Sierra Hull is widely regarded to be a master of her instrument; A two-time Grammy Nominated artist and songwriter, recognized for both her most recent projects, 25 Trips (2020) and Weighted Mind (2016), she is also the 6x recipient of IBMA’s Mandolin Player of the Year, the first woman to ever receive this distinction. A pioneer for acoustic music throughout her already impressive multi-decade career, she has graced the country’s most iconic stages, including Carnegie Hall, the Grand Ole Opry, and the White House. Her virtuosic abilities have garnered respect from genre-defining trailblazers, friends, and collaborators such as Alison Krauss, Sturgill Simpson, Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Béla Fleck, Bobby McFerrin, and Brandi Carlile. Originally hailing from Byrdstown, Tennessee, her unique sound is rooted in bluegrass, and she is widely considered one of acoustic music’s most inventive artists.
Caleb Stine is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist. Though he makes his living as a folk musician, Stine wouldn’t call what he does a job; he considers it a calling. His work is part-mystic poet, part-traveling preacher. As Americana UK observed, “Stine’s upfront personality [is] seeking to make a personal connection with everyone in the venue.” The albums and shows are the tip of the iceberg; to get to where he is today, Stine has put in decades of daily practice, day jobs, and deep commitment to the craft of music. “There’s an element of endurance to almost everything I do,” says Stine, who plays 100+ shows a year, has released 14 albums of original music, and shares a series of viral Instagram videos called “Caleb Stine Says Keep Going,” encouraging followers to dig deep into a creative practice of their own. Over the course of his career, he’s seen the music industry collapse and restructure multiple times, but it’s his love of music that’s allowed him to outlast so many peers and institutions along the way. And it’s this love of music that shines through his shows, imbuing them with a communal joy that spans generations and celebrates life at its most essential.
