THE BROTHERS STRONG

"The Brothers Strong are known for high level musical authenticity. Like the wood, water, and stone of the Sierra Nevada Mountains from which they hail, their sound is sculpted by a timeless aggregate of people and place. This four-piece string band is on a resonant exploration of the human condition with the singular mission to make music that acts a conduit for genuine connectivity. The resulting collection of original material has taken shape in rowdy and resilient tales of love and loss, intermingled with passionately precise instrumental interludes."

                                                                                                                            ~Strawberry Music Festival
                                                                                                   
 
The Brothers Strong are a 4 piece string band from the mountains of the Sierra Nevada. The band has grown a loyal fanbase by bringing an authentic mountain sound that is hard to come by to their recordings and live sets. It is this honest and genuine tone that brings people to their rough and rowdy bluegrass shows where the band's original songs share their truest thoughts and feelings with their listeners. This come first and foremost through thoughtful songwriting. It explores many of the daily struggles of human life from love and loss, to success and failure, while always coming from, and returning to the heaviest most personal emotions we carry. Monterey County Weekly described the experience as: “In the spirit of The Avett Brothers’ shout-till-you’re-bleeding-from-the-mouth-country-grunge, The Brothers Strong bring their own version of alt-newgrass, straight out Sonora, California”. This is not to downplay the bands musicianship--they have been described as "hot shot" pickers and players--but rather to indicate that though lightning fast picking and fiery fiddle licks can wow a crowd, the real purpose of the instrument is to connect with the audience and let them lose themselves in the emotions of the music. As described by The Alternate Root Magazine their "Bright acoustics and note-perfect harmonies give the" The Brothers Strong's  music "a huge presence" on the stage allowing them to connect seamlessly with audiences in a meaningful way. These key elements define The Brothers Strong, bringing diverse audiences to their shows. 

The band has accomplished much in DIY fashion, recording self producing their full length LP "Stuck In The Tunnel" (to be released July 2020) with sound Engineering, Mixing, and Mastering by the incredibly talented Berklee College of Music  graduate Kiel Williams. The band's most recent EP recording Not Enough To Go Around  was recorded at Tiny Telephone Studio with Producer Nat Keefe of Hot Buttered Rum in early 2016. The band has acquired diverse performing experience from around the West at festivals like the Strawberry Music Festival performing among such legendary acts as The Del McCoury Band, The Wood Brothers, John Craigie, Molly Tuttle, Marty Stewart, Dustbowl Revival, The California Honeydrops and many others fantastic artists; performing at such venues as: Mountain Sage, Groveland; Ironstone, Murphys; Amnesia Bar and Brick and Mortar, San Francisco; The Crepe Place, Santa Cruz The Great Salt Lake Guitar Company, Provo, Sam Bonds Garage in Eugene;  Café Artichoke, Portland; and The Seattle Substation . Performing with acts such as  Hot Buttered Rum, Nickie Blume , The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit,  Willie T. Taylor, Joe Craven & The Sometimers, Ragged Union, Dandelion Massacre, Lowland Hum, The Collection, and members of Front Country: Melody Walker and Jacob Groopman has made the band a favorite of bluegrass aficionados, good ol' country boys, folk lovers, hot blooded punks, and indie rock audiences. The Brothers Strong's music can also on occasion be heard live from stations such as Santa Cruz’s legendary station 107.5 KPIG, Sonora’s 93.5 KKBN, and 92.7 KZSQ, Santa Cruz's 88.1 KZSC, West Point's KQBM 90.7 and Chico 90.1 KZFR.

The Brothers Strong are: Shane Strong on lead vocals, and banjo; Stephen Strong on guitar, lead vocals, and backup vocals; Owen Ragland on the fiddle, and backup vocals; and Alec La Roche on the stand-up bass.