Hackensaw Boys perform “C’mon Baby Don’t Bet Against Me” at WNRN in Charlottesville, Virginia. Video by Rich Tarbell with Brian Wimer and Marco Duran.
With feet firmly planted in the old-time song tradition, hands soiled by the dirt of rock n’ roll and eyes fixed steadily on the future of real country music, the Hackensaw Boys are among the most exciting groups charting new territory in today’s diverse Americana music scene.
How does it work?
Everybody sings a bit of lead, everybody sings a bit of harmony and most members know when to shut up. Instrumentation includes banjo, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, harmonica, upright bass, charismo (a home-made tin can contraption) and the occasional trap kit.
Where do they come from?
In the beginning they all lived in Charlottesville, VA, but now the members are spread throughout Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Louisiana. For more than a decade, however, they’ve come together to tour the United States, Europe and the U.K. and to record several critically acclaimed albums.
Who are they?
The group’s lineup includes:
• Ferd Moyse (strings and horsehair)
• Jimmy Stelling (thumb picks)
• Brian Gorby (traps and sticks)
• David Sickmen (strings and improvised straps)
• Jon Goff (Stand-up strings and fingers)
Hackensaw Boys perform “C’mon Baby Don’t Bet Against Me” at WNRN in Charlottesville, Virginia. Video by Rich Tarbell with Brian Wimer and Marco Duran.
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