The Nields, Van Morrison, Josh Ritter, Kasey Chambers, Richard Shindell, Eliza Gilkyson, John Prine, Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer, Tony Trischka, Richard Thompson, Linda Thompson, Kate Rusby, Greg Brown, Buddy & Julie Miller, Rani Arbo, Cassandra Wilson, The Waifs, Gillian Welch, Dolly Parton, Tim O'Brien, The Story, Rosie Thomas, Tom Russell, Emmylou Harris, Neko Case, Martin Simpson, Tim Eriksen, Cordelia's Dad, Iris DeMent, Dirk Powell, Becky Schlegel, Adrienne Young, Carole King, Jeff Buckley, U2, Vaguely Familiar
Mother Banjo is a one-woman band featuring Ellen Stanley on banjo and vocals. Her music combines the haunting sounds of traditional folk and gospel with contemporary alt-country and Americana hooks. Poetic and rich, her songs are sad, sweet and full of the stories that inhabit the wide open prairies of the Midwest.
Raised on rock and pop music and trained classically on piano, oboe and voice, Ellen fell in love with folk music as a teenager as she became hooked on public radio and discovered the church coffeehouse scene in southern Connecticut. It was there that she got exposed to a wide variety of acoustic artists and devoured the sounds of singer-songwriters, bluegrass bands and old-timey ballads. Although an avid prose and poetry writer, Ellen did not connect with her own songwriting voice until she graduated from college and moved to Minneapolis where she bought a house, got a cat and took up the banjo. After performing pretty regularly at cabaret-style variety shows and open mics, Ellen has started touring nationally, hitting clubs and coffeehouses from New York City to the Montana Rockies.
An engaging live performer, Mother Banjo weaves humorous stories with fun covers and her own original material. She has performed at prestigious venues like The Ark (Ann Arbor, MI) and the Cedar Cultural Center (Minneapolis, MN) and has shared the stage with such notable songwriters as Cliff Eberhardt and Tracy Grammer. She showcased at the 2009 International Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis, TN and will be touring throughout the country in support of her new album.
Produced by Darren Jackson (Kid Dakota, The Hopefuls) and John Hermanson (Storyhill, The Hopefuls), Mother Banjo's first full-length album The Sad and Found was released April 23, 2009 and follows up on the success of her EP Swing Low (named one of the top local releases of 2007 by St. Paul Pioneer Press critic Ross Raihala). The album was recorded at Darren's studio and features performances by the best acoustic talent in the Twin Cities, including members of The Roe Family Singers, Eliza Blue, “Sneaky” Pete Bauer, Jaspar Lepak, Art Vandalay and Matt Novachis (Keri Noble, Molly Maher, Tina Schlieske).
The Sad and Found starts with a bittersweet break-up song (“One Hello”) and travels through the heartache and hope that lie along the rocky road of love. Original story songs like “This Fall” and “Green Jacket” sit comfortably alongside unique covers of Josh Ritter’s “Leaving” and Stephen Foster’s “Oh, Susanna.” Mixing contemporary indie-folk sounds with traditional folk and gospel energy, Mother Banjo’s full-length album showcases her commanding vocals and minimalist banjo playing, creating a unique sound that appeals to Americana, country indie and folk fans alike.
For press inquiries or booking, email motherbanjo@gmail.com or click on her Sonicbids EPK.
I just wanted to stop by to say hello and give you a little update on what Blood Root Mother is up to! We will be recording an EP of new music in August, and we recently finished recording a live DVD. The DVD is currently unreleased and I actually just saw it for the first time a few days ago. It features the last two performances with Tony Ellis still alive, and some footage from the tribute show we played on the night of his funeral.
There are some cool covers, as well as some NEW music that will be on our upcoming EP. We're very excited about the new music and we'd like to share a sneak peak with you. Here's a video of a new tune called Run Bobby Run:
Hello, it's me, Ruby Jane.To those who don't know me, I am a 14 year old fiddler, songwriter. I have some songs posted that are fresh out of the studio. Let me know if you like the new songs..be one of the first to hear, even before they are released!Thanks! new videos too! Ruby Jane
Thank YOU for letting us be a part of the show at the Cedar, and part of the CD, too. We were truly honored to be a part of it. We loved it! You are awesome. It was a beautiful night. We will be happy to be your band whenever we can!
You should be very proud of it, we in LOUDRAY would have prefered a little dirtier of a mix, but that's cause we are loud punks, but a great step forward for you as a recording artist.
We also are honored for your gracious thanks, and would love to have you down at the Dubliner some Thursday. There is no better way to support local acoustic music than by frequenting the standing acoustic gigs in the city.
Since you seem to have good taste in music and live around the cities, I wanted to let you know about our show next Thursday, February 26th. We will be burning down the house at Trocaderos Nightclub in Minneapolis (107 3rd Ave N). If you've been there before, I don't have to tell you it's one of the best venues in the Twin Cities - classy atmosphere, great drinks, and the sound is always fantastic. We're gonna be recording live for a DVD, and this is definitely gonna be the coolest show we've done yet. So COME ON DOWN! The show is 18+, it starts at 9pm, and the cover is a mere $5.
Hope to see you there!
Peace, Elliot
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed." -Albert Einstein
Brutal songwriter bash, and a chance for fans to lay down their support for live broadcasting of indies in the cities. Monday, March 2. Kitty Cat. Hope you make it big.
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