An Asheville, North Carolina band built on close harmonies, string-band instrumentation, and roots songwriting, led by singer-guitarist Clint Roberts and drawing on old-time, Americana, and bluegrass traditions.
The Short Version
Who Are They?
Holler Choir is an Americana and folk-rock band from Asheville, North Carolina, formed around the songwriting of singer, guitarist, and multi-instrumentalist Clint Roberts. Their sound joins Appalachian string-band instrumentation to indie-leaning songcraft, built on layered harmonies, banjo and mandolin, upright bass, and Roberts's ballads.
The group took shape in 2022 during the recording of Roberts's EP Mountain Air at studios in Asheville, then reconvened to cut a full-length debut. Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jackson Grimm formally joined the lineup in 2024, and the band performs and records with a rotating cast of players drawn from the western North Carolina roots scene.
Holler Choir sits at the meeting point of old-time, bluegrass, and modern Americana, a young band working in a long Appalachian tradition.
The southern Appalachians around Asheville, the landscape this music grows from.From an Asheville Studio to a Touring Band
The Story
Holler Choir's history is short but rooted, tracing from a solo recording session into a full string-driven ensemble.
String-band instruments and Appalachian songcraft at the center of the band.
2022
Mountain Air
The band coalesced during the recording of Clint Roberts's EP Mountain Air, produced by Michael Ashworth in Asheville. The sessions gathered the core of players who would become Holler Choir.
2023
First singles
Ahead of a full album, the group released a run of singles, including "Hamlet Blues," "Hard Pill," and "Darlene," establishing the harmony-forward, string-band sound.
2024
Songs Before They Write Themselves
The debut full-length arrived in January 2024, recorded at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville and engineered by Jason Richmond, collecting the singles alongside new material.
2024
Jackson Grimm joins
Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jackson Grimm officially joined the band after collaborating on the group's Susto Stringband project, deepening the writing partnership at the core of Holler Choir.
2025–2026
Touring and new work
The band continued touring the festival and club circuit across the Southeast and beyond, with a new collaborative record planned under the current lineup.
A Few Songs to Begin
Start Here
These recordings are a quick way into the band's sound, from studio single to live string-band performance. Watch in order.
01 · The Single
"Hamlet Blues" (2024)
A signature track from the debut album, built on driving acoustic rhythm and stacked harmonies. A clear introduction to the Holler Choir sound.
02 · The Opener
"One Less Lie" (2024)
The opening track of Songs Before They Write Themselves, pairing roots instrumentation with the band's melodic songwriting.
03 · Live
"Carolina Moon" (Live)
A song from the Mountain Air EP performed live, showing the harmony blend and string-band arrangement in the room.
The Records
The Albums 2 to start with
Holler Choir's discography is young: an EP that started it all and the full-length debut that followed. Both are the place to begin.
2022
Mountain Air – EP
The five-song EP where the band took shape, recorded in Asheville and produced by Michael Ashworth. It introduces the harmony-forward, string-band approach across tracks like "Jeremiah" and "Carolina Moon."
The debut full-length, recorded at Echo Mountain Studios and engineered by Jason Richmond. Ten tracks, from "One Less Lie" and "Hamlet Blues" to a cover of Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box," it is the fullest picture of the band.
Two short sets: a First Listen of the most immediate songs to bring you in, and a Deep Cuts pass through the rest of the catalog. (Ideally, though, hear both records whole.) Hit the button on either card to search the band on YouTube Music.
Holler Choir is anchored by two songwriters and filled out by a rotating group of Appalachian players, with recordings shaped by respected regional producers and engineers.
Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville, where the debut album was recorded.
Clint RobertsVocals, guitar, songwritingThe founder and principal songwriter, whose ballads and lead vocals define the band's sound; the group grew out of his EP Mountain Air
Jackson GrimmMulti-instrumentalist, songwritingA songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who officially joined in 2024 after the Susto Stringband collaboration, forming a writing partnership at the core of the band
Helena RoseClawhammer banjoA recurring collaborator whose clawhammer banjo lends the old-time texture to the string-band arrangements
Joey BrownUpright bassUpright bassist among the core touring and recording players from the western North Carolina roots scene
Michael Ashworth & Jason RichmondProducer / engineerAshworth produced Mountain Air; Richmond, known for work with the Avett Brothers, engineered Songs Before They Write Themselves at Echo Mountain
The Roots of the Sound
Influences
Holler Choir works within the broader Appalachian and Americana lineage: old-time and bluegrass string-band tradition crossed with the modern folk and indie-folk songwriting revival. These artists map that surrounding world.
Americana
The Avett Brothers
The North Carolina band that helped define modern string-driven Americana. Their engineer Jason Richmond also worked on Holler Choir's debut, a direct thread in the regional scene.
Clint Roberts has spoken about the band's origins, its Asheville roots, and the writing behind the records in a handful of conversations and sessions.
Interview · Conversation
Clint Roberts, In Conversation
Roberts discusses the Holler Choir project, his songwriting, and the western North Carolina scene the band comes from.
Interview · Sessions
Sessions & Live Dates
Beyond formal interviews, the band's radio sessions and live performances offer a close look at how these arrangements come together on stage. Search YouTube for the latest.
Once the EP and the debut have you, there is more of the band's world to explore.
The singles. tracks like "Hard Pill," "Hamlet Blues," and "Darlene" appeared as standalone releases in 2023 before the album, worth hearing on their own.
Susto Stringband. the collaborative project with SUSTO that helped bring Jackson Grimm fully into the fold, a window into the band's wider circle.
Live and radio sessions. the band's stripped-down session performances show the harmonies and string arrangements up close.
The next record. a new collaborative album under the current lineup has been planned, the next chapter for the group.
The Way to Listen
Do yourself one favor: play Songs Before They Write Themselves from start to finish, then go back to the Mountain Air EP to hear where it began. The harmonies reward close listening.
