Five virtuoso pickers who grew from a progressive-bluegrass band into one of the great modern jamgrass acts, winning a Grammy and lighting up festivals along the way.
The Short Version
Who Are They?
The Infamous Stringdusters are a five-piece American band, formed in the mid-2000s, who grew from a straight progressive-bluegrass outfit into one of the finest jamgrass bands of their generation. The lineup, Andy Falco on guitar, Chris Pandolfi on banjo, Andy Hall on Dobro, Jeremy Garrett on fiddle, and Travis Book on bass, is a rare thing: five genuine virtuosos, each a writer and singer, who function as a true ensemble.
They swept the bluegrass awards with their debut, then won a Grammy for their 2017 album Laws of Gravity, all while becoming a festival powerhouse in the jam world. Running alongside Greensky Bluegrass and the Yonder Mountain String Band, they are central to modern jamgrass.
Dobro and fiddle, two of the band's five virtuoso voices.From Award Sweep to Grammy Stage
The Story
Their story is one of steady evolution, from traditionalists to trailblazers, without ever losing their chops.
The mountains at the root of their sound.
2007
Fork in the Road
Their debut album swept the International Bluegrass Music Association awards, announcing a major new band.
late 2000s–2010s
Into the jam world
The band leaned into long improvisation, embraced the festival scene, and built a devoted, jam-minded following.
2011
The Festy Experience
They founded their own festival, cementing their place at the center of a fan community.
2017
A Grammy for Laws of Gravity
Laws of Gravity won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album, the peak of their recognition.
Ongoing
A festival powerhouse
The band remains one of the biggest and best-loved acts in modern jamgrass.
Three Recordings, One Introduction
Start Here
These three are the fastest way to hear the band: the anthem, the single, and the jam vehicle.
01 · The Anthem
"Rise Sun"
An uplifting, hook-filled song that shows the band's melodic gifts. Start here.
02 · The Single
"Let It Go"
A bright, driving tune that balances song craft and picking fire.
03 · The Jam Vehicle
"Black Elk"
An instrumental that opens up into the long, interlocking improvisation the band is known for.
The Catalog
The Essential Records 4 to start with
Four records covering the Grammy winner, the award-sweeping debut, and the band's evolution.
2017
Laws of Gravity
The Grammy-winning album, the band at its peak. Start here.
What makes the Infamous Stringdusters special is that there is no weak link. Each of the five is a virtuoso on his instrument and a songwriter and singer in his own right, so the band can hand the spotlight around endlessly without ever dropping in quality. That depth lets them play tight, intricate arrangements and then blow them wide open into long improvisations, with five strong voices trading ideas rather than one leader and a backing band.
They came up as traditionalists, their debut swept the bluegrass awards, but they had the chops and the curiosity to move into the jam world without diluting the music. Their long instrumental jams are genuinely improvised and genuinely virtuosic, built on the interlocking of banjo, Dobro, fiddle, guitar, and bass rather than on a drummer's beat. It is the newgrass and jamgrass lineage, from Sam Bush through String Cheese, carried to a new level of instrumental polish.
That combination, festival energy and serious musicianship, is why they won a Grammy and why they headline the jamgrass circuit. They also helped build the modern scene, founding their own festival and cultivating a devoted, tape-trading community in the classic jam tradition. Along with Greensky Bluegrass and Billy Strings, the Stringdusters are proof that the string band, taken seriously and pushed hard, is one of the most exciting formats in live music today.
The festival stage, where the band's five voices open up.The Roots of the Sound
Influences
The Stringdusters grew from bluegrass, newgrass, and the jam tradition. These are the sources.
The Father of Newgrass
Sam Bush
New Grass Revival opened bluegrass to rock energy and long improvisation.
