Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

Pert Near Sandstone first gathered around a microphone in a Minneapolis basement to record their debut album more than a decade ago and since that time, they have cemented their status as linchpins of the Midwestern acoustic scene with energized interpretations of the traditional olde tyme sound. Their most recent studio release, The Discovery Of Honey, was co-produced by original founding member Ryan Young, currently with Trampled by Turtles. Through constant touring and variety of festival appearances such as the prestigious Telluride Bluegrass Festival, as well as sharing bills on the road with the likes of Trampled By Turtles, Del McCoury Band, Sam Bush and more, the band has tapped their fan base to undertake their most ambitious project to date - co-founding the Blue Ox Music Festival.  Debuting in 2015, the festival has grown into an annual pilgrimage for roots music fans across the country and has featured some of the world’s most cherished artists like Sam Bush, Tyler Childers, Bela Fleck, Margo Price, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Greensky Bluegrass, Jerry Douglas, Shovels & Rope, Justin Townes Earle, The Infamous Stringdusters, Peter Rowan, and more. The mythical energy of Blue Ox has been captured on their most recent release, Live at Blue Ox 2018, which features 20 tracks from their performances across the 3-day event.

Kind music for kind people. Kind Country is a Minneapolis based band that plays American standards as well as their own brand of Cosmic American music. Since their formation in 2012, the band has focused on creating live performances with high levels of improvisation and energy gathering with a goal of creating a moment of musical bliss that can be shared by audience members and band alike.

Kind Country released their debut self titled album “Kind Country” in the fall of 2013. Since then they have been bringing their music on the road playing live performances at theaters, bars, auditoriums, festivals, and everywhere in between all throughout the United States. The band released their second independently released full length album, Hwy 7, in the fall of 2015. Produced by Ryan Young of Trampled by Turtles, Hwy 7, thrust the band further into a regional spotlight. The guys quickly followed up with a 5 track studio EP, Mountains, which was released in the spring of 2017. The band has no plans of stopping and will be releasing new material on a regular basis for the foreseeable future.

"Snagging the last spot and rounding out our not-very-extensive list is Kind Country, the Minneapolis-based jamgrass band forged in 2012. Originally started as a four-piece string band, the band expanded into six-member ensemble featuring Mitch Johnson (guitar), Brandon Johnson (guitar), Max Graham (mandolin), Joe Sheehan (bass), Chris Forsberg (violin), and Chris Wittrock (drums). These guys have something special going on, with the addition of drums allowing the group to go deeper in exploring how bluegrass can morph and intersect with other genres and giving them the freedom to create a sound that is truly their own. However, they still stay true to their string-band origins and bluegrass roots, with their energetic playing and the talent among the six players more-or-less guaranteeing a foot-stompin’ good time."- Ming Lee Newcomb, Live for Live Music. From article Five Up and Coming Bluegrass Bands Poised to Take Over the Scene.