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Yonder Mountain String Band…

the band’s history stretches back to when banjoist Dave Johnston and mandolinist Jeff Austin were still in college. Having met in Urbana, Illinois, Johnston requested Austin to join and sing in his band The Bluegrassholes. Austin, who played no instrument, revealed to Johnston that he owned a mandolin, who then told him to come to the performance and “play anything, just play fast and loud.”

After the collapse of The Bluegrassholes, Johnston moved to Boulder, Colorado, in order to further his bluegrass musical skills. Similarly, Austin moved to Colorado, but instead took up residence in Nederland. Johnston soon joined him there. It was during this time in Nederland that Johnston and Austin met bassist Ben Kaufmann and guitarist Adam Aijala at a local club named the Verve.[2] In December of 1998, the four musicians formed Yonder Mountain String Band which was to open for a band at the Fox Theatre in Boulder. They have since developed both a bluegrass and jam band fanbase, and can often be found on tour. Their debut album Elevation was released on Frog Pad Records, an independent record label run by the band, in fall 1999.

Popular in: USA

Essential Sites:

Official Yonder Mountain String Band Trio Website

Yonder Mountain String Band Wikipedia Website

Yonder Mountain String Band MySpace Website

Discography:

• Elevation (1999)
• Town by Town (2001)
• Mountain Tracks: Volume 1 (2001)
• Mountain Tracks: Volume 2 (2002)
• Old Hands (2003)
• Mountain Tracks: Volume 3 (2004)
• Too Many Years – a benefit for Clear Path International to which YMSB contributed the track “A Father’s Arms” (2005)
• Mountain Tracks: Volume 4 (2006)
• Yonder Mountain String Band (2006)

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