serious players who have serious fun,Mile Twelve is a group to watch in the coming decade." - Tim O’Brien
Albi and The Wolves strive to perform each show with their unique flair and diverse selection of songs which almost defies what you can do with a simple string band lineup. These three folk have completely different musical backgrounds but their collaborations really are unique. As a result of this each set will be different and between these songs the show is driven by a happy sense of humor and a true passion behind what they are doing. Soulful vocals, soaring violin and magnetic harmonies are just some of the things you will hear at the Vic Theater. A setting in which these Wolves must not be missed!
https://www.albiandthewolves.com/
This scene brought together guitarist and Boston native Evan Murphy; Manhattan raised bassist Nate Sabat; BB Bowness, a stunning banjo player hailing from Turakina Beach, New Zealand; Bronwyn Keith‐Hynes, an award-winning fiddle player from Virginia; and the young Tennessean master of the mandolin, David Benedict.
“I’ve been wanting to bring a full 5-piece bluegrass band back home for some time,”says Bowness. “The music is so exciting, and it’s not heard a lot outside of the USA.Booking the tour has been a huge undertaking, but it’ll all be worth it when we get to share the music with everyone.” Bowness moved to Boston in 2012 to chase her dream of playing the banjo for a living.
Fast gaining recognition since their start in 2014, Mile Twelve has recently been nominated for the 2017 Momentum Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association. Their music is in rotation on the Bluegrass Junction Sirius XM channel,their rendition of the Stanley Brothers classic “Our Last Goodbye” was featured on a Spotify "Fresh Bluegrass” playlist, and the band has opened for the world-renowned artists such as Tim O’Brien, The Steep Canyon Rangers and Tony Trischka.
“From the start, we’ve been interested in writing fresh, original material,” reflects Keith-Hynes. “Evan and Nate bring great song ideas to the table, and BB, David and I bring original tunes to the group. Our editing and arranging process is highly collaborative, so by the time we have a finished product, the piece of music feels very co-written.”
“Bluegrass can feel all over the map because there’s no clear sense of who owns it, is it traditional or progressive? It can be polarizing at times,” muses Murphy. “We try to ask ourselves, what can we write that’s authentic? What’s something that we connect with?When you take a form of music like bluegrass seriously and learn to love it, then you can take some liberties with it. I think if you want to push something you're better off doing it from the inside. We’re not rewriting the book, but we’re trying to take the story somewhere new.”
Mile Twelve has performed extensively throughout the U.S., Ireland and Canada,including sets at major U.S. bluegrass and folk festivals. This is their first trip to New Zealand and Australia; a one-off chance to see this exciting young band in action.
www.miletwelvebluegrass.com
"In recent years, Boston’s Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory have added extra fire to that city’s already churning cauldron of traditional string players.Out of this spicy soup jumps Mile Twelve, a group of five accomplished bluegrass musicians who write, sing, and play like the wind. Serious players who have serious fun,Mile Twelve is a group to watch in the coming decade." - Tim O’Brien
Albi and The Wolves strive to perform each show with their unique flair and diverse selection of songs which almost defies what you can do with a simple string band lineup. These three folk have completely different musical backgrounds but their collaborations really are unique. As a result of this each set will be different and between these songs the show is driven by a happy sense of humor and a true passion behind what they are doing. Soulful vocals, soaring violin and magnetic harmonies are just some of the things you will hear at the Vic Theater. A setting in which these Wolves must not be missed!
https://www.albiandthewolves.com/
Mile Twelve Bluegrass Band Live at The Vic Theatre
with Albi & The Wolves
Friday,October 13th, 2017 (Devonport, Auckland)
Doors at 7:00PM, music at 8:00 PM.
Tickets$25/$30.
Other Dates
OCT 14th -
Whanganui Musicians Club, Whanganui, New Zealand
OCT 15th -
Wellington Bluegrass Society,
Wellington, New Zealand
OCT 16th -
Nivara Lounge, Hamilton, New Zealand
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