Written by: Kara Kundert Inspiration can come to musicians in many different forms. Some of the more classic sources might be things like going through a bad breakup or falling in love with someone new. But it can also come through more nuanced sources, like seeing a particularly good sunrise or trying to write a song in your friend's style. Such is the case for George Jackson's "Turtle Rock". Written while camping in a state park in Wyoming with some friends during the summer of 2020, he drew inspiration from the feeling of serenity he had while resting in the shadow of the towering rock for ..read more

Written by: Nikolai Margulis “Come pick a tune!” I feel like those 4 words really capture the spirit of IBMA. There’s a sense of excitement, openness, and humbleness that every musician I met at World Of Bluegrass shares, which can make even a first-timer like me feel like they’ve been going for years. I'm a 14-year old banjo player, and I got to go to IBMA this year to play in the kids award show band. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I hoped that I could find someone to welcome me in, show me around, and maybe even sneak me into a jam…  After the Momentum Awards Luncheon, wher ..read more

Written by: Kara Kundert BLUEGRASS PRIDE EXCLUSIVE: After the year we've had, there is an undeniable drive to reunite. Bluegrass, by its nature, is powered by community and togetherness. It's all about learning from each other, bonding over late night jam sessions in a festival parking lot, and laughing as the sun cracks over the horizon just as instrument cases are latching shut for the night. In the end, we're all just one big family band. That is what makes Della Mae's newest release, Family Reunion, such a perfect album for the moment. As a band pieced together with members span ..read more

Written by: Kara Kundert We here at Bluegrass Pride are proud to support individuals of all backgrounds pursuing change and community within American traditional music. As part of that mission, we launched our Mini-Grant Program this past April -- a new tool for us to provide direct support to musicians, students, teachers, engineers, writers, festival organizers, and more. We'll be distributing $4,500 in mini-grants to folks all across the globe as they pursue excellence in music, compassion in education, and survival under a brutal system. As we distribute these grants, we want to shar ..read more

May 3, 2021 - San Francisco, CA: Bluegrass Pride, a Bay Area-based non-profit whose mission is to uplift LGBTQ+ musicians and creators in roots music, is proud to announce the second year of their immensely popular virtual festival and fundraising event, Porch Pride, which will take place all month long during June 2021. Over the course of Pride month, Porch Pride will feature performances by folks like Lavender Country, Rainbow Girls, Gangstagrass, Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Jake Blount, Sunny War, and many more, plus a virtual Bluegrass Pride Brunch and open house, a beginner-friendly jam-alon ..read more

Written by: Kara Kundert If there’s any single emotion that could have defined 2021, yearning would probably be pretty close to the top of the list. Lonely, isolated, and missing your loved ones — it was an experience that bound us together, even though we were all apart. Which is what makes the recent release of Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno’s self-titled debut album all the more prescient. Filled with bittersweet songs about love across a distance, each of the songs strikes a little truer now than it may have in another year. This particular track, “On the Line”, will hit home ..read more

Written by: Kara Kundert Coming from a traditional bluegrass or old-time background, you may find yourself surprised or even taken aback by the presence of a tenor saxophone in a string band lineup. But for The Faux Paws, it was a completely natural fit. The Faux Paws have been playing together for nearly ten years, ever since brothers Andrew and Noah VonNorstrand packed up a 1989 Volvo station wagon to go on a 5-week road trip across the American southeast with their new friend Chris Miller. Throughout the trip, they jammed on the beach, busked under a bridge, hung out at a festival on the S ..read more

2020 may have delivered more than its fair share of underhanded punches, but the bluegrass community was able to shine through it all. In spite of a difficult year artists kept the music playing. We wanted to highlight some of the best bluegrass releases this year, so we’ve put together a Spotify playlist; here you’ll find releases from artists who performed at Porch Pride earlier this year, friends who debuted their releases on our blog, and other bluegrassers who’ve put out new music this year. Streaming their music is a great, free way to support hard-working artists who managed to stay cre ..read more

Despite a really tough year, Bluegrass Pride was able to work with artists and showcase their work—largely due to your contributions—providing them with additional income. We’re really proud of that, and we’re doing just a little bit more by highlighting artists’ experiences in bluegrass and with our organization. We wanted to know what inspires musicians to keep playing and how they came to love the genre in the first place. Enter Noa Laniakea, a great friend to Bluegrass Pride and talented bass player who performed at this year’s first-ever Porch Pride Festival. Noa features heavily on Fog ..read more

Here at BGP, we’d like to feel like we accomplished a lot this year. In spite of a global pandemic, political unrest and so much more, we were still able to work with artists and showcase their work, plus provide them with a few checks to plug the gaps left by an eviscerated music industry. Yes, this year has been hard, but it’s not been all bad. We’re really proud of the work we’ve done and we hope it’s left even a small impact on you. In that spirit, we’ll be sharing a few stories from our team and artists who were impacted positively by Bluegrass Pride’s work this year. We hope you’ll take ..read more