Twisted Pine + Fireside Collective

Released in the Summer of 2020, Right Now is a cosmic map of the new and glistening journeys of Twisted Pine, the Boston-based spacecraft of a band that was once bluegrass but is now “something else, a wider version of a stringband, boundary jumpers akin to outfits like Punch Brothers, Nickel Creek, and Crooked Still [The Boston Globe].” The soundscape for this full-length sophomore release has all the sass of zero-gravity pop; the grooves of 2 a.m. funk jams; the astral flute and shoobedoos of 70s radio. “Punch Brothers meets Jean-Luc Ponty and Ian Anderson [Jethro Tull],” writes Folk Alley of the instrumental track “Amadeus Party" -- and yet the lyric narratives are packed with the elements of earthling mountain music. “Right Now” aims to shut the careless mouth of an ex. “Papaya" whispers, "Don't just pass me right by." “Dreamaway” describes a faith that comes and goes. “Don’t Come Over Tonight” demands a night off from a guy's opinions. The covers pay homage to Father John Misty and Tex Logan -- two points that intersect the plane of this exquisite world. Twisted Pine is Kathleen Parks (Newburgh, NY) on fiddle and lead vox; Dan Bui (Houston, TX) on mandolin; Chris Sartori (Concord, MA) on bass; and Twisted Pine's newest addition, Anh Phung (Chilliwack, BC) on flute. Everybody sings. Twisted Pine plays under the influence of explorers Jerry Douglas (with whom the band occasionally tours), Bela Fleck, Sierra Hull, Billy Strings, The Wood Brothers, and Lake Street Dive and Crooked Still (label mates at Signature Sounds Recordings). Right Now was produced by Twisted Pine and by Dan Cardinal at Dimension Sound in Jamaica Plain (Boston), MA.

A quintet who cheerfully disregard every kind of one-dimensional label that might be attached to their music, Fireside Collective has been on a roll since emerging seven years ago from the fertile roots music scene of Asheville, North Carolina. In quick order, the progressive bluegrass group released its debut album, won the 2016 Band Contest at MerleFest, earned an International Bluegrass Music Association Momentum Band of the Year nomination and embarked on an ambitious touring schedule that’s earned an enthusiastic reception from traditional bluegrass to wide-ranging, eclectic music festival audiences alike.

​Blending the characteristic interplay of bluegrass instrumentation and harmonies with strong original material and exuberant energy, Fireside Collective has drawn on folk, blues, funk and a wide variety of bluegrass sounds to create a distinctive body of work that’s all their own.

Each member—Joe Cicero (guitar); Alex Genova (banjo); Jesse Iaquinto (mandolin); Tommy Maher (resonator guitar) and Carson White (upright bass)— brings a strong, original voice to his instrument, and the unique contributions of different lead and harmony vocalists complement the variety in the group’s many original songs. “Depending on where you come from and your experience with folk music, you may think we’re very traditional, or on the other hand, consider us a progressive act,” says Iaquinto. “We appreciate both ends of the spectrum and may lie on a different end on any given night.” But whether they’re bringing the classic sound of bluegrass or exploring new musical territory, Fireside Collective delivers a fresh, energetic approach and a blast of enthusiastic creativity that’s electrifying audiences across the country.