Iowa-and-Alabama native Pieta Brown’s elegant hybrid of folk, country and sultry swing has entranced listeners lucky enough to have caught one of her countless performances during nearly two decades of touring, or to have listened to any of her seven albums or those she has appeared on for the likes of Mark Knopfler, Calexico, Iris Dement, and Mason Jennings.  Her first exposure to American roots music was through her father, folk icon Greg Brown, and growing up among musicians led her down creative paths of composing songs, writing poetry and, eventually performing her music with others.

While Pieta has virtually made an art form of collaboration, it’s no surprise that her songwriting tends to orient itself around the connections between people.  With her ethereal singing and haunting lyrics, set against a background of guitar and banjo twang, Pieta achieves a compelling intensity that is both infectious and profound.

–written by Brad Wolbert

Award-winning Cincinnati favorites The Tillers return to the Sugar Maple Festival in 2018, bringing Southern Wisconsin another hard-driving dose of punk- and bluegrass-infused traditional American music.  Their first ten years as a band have taken them all over North America and Europe, as well as a feature appearance on Tom Brokaw’s documentary on US Highway 50, and have yielded five albums of increasingly innovative takes on familiar string band music that range from high-energy rockers to tender harmonic ballads.

The band’s latest album, The Tillers (2018), is fresh out of the studio.  Check out this track and video.

The Tillers keep adding new songs and sonic ideas to their repertoire, but at the end of the day their wheelhouse is the classic American folk song, with a melody older than their grandparents, but with a thump and twang all their own.

–written by Brad Wolbert

Molly Tuttle released her EP “Rise” earlier this month and the songs show Molly’s strength as both a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.  Ron Wray of No Depression reviewed the EP and says, “The young lady has a way of writing songs that are deceptively simple yet musically deep and with provocative picking.”

Molly is on tour this summer showcasing “Rise” and you can catch her on the Sugar Maple fest main stage Saturday August 5.  Molly will also be offering a rhythm guitar workshop on Saturday at the festival’s Roots & Reason stage.  Check back for workshop schedule details.

Get ready for some homespun Milwaukee bluegrass! Thistledown Thunders will perform at the 2017 Sugar Maple Music Festival. The band includes Krystal Kuehl (guitar), Johanna Rose (bass), Jack Tell (guitar) and Ernest Brusubardis IV (fiddle). They have been providing toe-tapping bluegrass to Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin since 2014.

Thistledown Thunders honor traditional bluegrass and folk music while adding a modern touch that makes their music more accessible to a wider audience. Some of their influences include Bill Monroe, Punch Brothers, Ralph Stanley, Earl Scruggs, and Steve Earle.

You’ve got plenty of time before Sugar Maple Fest to get to know this Wisconsin band, but why wait? Check out their Facebook page and the video below for a preview right now. Look for upcoming shows to attend. For extra credit, drink a beer and say “Thistledown Thunders” three times really fast!

–Written by Daniel Seifried

https://youtu.be/GnhI9AjszGg

The 2017 line-up for Sugar Maple Music Festival keeps getting better and better! We’re thrilled to announce that Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands will be performing at the festival on Saturday, August 5^th.

For decades, California native Laurie Lewis has been one of the most sought after bluegrass and American roots music makers. Lewis is a singer, songwriter, fiddler, guitarist, banjo player, teacher and producer. She took home a Grammy for True Life Blues: The songs of Bill Monroe in 1997 and won the California’s Women’s Fiddling championships—not once—but TWICE! Laurie has also been named Female Vocalist of the year at the International Bluegrass Music Awards in both 1992 and 1994.

“It’s not too much of a stretch to suggest that if the “Americana” format wasn’t invented for her, it should have been.”- Sing Out! Magazine

Laurie’s band, the Right Hands, is loaded with talented and versatile musicians, including Tom Rozum, Chad Manning, Andrew Conklin, Patrick Sauber, Todd Phillips, Craig Smith and Scott Huffman on guitar. Their list of accomplishments is long and impressive, and you can read about them here.

When the band plays Sugar Maple Music Festival this summer, expect to hear tasteful harmonies, the twang of banjo and transcendent fiddle playing—all touched by Laurie’s fresh spirit and West Coast style. Their sound will deliver you to a place where old memories and new dreams live side by side. If you’re familiar with Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands, you already know you’re in for a treat. If not, watch the videos linked below, or visit Laurie Lewis for more videos and a full list of performance dates.

Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands – Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow

Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands – The Crooked Miles

“Laurie Lewis’ true songs make this planet a better place. They help us grab what’s important in our lives. Over the years her original voice has consistently carried the torch of tradition, beautifully updating it with a rare care and responsibility.”  —Tim O’Brien

–written by Jennifer Phistry and Daniel Seifried