Della Mae is a GRAMMY-nominated, Nashville-based, all-female string band made up of lead vocalist/guitarist Celia Woodsmith, two-time national champion fiddle player Kimber Ludiker, mandolinist Jenni Lyn Gardner, and upright bassist Zoe Guigueno. Hailing from across North America, and reared in diverse musical styles, they are one of the most charismatic and engaging roots bands touring today. They have traveled to over 30 countries spreading peace and understanding through music. Their mission as a band is to showcase top female musicians, and to improve opportunities for women and girls through advocacy, mentorship, programming, and performance. They were IBMA’s Emerging Artists of the Year in 2013, GRAMMY Nominees in 2014 for their debut album on Rounder Records, named among Rolling Stone’s “10 bands to watch for in 2015,” and have since traveled with the U.S. State Department to more than 18 countries spreading peace and understanding through music. Lindsay Lou opens this concert with her bandmates Joshua Rilko, PJ George, and Jeff Wilson.
Since forming in Boston in 2009, Nashville-based string band Della Mae has established a reputation as a charismatic live act comprised of some of the finest players in bluegrass, Americana and beyond. Originating from different musical backgrounds and states across the U.S. and Canada, each member brings distinct elements that make Della Mae such a beloved band. Together they have a completely original style – sensitive yet assertive, intense yet playful, steeped in tradition yet undeniably current. Versatile instrumentalists and vocalists, they draw from a bottomless well of roots influences to create vibrant original music that conveys expansive musical vision. With timeless lyrical truth-telling and an unmistakably contemporary sensibility, they stand alongside such roots-conscious acts as the Avett Brothers, Punch Brothers, the Lumineers, and Hurray for the Riff Raff.
Through powerful experiences traveling the world together, the group discovered that Della Mae is more than a recording and touring band. Their mission to make a difference in the world emerged, and it became clearer that reflection was required to determine Della Mae’s next move.
In May 2016, after six years of extensive touring (averaging 220 days on the road per year, travel to over 30 countries and almost all US states), Della Mae took a break from the road. Each member took time to regroup, to pursue individual passions and projects, to regain footing, and to reflect on what they had just done – individually and together. This reflection revealed what Della Mae has come to mean to thousands of fans, to young girls worldwide, and to themselves.
Now, Della Mae is embarking on a new chapter together and writing for their next album.
Linsday Lou and The Flatbellys spent much of 2018 touring behind the release of their most recent record, Ionia. They’ve been featured in the lineup of prestigious affairs such as The Shetland Island Folk Festival and Celtic Connections in Scotland; Stagecoach Music Festival in California (boasting around 55,000 attendees); The Bluegrass Jamboree in Germany; and a number of the best acoustic music festivals in the US including Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado, Merlefest in North Carolina, Wheatland Music Festival in Michigan, GreyFox in New York, Strawberry Music Festival in California, Redwing Roots Festival in Virginia, ROMP in Kentucky, and Pagosa Springs Folk Festival in Colorado. They were named one of NPR Music’s 12 best live performance sessions of 2015 by Mountain Stage with Larry Groce, a program which has featured acts like Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Amos Lee, Joan Baez, Regina Spektor, Norah Jones, and PHISH.
Her singing floats over the instrumental mastery and deep groove of her band with dynamics that range from a lullaby to a battle cry. In the words of David Grier, “Lindsay…sings the way you would want to if you could. Phrasing, tone, emotion, it’s all there. Effortless seemingly. Simply mesmerizing. Riveting! Don’t miss the musical force that is Lindsay Lou.” Lindsay’s brand new full-length Southland (April 2018) is a collection of songs examining the range of emotions and complex themes of our changing times, delivered with soulfully fierce intensity and tender intimacy that demands your attention.
