Armed with fresh writing, high octane virtuosity, and endless energy TWISTEDPINE challenges its bluegrass roots by effortlessly intertwining innovation with tradition. The band is composed of five uniquely voiced writers and accomplished musicians: Dan Bui on mandolin, Ricky Mier on banjo, Kathleen Parks on fiddle, Chris Sartori on bass, and Rachel Sumner on guitar. TwistedPine is collaborative in nature from the writing and arranging right down to their live performances. In a Twisted pine show, anything can happen: delicate harmonies turn into growling vocals, raucous fiddle tunes melt into groovy jams, fiery solos make way for heartfelt melodies and bittersweet lyrics. Diverse influences are hinted at — from pop to classical, jazz to celtic — creating a music as fresh as the writers themselves. The band is currently working on their much anticipated premiere full length album of original songs and tunes due out in early 2017.
Twisted Pine has performed with bluegrass luminaries such as Peter Rowan, Gibson Brothers, and has been showcased as Berklee College of Music’s premier acoustic act. Twisted Pine has performed on the main stages of major festivals such as Greyfox Bluegrass Festival, Celtic Connections in Glasgow, Green River Festival, FreshGrass Festival, Joe Val Bluegrass Festival, Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival, and more. In 2014 they won both the FreshGrass and Thomas Point Beach band competitions and received an Iguana Music Fund Grant from Club Passim. They were nominated for the 2015 IBMA Band Performance Momentum Award and placed second in the 2015 RockyGrass band competition tie-breaking round. They are now in artist development at Signature Sounds.