Splendid Torch / On the Trail - Freshgrass Hoedown

Tickets:

In-Advance: $15

Day-Of-Sale: $20

Splendid Torch

They say necessity is the mother of invention – sometimes she’s the mother of reinvention as well. Under the moniker Mamma’s Marmalade, a group of friends from New England have spent the last decade building a devoted following and “adding new ingredients to the Americana batter”, as Bluegrass Today put it. When founding member Mitch Bordage decided to hang up his mandolin and step away from a life on the road, it was time for the remaining members Lily Sexton (lead vocals, fiddle, guitar), Sean Davis (acoustic and electric guitar vocals), and Josh Ballard (bass) to turn a creative corner.

ICON, the debut LP from Splendid Torch, sits joyfully at the intersection of indie rock and Americana, and is a snapshot of the genesis of a new creative endeavor. This is a rare instance of the album discovering the band; the sessions that brought us ICON were initially intended for Mamma’s Marmalade. Yet, as the songs began to take shape, it became clear that this was the beginning of something new. “Few of these songs were arranged before we went in to track,” explains Sexton. “We went in with the bones and really fleshed them out in the studio. In more than one instance I was writing lyrics in the vocal booth.”

ON THE TRAIL

On the Trail is a modern acoustic band that explores everything from bluegrass to contemporary pop, from stunning instrumentals to beautiful traditional songs. The group was founded through their love of bluegrass and the band the Punch Brothers. They have already gained recognition and praise for their exploration and strong execution of the challenging music, as well as for their new original music. Most recently, On the Trail had the honor of being selected as an Emerging Artist at Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival. On The Trail features Austin Scelzo (fiddle and vocals), Tom Polizzi (mandolin and vocals), Charlie Widmer (guitar and vocals) and Matt Curley (upright bass and vocals).

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