Trail Tunes
In 2024, these A.T. fest faves returned to fiddle away the day with us:
Short Hill
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JUSTIN TRAWICK &
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Frank SoliVan &
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11:30-12:45
SHORT HILL MOUNTAIN BOYS
This beloved Appalachian string band blends musical genres with tight harmonic vocals, fiddling and guitar picking as they play their own blend of bluegrass, country, Celtic and folk music imbued with the spontaneity and infectious good time of old time mountain music.
Named for the mountain range of northwest Loudoun, this hyper-local group has a diverse following from checkered-shirt farmers, artists and artisans, to tech wizards, corporate tycoons and suburban moms. “We’re fortunate to live where we do and have such strong tradition of friends who play this music,” says SHMB co-founder John Bestwick. “We’re all connected, with fans and friends from all walks of life and backgrounds.”
1:30-2:45
JUSTIN TRAWICK & THE COMMON GOOD
Justin Trawick has been performing in the DC area and along the East Coast for 17 years. In 2014, Trawick won “Song of the Year” at the Washington Area Music Awards for his solo recording of “All the Places That I’ve Been." In 2015, he released “Goodbye,” his first single with his band, Justin Trawick and the Common Good. Three years later, the band released the "The Riverwash EP" to critical acclaim.
The band's single “Back of the Line,” released during the coronavirus quarantine—along with Trawick’s pandemic-inspired livestream series and secret backyard concert series—was featured on Reuters, CNN, Al Jazeera, Washington Post, Washingtonian Magazine, Parade Magazine, American Songwriter Magazine, Voice of America and Virginia Living Magazine. Last January, Trawick released the single “These Days”, the first of a series of singles released every six weeks throughout 2023 leading up to a full album at the end of the year.
3:30-4:45
FRANK SOLIVAN & JILLIAN LEA
Frank Solivan is a multi-Grammy nominee, multi-IBMA award recipient and multi-instrumentalist who sings with power and passion. His International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) award nominations include Male Vocalist of the Year and Instrumental Player of the Year. He is known for his blistering chops on the mandolin, as well as for playing fiddle and guitar and writing smart songs that go straight to the heart. Solivan combines the pure, hard drive of classic bluegrass with contemporary acoustic music sophistication. Solivan and his regular band, Dirty Kitchen, have toured the world and racked up a steady stream of accolades, including two Grammy nominations and two awards for IBMA Instrumental Group of the Year.
Jillian Lea grew up playing classical, folk, jazz and Celtic music with her twin sister and music-loving parents. She was classically trained on the flute at George Mason University before focusing her attention on the penny whistle. In more recent years, she has gravitated to the world of bluegrass and the upright bass. Lea has toured with regional and national acts for decades, performing and teaching workshops throughout the U.S., Virgin Islands, France, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
Festival photos below courtesy of Dan Innamorato.
SHORT HILL MOUNTAIN BOYS
This beloved Appalachian string band blends musical genres with tight harmonic vocals, fiddling and guitar picking as they play their own blend of bluegrass, country, Celtic and folk music imbued with the spontaneity and infectious good time of old time mountain music.
Named for the mountain range of northwest Loudoun, this hyper-local group has a diverse following from checkered-shirt farmers, artists and artisans, to tech wizards, corporate tycoons and suburban moms. “We’re fortunate to live where we do and have such strong tradition of friends who play this music,” says SHMB co-founder John Bestwick. “We’re all connected, with fans and friends from all walks of life and backgrounds.”
1:30-2:45
JUSTIN TRAWICK & THE COMMON GOOD
Justin Trawick has been performing in the DC area and along the East Coast for 17 years. In 2014, Trawick won “Song of the Year” at the Washington Area Music Awards for his solo recording of “All the Places That I’ve Been." In 2015, he released “Goodbye,” his first single with his band, Justin Trawick and the Common Good. Three years later, the band released the "The Riverwash EP" to critical acclaim.
The band's single “Back of the Line,” released during the coronavirus quarantine—along with Trawick’s pandemic-inspired livestream series and secret backyard concert series—was featured on Reuters, CNN, Al Jazeera, Washington Post, Washingtonian Magazine, Parade Magazine, American Songwriter Magazine, Voice of America and Virginia Living Magazine. Last January, Trawick released the single “These Days”, the first of a series of singles released every six weeks throughout 2023 leading up to a full album at the end of the year.
3:30-4:45
FRANK SOLIVAN & JILLIAN LEA
Frank Solivan is a multi-Grammy nominee, multi-IBMA award recipient and multi-instrumentalist who sings with power and passion. His International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) award nominations include Male Vocalist of the Year and Instrumental Player of the Year. He is known for his blistering chops on the mandolin, as well as for playing fiddle and guitar and writing smart songs that go straight to the heart. Solivan combines the pure, hard drive of classic bluegrass with contemporary acoustic music sophistication. Solivan and his regular band, Dirty Kitchen, have toured the world and racked up a steady stream of accolades, including two Grammy nominations and two awards for IBMA Instrumental Group of the Year.
Jillian Lea grew up playing classical, folk, jazz and Celtic music with her twin sister and music-loving parents. She was classically trained on the flute at George Mason University before focusing her attention on the penny whistle. In more recent years, she has gravitated to the world of bluegrass and the upright bass. Lea has toured with regional and national acts for decades, performing and teaching workshops throughout the U.S., Virgin Islands, France, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
Festival photos below courtesy of Dan Innamorato.
