Bluegrass music is currently experiencing widespread popularity among mainstream
audiences but transforming the vintage sound into music that could gain popular appeal
didn’t happen overnight. At 25 years old, Yonder Mountain String Band continues to
exist at the forefront of the progressive bluegrass scene as undeniable innovators and
pioneers of the modern jamgrass movement. Blending bluegrass with elements of rock,
alternative, psychedelic and improvisational music, Yonder Mountain String Band
brought their high-energy acoustic sound and light show into rock n’ roll settings with
tremendous success, proving it was possible for a bluegrass band to not only exist but
excel in a rock world, without drums. The inroads they made created opportunities for
like-minded acoustic bands to perform at festivals, rock clubs, theaters and stadiums
previously considered off-limits for string bands. Yonder Mountain’s high-energy sound,
compelling original music and anything goes attitude cultivated a spirit of collaborative
improvisation that continues to fuel today’s progressive bluegrass and jamgrass scenes.
It is a testament to the legacy of Yonder Mountain String Band that their original
songs and unique interpretations of covers are regularly performed by next generation
bands in the scene.
Yonder Mountain String Band celebrates their quarter century mark with a Grammy
Nomination for their 2022 release Get Yourself Outside. Band members Adam Aijala
(guitar, vocals), Ben Kaufmann (bass, vocals), Dave Johnston (banjo, vocals) and Nick
Piccininni (mandolin, banjo, fiddle, vocals) co-wrote all tracks on the album over zoom
sessions when Covid shut down the music touring industry. Yonder Mountain was
recently honored with an induction into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame alongside
friends and legends Leftover Salmon, Hot Rize, The String Cheese Incident and The
Fox Theater (where they played their very first show as a band in1998). Yonder
Mountain was officially inducted during a long-awaited, but meaningful ceremony that
took place on stage after their set at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival’s 50th anniversary
this past June.