Brothers Jens and Uwe Kruger, originally from Switzerland, began singing and playing instruments at a very young age. “I always wanted to be a musician and a composer,” Jenz told me recently. “I had great encouragement when I was growing up. Although I never had formal training, I always had the opportunity to play with really good people.” German Folk ...

For two guys who grew up on a dairy farm in New York, just a few miles from the Canadian border, to be called “Bluegrass superstars” by the New York Time is a big deal. Eric Gibson told me recently, “That was a nice feather in our cap to have a publication of that notoriety say something like that. We’ve ...

Back in 2004, while attending Merlefest, I had the idea for creating Americana Rhythm Music Magazine. One of the artists performing that weekend was a guy named Jim Lauderdale. He was (and is) an integral part of that fabulous event; and I remember thinking that if there was any one guy that exemplified the definition of an Americana artist, it ...

By Greg Tutwiler – Festivals, carnivals, county fairs, and outdoor gatherings have always been one of this country’s ways of relaxing and getting away from the routines of life. In recent years, for various reasons, there has been an increase in music festivals. Used to be, there was a good chance you’d have to travel several hours to find a ...

As the genre’ of string music continues to morph and evolve, musicians will continue to find new ways to craft sounds that are distinct and original. One such group is the California based band Front Country. A chance encounter with this touring ensemble at the Red Wing Roots Festival (a rich and diverse musical experience held each July in Virginia) ...

By Greg Tutwiler   Often referred to as “Southern Rock Roy-alty,” and even the “great American rock ‘n’ roll band,” The Kentucky Headhunters have sustained a music career that many dream about, and yet few have sustained. Music making that spans decades, brothers Richard and Fred Young, along with their cousins Greg Martin and Anthony Kenny formed their first band ...

By Greg Tutwiler SavingCountryMusic.com said this about our feature artist, the Hackensaw Boys; “Before string bands were a “thing” in popular culture, there was the Hackensaw Boys. Before The Avett Brothers were selling out arenas, before Mumford & Sons were becoming the biggest band in music in a given year, before everybody and their brother was growing a beard and ...

The beautiful thing about Americana music is that it’s this huge umbrella where a tremendous amount of sounds can hang out. Everything from traditional string, old-time, and bluegrass, to the more progressive sounds of new-grass, folk-rock, jam band, and mountain soul; and really everything in between. There is so much room for creative interpretation with stringed instruments in the Americana ...

By Greg Tutwiler I can’t think of many genre’s of music where the entire family can be in the band all at the same time. One of the neat things about bluegrass/string music is that it affords those families who choose to pursue music as a shared passion, the opportunity to share the stage and life style together. Currently, there ...

By Greg Tutwiler According to Webster’s dictionary, one meaning for the word sideline is “a job that is done in addition to your main job.” For the guys in the band Sideline, that’s exactly what it meant, at least in the beginning. But now, for Steve Dilling, Jason Moore, Skip Cherryholmes, and brothers Brian and Nathan Aldridge, it’s sideline no ...