Mile Twelve, a Boston-based bluegrass band that played to a sold out crowd at the White Gull Inn last May, returns to the Fish Creek inn for a Thursday night concert on January 30. Tickets for the 8 pm concert are $25 per person.
The Mile Twelve lineup offers five of the most promising young musicians in bluegrass: David Benedict (mandolin), Catherine “BB” Bowness (banjo), Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (fiddle), Evan Murphy (guitar, lead vocals), and Nate Sabat (bass, lead vocals). Each of the band members is an accomplished songwriter.
A commitment to avoid what is easy and predictable makes Mile Twelve one of the hottest and most sought-after bluegrass groups touring today. The winner of the International Bluegrass Musician Association’s 2017 Momentum award, the band was also nominated for the 2018 Emerging Artist of the Year Award, and shows no signs of slowing down. Their recording debut was the full-length album Onwards, produced by Stephen Mougin. The album met with critical acclaim and earned the band a well-earned spot at the top of the bluegrass charts, as well as an IBMA nomination for 2018 Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year.
John Lawless of Bluegrass Today says, “The Boston-based group has been making noise in bluegrass with their virtuosic approach to the music, clever songwriting and arrangements, a nose-to-the-grindstone attitude, and a youthful energy that appeals to all age groups. All of that shows on their new release, Onwards.”
Although its sound is rooted in traditional bluegrass, Mile Twelve surveys a broader landscape on their newest album, City on a Hill. All five band members bring their own influences and observations to the music, resulting in a project that feels contemporary, thoughtfully crafted, and relevant.
“Original bluegrass music, written and played by young people, is very much alive,” says band member Evan Murphy. “I hope people take away that songwriting and arranging really matter. It’s about the material and playing it in a way that feels honest. This album isn’t political in the sense that we’re beating people over the head with anything, we just tried to tell stories that feel authentic.”
“We all inspire each other and recognize that everyone has different strengths,” Murphy says. “What makes this band so collaborative is that everyone in the band can do something at a really high level. That’s the balance. We’re all challenging each other.”
Asked about the band’s influences, Murphy cites Alison Krauss & Union Station for their precise arrangements and execution, the Del McCoury Band for their grit and groove, and the Punch Brothers for their genre-bending virtuosity. As for writing, Murphy praises the mastery of Gillian Welch and Jason Isbell for their ability to tell a fully-realized story within the confines of a three-minute song.
These influences shine through in Mile Twelve performances, but the core of their music is a the band’s unique, emerging voice.
An optional pre-concert fixed price dinner will be served at 6 pm. The menu consists of Shepherd’s Pie, mandarin and apple salad with orange poppy seed dressing; and carrot cake for dessert.
Tickets and more information on the concert and the dinner can be obtained by calling the White Gull Inn at (920) 868-3517 or accessing the inn’s website, www.whitegullinn.com. If still available, concert tickets can be purchased at the door, although many concerts sell out, so advance ticket purchase and reservations for the pre-concert dinners are recommended.