News of bands who came to Westport and Omagh 2022

Three of the bands from abroad who played at this year's Westport and Omagh bluegrass festivals have since been featured on our distinguished contemporary Bluegrass Today; two of them, who were both on the Saturday night concert at Westport, are also signed with Stephen Mougin's Dark Shadow Recording label. The Colorado trio Stillhouse Junkies have released a new single from their forthcoming album Small towns (cover image, above): it is a cover of the 1977 Fleetwood Mac song 'Never going back again'. Details are in John Lawless's article on Bluegrass Today, where the song (also on YouTube) can be heard.

Dark Shadow announced last week that Chicago's Henhouse Prowlers have signed with the label. From John Lawless's feature on Bluegrass Today, it seems a very congenial partnership for both label and band, and a new album by the Prowlers is expected in the near future. The feature includes a half-hour video (also on YouTube) of a set the Prowlers recorded two years ago for Paste magazine, in which they talk about their experiences as bluegrass ambassadors.

The multinational Fountaineers, who formed and are based in Glasgow, played at Bluegrass Omagh 2022 in May. A week ago (11 Aug.) Bluegrass Today carried an interview by Lee Zimmerman in his 'Bluegrass beyond borders' series with the Fountaineers' Australian fiddler Jeri Foreman, who has a good explanation of why bluegrass appeals to people. The interview includes two videos.

© Richard Hawkins